100 days – Day 5

Today’s Gospel is the story of “Doubting” Thomas

Caravaggio: (b. 1571; d. 1610)   The Incredulity of Saint Thomas ( c. 1601–1602)

“Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.”

It’s commonly held that Thomas didn’t accept the Risen Christ’s offer, that his empirical world-view was superseded by FAITH; and so, because of faith, he believed.

This wonderful painting by Caravaggio would suggest otherwise and that Thomas did, in fact, take up Christ’s invitation.

Is Christ almost FORCING Thomas to carry out his  earlier declaration, “unless I… place my hand into his side, I will never believe”?

Look at the furrowed brow on Thomas’ forehead; Christ’s strong grip of his wrist- is there hesitation here?  Does Christ have to force a hesitant Thomas when the latter is actually with him.?  Is this Thomas effectively being told to “put up or shut up?”, given his earlier bravado?

Perhaps Caravaggio caught something of what the author of the Fourth Gospel really meant to convey, but what others over the centuries have misinterpreted.

Thomas is, after all, the Patron Saint of blind people!

–ooOOoo–

a friend posted this today on FB:

–ooOOoo–

 Tradition says that Thomas  became a missionary to India.

There once was  an Albanian woman in her thirties who  felt God calling her to go to that same country where Thomas has allegedly taken the Faith.

This young woman went, and for the next 50 years she did amazing things.

But inside she doubted. She wrestled with faith. Sometimes she even questioned the existence of God.

The other disciples may have called her, “Doubting Teresa”. But we know her as Mother Teresa, the woman whose life many call saint-like.

The opposite of faith isn’t doubt – it is apathy; and sometimes – just sometimes our doubt  can lead to an even stronger faith