Daily Mass Gospel Reflection- Believing Is Seeing

Word on Fire Ministry ^ | 4.16.23 | Bishop Robert Barron

[MurphsLaw]

John 20:19-31

Friends, in today’s Gospel,
Thomas says that he will not believe in the Lord’s Resurrection
unless he puts his finger in Jesus’ nailmarks and his hand in Jesus’ side.
Thomas is a saint especially suitable for our time.
Modernity has been marked by two great qualities:
skepticism and empiricism, the very qualities we can discern in Thomas.

And when the risen Jesus reappears,
he invites the doubter to look, see, and touch.
But then that devastating line:
“Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

If we stubbornly said—even in the area of science—
that we will accept only what we can clearly see and touch and control,
we wouldn’t know much about reality.
This helps us to better understand Jesus’ words to Thomas.
It is not that we who have not seen and have believed
are settling for a poor substitute for vision.
No; we are being described as blessed,
more blessed than Thomas.
God is doing all sorts of things that we cannot see,
measure, control, fully understand.
But it is an informed faith that allows one
to fall in love with such a God.

[MurphsLaw]

+++On the evening of that
first day of the week,
when the doors were locked,
where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed
them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they
saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again,
“Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me,
so I send you.”
And when he had said this,
he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are
forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus,
one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him,
“We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the
nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side,
I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples
were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors
were locked,
and stood in their midst and
said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put
your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it
into my side,
and do not be unbelieving,
but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him,
“My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you
come to believe because you have
seen me?
Blessed are those who have not
seen and have believed.”

Now, Jesus did many other signs
in the presence of his
disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you
may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God,
and that through this belief you
may have life in his name.+++