JULY32026

On this Feast of St. Thomas we have the opportunity to reflect on faith and doubt. They are not opposites. The opposite of faith is certainty. I don’t need to have faith that two plus two is four. I am certain of it. But I do need faith that the pilot will take off and land the airplane safely because it is not a certainty. So doubt and faith are like two sides of the same coin. We move often from faith to doubt and vice versa as our circumstances change. What is instructive about St. Thomas coming to faith is that it involved touching the wounds of Jesus. Jesus 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.” If we are to strengthen our faith in Jesus we must also touch his wounds — the wounds in the body of Christ which is the Church. When we reach out and connect with those who are hurting, those who are suffering, those who are needy we re-inforce our faith in God’s unconditional love.