Faith In Times of Doubt

Today's sermon is written by The Rev. Thomas Squiers in Fort Worth, Texas. Father Squiers is an Oblate Priest in the Benedictine Order of St. Michael the Archangel (BOSA) in which he co-directs the Benedictine House of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He is also the Vicar General of the Diocese of Texas and works ecumenically with the Episcopal Church as the Chaplain and Co-convener of Integrity Fort Worth.

I began my walk in Faith in the Southern Baptist Church. I can remember a hymn that we sung many times in which the words said "place your hands in the nail-scarred hand." Today's Gospel reading is about placing our hand in the nail-scarred hand of Jesus as we are reflected by St. Thomas the Apostle's all too familiar words, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."

I often think that St. Thomas is truly the one Apostle that each of us can identify the most with. We see his very human response to the other Apostles and followers of Christ who had already witnessed Christ's nature back in the flesh after His ressurrection. Thomas saw Christ beaten and nailed to a cross. He only knew of a Master who had died and had been lain in a tomb. Though Christ had already told His followers that he would be back with them again, that is just a little difficult to believe for Thomas. Keep in mind, Thomas (like the rest of the Apostles) was from a Jewish family and the talk of resurrection was still a new concept - even for an Apostle of Christ!

Jesus appeared in the room where His followers were and told Thomas to place his finger both in the scars in his hands and the wound in his side. "Do not doubt but believe." After Thomas does as his Lord instructs him to, he cries out, "My Lord and my God!"

I think it is important for each of us to look daily for the blessings and presence of Jesus in our lives each moment of the day. Though we may not be able to see Jesus with our natural eyes, why do we possess this need to physically touch Him to believe or even be reminded of His presence?

We are too settled in our comfortable, human bodies that many times we fail to rise up and take recognition that Christ is truly present in this world today. The problem is that we fail to recgonize the opportunities He gives us to see Him. How we come to "see" Jesus is through the many forms of ministry and outreach that each of us are called to. The beggar in the street, the shut-in, the AIDS victim, the junkie - this is how we see Jesus. This is how we recognize Him in this world. These are the ministries He has given us.

After Thomas realized that Jesus had indeed come back to them as he promised, Jesus then said to Thomas, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

Today, Jesus calls us to believe even in times of doubt. While there is suffering, war, famine, disease, hunger, pain, killings, hate, prejudices, and all forms of injustice, Christ is with us. Let us not forget that Jesus is the Emmanuel, which in Hebrew means "God with us" (el, meaning "God" and Immanu meaning "with us). Let us place our hand in the nail scarred hands of life that Christ has given us in our true ministry - proclaiming His resurrection and brining others to know, love and serve Him.

Let us pray:
Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.