Unless....

 The words uttered by St. Thomas in today’s Gospel form a substantial absolute.  His denial is at many levels.  The first level is his lack of belief in the testimony of his 10 closest friends, people with whom he is cloistered for fear of both the Jews and the Romans.  While depending on these 10 friends for his own safety and peace of mind, he denies what they, to a man, explain to him to be their “witness”.  “We have seen Him.  You weren’t here.”  St. Thomas could have responded to their testimony by changing the tone of his response.  “If I were to see then I would believe.”  But that’s NOT his perspective.  His words are clear.  “Unless I see I will NOT believe!”

One of the elements of this account over which I personally ponder is, “Why does the Lord wait for a full week to return and show Himself—yes, to Thomas, but also to His other Apostles?  What is accomplished by this passage of time?

You see, St. Thomas’ rejection of the testimony of his friends is a perspective based on senses.  “Unless I see…”  “Unless I touch…”  “Unless I thrust….”  St. Thomas is basing his faith on his physical nature!  This week of “fasting” from spiritual revelation permits the saint to ponder his connection to the physical, and to come to a realization that he could be wrong in his stubborn perspective.

Our Lord’s waiting for eight more days gives the saint the opportunity to take his intellect from “Unless…” to “Maybe…”

We must take careful note of what transpires when that eighth day comes.  As our Lord once again enters the room, the doors being closed, and He blesses the eleven with the words, Peace be with you!, His first action is to invite (He NEVER coerces!) Thomas, Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.  In response, St. John doesn’t record that Thomas goes and physically completes the touch or the thrust.  Instead, St. John records only the words uttered by St. Thomas: My Lord and my God!  Faith has finally come to the blessed saint as he no doubt (no pun intended) looks back on his obstinance in repentance.  This is in a way Thomas’ restoration to his apostleship no less than Peter’s triple, You know I love You, Lord was for him.

But the Lord wasn’t through.  He leaves the conversation with another blessing, not for His Apostles—they now finally fully believe.  No, the Lord’s blessing is for countless others, hopefully you and me are numbered in that group, as He offers the words, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

Clearly we who live 2000 years after the fact have not “seen” what those eleven men were blessed to see between our Lord’s Resurrection and His Ascension.

But I submit to all, our eyes have not seen, but surely our hearts have.  Our minds have not seen, but surely our spirits have.  If we do not categorize ourselves with those “who have seen” then why do we come to church?  Why do we seek the Holy Eucharist?  Where is our hope for eternal life?

No, my brothers and sisters in Christ.  Thomas’ “Unless….” has taken from us any need to disbelieve.  It is present in the hymnology of the Church for this festal day, O, how beautiful the unbelief of Thomas!  His lack of belief gives to us the firm footing on knowing the certainty of our Lord’s Resurrection.  And so we can say with full hearts and all conviction:  I BELIEVE!  

CHRIST IS RISEN!