We celebrate the feast of St. Thomas this day on July 3.
In the gospel we encounter Thomas doubting the appearance of Jesus to the other disciples in the upper room and he proclaims that unless he "sees 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."
This is important. Thomas expresses the conviction that the New Testament will hold to in that Jesus is only to be recognized not by his face but by the wounds of love. You know the authentic Jesus by the wounds of love.
The burden of fidelity is to bear the marks of love.
According to Pope Benedict Thomas also can assist on this life of faith in three ways:
* comforts us in our own insecurity of faith
* every doubt can lead beyond our uncertainty to deeper faith
* the true meaning of mature faith is revealed with the words of Jesus to Thomas, "blessed are they who have not seen and believe."
Doubt will accompany us on this narrow path back to God; doubt in itself can be an invitation to search for the true identity of Christ, thus encounter the real presence, and grow deeper in faith and conviction.
Thomas after this encounter became a great missionary to Syria and Persia and the western and southern India, where eventually he himself was to bear the wounds of love in fidelity, giving his life for Jesus.
St. Thomas pray that we may search to know the true Jesus and then faithfully spread the faith through our lives, bearing the wounds of love that He first bore for us.
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