“BEHOLD HIS HANDS...THY HAND...THRUST IT INTO HIS SIDE”
Saint John 20: 19-31
Quasimodogeniti: 28 April Anno Domini 2019
Father Jay Watson SSP
Not a deformed and crippled newborn outcast abandoned on the steps of Notre Dame Cathedral, but a blackened dead baby enemy-traitor pulled from Satan’s army and carried by loving Christian parents and Sponsors to the womb of Holy Mother Church—Christ’s Water of + rebirth at the Baptismal Font. In The Sacrament of regeneration through water and The Word, the littlest “hunchbacks of hell,” spines hideously curved in on themselves—the “self” of “old Adam” ego, pride, and selfish will, are born again into the newness of life. The Lord works faith in the little ones by His Word placed in their infant ears and on their tender heads. They are “marked” with His Holy Cross—His passion, death, and resurrection. And they suckle by Grace through faith: “as newborn babes; DESIRE the sincere milk of The Word.”
Only a monster, a real monster—not Quasimodo, would then deprive these tiny Saints from feeding and growing and maturing by daily and weekly meals of Mercy—more word—more Scripture, more time in The Church’s Nave and Sunday School rooms, and altar rails. One grows by milk and then quickly matures to desiring the meat of The Word—The Body of Jesus, The Flesh and Blood of Jesus.
Was Saint Thomas being a petulant child throwing a fit because he was not getting things his way? Was he resentful, angry, that he had been absent from the upper room when The Risen Savior made His Easter evening revelation?
Thomas is honored by The Church Catholic for all time and eternity as one of the “12,” a Holy Apostle: SAINT Thomas, Didymus! His feast day is December 21st. His life, work, testimony, preaching, teaching, absolving, celebrating The Supper, Baptizing, and bloody martyrdom place him firmly in the company of heroes—with all the other Apostles, and above our petty and gossipy criticism.
All of The Disciples abandoned our Lord on the night He was betrayed. Just like you do whenever you are in a situation where boldly speaking your trust in Christ would put you in jeopardy, usually just social jeopardy. All of the Disciples were quick to disbelieve, or doubt the Gospel words of Mary, Salome, and The Magdalene that Jesus was risen. Just like you do, when you get angry at God and doubt His care and nurturing of you and your soul, when a close loved one dies, or when you are called upon to suffer physically—“for a time.” All of the “12” wanted to see their Lord with their eyes; hear Him with their ears; and touch Him with their hands. Thomas did not get the initial opportunity that the other 10 received. And, in the same way, you do not get to behold and perceive Christ the exact way Saint Peter and John did during those incredible three years, during Easter evening, and, during those infinitely more incredible 40 days after The Resurrection. You are called upon to trust Jesus’ Word. You are given The Holy Ghost, through that Word, to trust Jesus’ special & sacramental Presence in Holy Scripture, Baptism, and especially Eucharistic Sacrament.
Thomas initially blanched and rebelled at this calling to believe the Word of his brethren; and their “call.”
He loved Jesus as much as Peter. He wanted to have proof that Peter was telling the truth. That’s the failure, the falling, the SIN. Though Thomas was brave, a Confessing to the bitter-end Martyr, his trespass was that he wanted to see rather than rely on faith—on the “unseen,” The Word. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews states: “now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” [Heb. 11.1] And to the Romans he writes: “how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard (n.b. HEARD, not seen) and how shall they hear without a preacher?” [Rom. 10.14] That is Thomas’ sin. His own preachers, and he had 10 of them, 11 if Matthias was there, told him, PREACHED to him, the Gospel. Thomas rejected his pastors. Thomas disbelieved the very ambassadors of the living God, the ones whom it is written: “how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.” [v. 15]
For all of you, for anyone, like for Thomas, the Words of Jesus ring forth: “he that heareth you (the Apostles) heareth Me; and he that despiseth you (the Apostles) despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me.” [Lk. 10.16] Melanchthon quotes this passage from Saint Luke in the Apology, and Luther uses its weight in the Small Catechism as well.
This is all First Commandment stuff. You shall fear, love, and TRUST in God above all things. Trust HOW God chooses to come to you! Trust the spoken Gospel, The Word, The Word in Sacramental form, and trust not in mere evidentiary, empirical, eye-pleasing demands of “proof.”
Rest in Christ. Hear His Word from those whom He has called and ordained to preach His Word. And then as fellow Christian’s be also prepared to share His Word and tell all others what good things, GOSPEL, He has done for you.
Abraham and Jacob never laid human eyes on Incarnate Jesus. King David and Isaiah never touched the God/Man’s hands and feet. Even Moses, Daniel, and Samuel never placed their fingers into Messias’ riven and righteous side. Nor have you. But you believe His Word.
Thomas was given a rare gift a week later to touch and handle: “thy hand…thrust it into My side.” Thomas then had everything which the other Apostles had been given of the witness and testimony of The Risen God. He confessed Truth: “my Lord and my God.” To have The Body and Blood of Jesus, as they did physically, and as you do, sacramentally—a mysterious possession also of Jesus’ true Body, is to have all the benefits He purchased on the Cross—most especially, the forgiveness of sins!
Thomas, Didymus (“twin”) is your twin. Simul iustus et peccator like you, to be sure, but your twin, not identical, but familial, your brother, in Christ. You also are placed into the wounds of The God/Man, The Incarnate One with Two Natures. Jesus’ passive will and His active will come to you in One Christ, in Bread and Wine—Body and Blood. To which you, along with Saint Thomas, say by Faith through Grace: “my Lord and my God.”
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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