The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today suggest that meditating on our doubts about our relationship with God will open the door for increasing our understanding.
No doubt about support
The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians declares we are one in Christ and members of the household of God.
* [2:11–22] The Gentiles lacked Israel’s messianic expectation, lacked the various covenants God made with Israel, lacked hope of salvation and knowledge of the true God (Eph 2:11–12); but through Christ all these religious barriers between Jew and Gentile have been transcended (Eph 2:13–14) by the abolition of the Mosaic covenant-law (Eph 2:15) for the sake of uniting Jew and Gentile into a single religious community (Eph 2:15–16), imbued with the same holy Spirit and worshiping the same Father (Eph 2:18). The Gentiles are now included in God’s household (Eph 2:19) as it arises upon the foundation of apostles assisted by those endowed with the prophetic gift (Eph 3:5), the preachers of Christ (Eph 2:20; cf. 1 Cor 12:28). With Christ as the capstone (Eph 2:20; cf. Is 28:16; Mt 21:42), they are being built into the holy temple of God’s people where the divine presence dwells (Eph 2:21–22).* [2:20] Capstone: the Greek can also mean cornerstone or keystone.1
Psalm 117 is a universal call to worship.
* [Psalm 117] This shortest of hymns calls on the nations to acknowledge God’s supremacy. The supremacy of Israel’s God has been demonstrated to them by the people’s secure existence, which is owed entirely to God’s gracious fidelity.2
In the Gospel of John, Jesus and Thomas explore doubt.
* [20:19–29] The appearances to the disciples, without or with Thomas (cf. Jn 11:16; 14:5), have rough parallels in the other gospels only for Jn 20:19–23; cf. Lk 24:36–39; Mk 16:14–18.3
Mike Cherney comments that tradition may give some additional insight into Thomas. Thomas was believed to have been a carpenter by trade. Perhaps this may have given him a more practical, action-oriented point of view as well as some understanding of Jesus’ background.
Dear Lord,
My sense is that questioning can be a natural part in the process of coming to a deeper understanding.
My career has taught me that confidence comes through personal and shared experiences.
I see You gifting faith through these experiences.
I thank You for the ways in which You seem to touch our lives and share Your presence.
I ask for Your guidance in coming to and sharing awareness of Your gifts.
Allow me to see my part in the household and temple of believers.4
Don Schwager quotes “Touching the wounds of Christ and healing the wounds of our unbelief,” by Gregory the Great (540-604 AD).
"It was not an accident that that particular disciple was not present. The divine mercy ordained that a doubting disciple should, by feeling in his Master the wounds of the flesh, heal in us the wounds of unbelief. The unbelief of Thomas is more profitable to our faith than the belief of the other disciples. For the touch by which he is brought to believe confirms our minds in belief, beyond all question." (excerpt from FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 26)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 20:24-29 notes that Jesus didn’t hold Thomas’ doubts against him. Instead, he came right into Thomas’ presence and invited him to touch the marks on his hands, feet, and side (John 20:25).
There are plenty of stories of people whose doubts have been resolved through an unexpected encounter with Jesus. Some have discovered him in the Eucharist or in the pages of Scripture. Others have sensed him speaking to the deepest desires of their hearts. And some come to see him in the witness of his followers—perhaps by their forgiving disposition, their reluctance to judge, or their care for the people around them.6
Friar Jude Winkler discusses the entry of the Gentiles in Ephesus into the Church. Following Jesus' greeting of peace, Thomas is invited to examine His glorified body. Friar Jude notes the high Christology of Thomas’ response to Jesus.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that Christians tend to read much of the Hebrew Scriptures as a history book. They are not merely descriptions of events that happened long ago, but an ongoing revelation of what God is doing today—not only in other people but in us! Perhaps no book is more accessible in this way than the Psalms, which reflect the fullness of the human experience—celebration and sorrow, praise and lament—on a personal and collective scale. Author Nan Merrill created a modern text based on the Hebrew Psalms, not a direct translation but as a way for us to access the depth of their beauty and emotion. She hopes that praying them can serve as a “loving movement toward engendering peace, harmony, and healing in our wounded world.”
Who among us has not yearned TO KNOW the Unknowable? . . . The Psalms have ever been a response to these deep yearnings: cries of the soul . . . songs of surrender . . . paeans of praise. . . . Affirming the life-giving fruits of love and acknowledging the isolation and loneliness of those separated from Love, may serve to awaken the heart to move toward wholeness and holiness. [2]7
When we are troubled with doubts about our journey in the Church, we can rely on Jesus to address our needs.
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