APRIL82024

Yesterday the gospel was the story of Doubting Thomas. We thank God for his doubts because they help us to understand the Risen Jesus better. Today when the Church celebrates the feast of the Annunciation we have a similar story of doubt. When the Angel Gabriel announces to young Mary that she was to “conceive and bear a child” she had doubts: “How can this be?” These a vivid reminders that the opposite of faith is not doubt but certitude. When you have certitude there is no need for faith. You don’t need to believe that two plus two is four because you are certain of it. But faith has woven into it an element of trust that is not provable. We know that God is all good and powerful but we still question why to bad things happen to good people. We know that we have an eternal destiny but we still feel trepidation at the thought of our death. Like Mary, we are called to realize that our doubts do not hinder our ability to throw ourselves completely into the arms of God. “May it be done to me according to your word.”