Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed

July 3, 2025 - Thursday, Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

John 20:24-29

Saint Thomas, the main character in the Gospel used for his feast missed the encounter with the risen Lord on Easter Sunday. Why was he not with the others on that day? Did he leave the community like the two disciples who were met by the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus? We can only speculate. Moreover, hearing the message of the Gospel from those who encountered the risen Christ - “we have seen the Lord” - he rejects it. I had a similar experience after my encounter with Christ. My testimony was disbelieved by some of those close to me.

To believe, Thomas demanded shocking evidence: “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25). When Thomas spelt out his conditions to believe in Christ's resurrection, Jesus was not there (John 20:25). And yet, eight days later, he quotes those words of Thomas (John 20:27). How did he know? "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! [...] Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether"(Ps 139: 1,4). The one who saw Nathanael under the fig tree (John 1:47-49) also heard Thomas speaking in the Upper Room. No creature is hidden from the Word who is God (Heb. 4:13).

The encounter of Thomas with the risen Christ happened on Sunday while he was with the community of other disciples. Christ again came through the locked doors and again showed his wounds but this time only to Thomas. Then he told the apostle to touch his wounds. But we are not told whether the apostle did it. And then comes the powerful rebuke of the Lord in the form of a command: “Do not be unbelieving but believing". I have passed through a similar experience. Raised as a Catholic, like many teenagers, I doubted the proclamation of the Church. And like Thomas, I was rebuked for my unbelief by the risen Christ.

"My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). John begins his Gospel with a statement: "The Word was with God and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This Word that became man (John 1:14) and died for us on the cross (Rom. 5:8) was standing in front of Thomas. The apostle proclaimed his faith. The one who rejected the proclamation of the Church and demanded the proof of Christ’s resurrection confessed Jesus Christ his personal Lord and God. But Jesus’ rebuke continues. Thomas believed because he saw. How about those who would believe without seeing? How about those who wholeheartedly embrace the Church’s proclamation that Christ is risen?

Saint Paul writes that faith comes from hearing the Word of Christ (see Rom 10:17) and Saint Peter praises those who although had not seen the risen Christ believe in Him and love Him (1 Peter 1:8). We hear the same message in today’s Gospel: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”. The readers of the Gospel of John fall into that category.

May Saint Thomas, apostle pray for all those who disbelieve the proclamation of the Church about Christ’s resurrection that they may come to faith and experience Christ’s blessing.