When I read this Gospel in the past, I immediately began to separate myself from Thomas. I usually thought to myself, “If my friends had told me Jesus appeared to them, I would accept it joyfully and share in their glorifying of God. How faithless Thomas must have been. I would not doubt God like him!”

But then when I go about my days, I find myself unwilling to accept good news at face value. Whenever I receive a good piece of news, I often need some further explanation, proof that it is true, or just reassurance that something good can happen to me. So unfortunately, I’m not as different from Thomas as I’d like to be.

So now, when I read Sunday’s Gospel, I see Thomas in a different light. He has received from his friends news that seemed too good to be true, and I cannot blame him for questioning their testimony. And if it were me in his place, I cannot be certain that I would react any differently.

Thomas does seem to have lost sight of how infinite God’s goodness and power are. The news seems impossible. I now prefer to see his story as one that reminds me that with God all things are possible.

The example of Thomas calls me to deeper trust in God’s loving power and points to my role models of faith—“those who have not seen and have believed.”

Megan Diestelmeier