John 20:24-29

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 Thomas 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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I renew my faith in your Son. I humbly ask for help to overcome any unbelief that remains. I trust in you, Lord, and will spend my life in the service of your Kingdom. Grant me your peace.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Personalities of Peter and Paul: Last week we celebrated the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. They were two different men with different personalities, yet both encountered Jesus and dedicated their entire lives to him. Peter was a man who understood the depth of his sin and was attentive to the voice of God and the inspirations of the Spirit. He was a man who wept and repented immediately when he failed, was somewhat primary in his actions, but could also be bold when empowered by the Spirit in proclaiming the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles. Paul’s energy level and courage were extraordinary. He was fearless as he was more aware of God’s power working in and through him rather than of his limits. He was less cautious than Peter, but not imprudent. He was able to confidently confront those in authority (Galatians 2:11-21), but could also submit to them for the good of the local Church (Acts 21:22-26). Paul, we know, was difficult to get along with and was constantly on the move. Peter’s message was simple and straightforward: to the Jews he proclaimed that God raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead and made him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:22-36); to the Gentiles he proclaimed that Jesus will judge the living and the dead and that he who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43). His straightforward style differs from Paul, who meditated and wrote at length on the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, between the Old Law and the New. Paul approached the argument from different angles and builds up his case in an articulate way. Peter is aware of Paul's more difficult style and even wrote to other Christians that some of the things that Paul writes are hart to understand (2 Peter 3:16).

2. The Personality of Thomas: Today we celebrate a third Apostle, Saint Thomas the Twin, whom Fulton J. Sheen characterized as always looking on the darker side of things: “When the news came to Our Lord about the death of Lazarus, Thomas wanted to go and to die with him. Later on, when Our Blessed Lord said that He would return again to the Father and prepare a place for His Apostles, Thomas’ doleful answer was that he knew not where the Lord was going, nor did he himself know the way. [...] His refusal to trust the testimony of ten competent companions, who had seen the Risen Christ with their own eyes, proved how skeptical was the gloomy man” (Sheen, Life of Christ, 422). Pope Benedict sees other dimensions of Thomas’ actions in the Gospel: his desire to stand by Jesus and share with Christ the supreme trial of death; his request for understanding in dialogue with Jesus; his conviction that after his death and resurrection Jesus is recognized by his wounds rather than by his face; his profound acknowledgment of Jesus' divinity. He concludes that “the Apostle Thomas' case is important to us for at least three reasons: first, because it comforts us in our insecurity; second, because it shows us that every doubt can lead to an outcome brighter than any uncertainty; and, lastly, because the words that Jesus addressed to him remind us of the true meaning of mature faith and encourage us to persevere, despite the difficulty, along our journey of adhesion to him" (Benedict XVI, September 27, 2006).

3. Our Personality: Our temperaments, characters, and personalities all differ. Some of us are like Peter – sentimental, attentive to the needs of others, cautious at times, but not timid. Some of us are like Paul – passionate, demanding with others, bold, but not imprudent. And some of us are like Thomas – realistic about life, eager to experience things first-hand, insecure at times, yet capable of profound thoughts and acts of heroism. Despite their differences, all three became great saints: they united themselves to God through Jesus Christ and sought to bring others into God’s family. They placed their talents and gifts at the service of the community and of the Gospel. Peter stayed in or near Jerusalem for over a decade and ministered primarily to Jewish Christians. He then went to Rome and ministered to the growing Christian community as their bishop. Paul went west and ministered to the Jews and Gentiles of the Roman Empire. Thomas went east and spread the Gospel to Syria, Persia, Western India, and even reached Southern India. All of us are encouraged by the saints and challenged by them: their lives are “standards, living points of reference to what it means to give glory to God, to do the will of the Father, and to be like Christ” (O’Callaghan, Christ Our Hope, 146).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you know me better than I know myself. You know the depths of my heart. Grant me true knowledge so that I may better serve my brothers and sisters. Help me to know my strengths and my weaknesses and where I need your grace.

Living the Word of God: Can I spend time in prayer and self-reflection today? In God’s presence, discern the pros and cons of your personality. Is there a saint who has a personality like mine? What can I learn from their path to holiness?