03-07-24 Santo Tomas: Rasul yang Meragukan, Menjadi Pilar Iman

St Thomas, Apostle "Jn 20:24-29" Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." 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." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." Thomas, Thomas... where were you? A few days before then, when Jesus was going up to Jerusalem to die, Thomas, you weren't afraid to go with Him and say, "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (Jn 11:16). But you didn't die with Him... you ran away from Him in Gethsemane. I can imagine your suffering, Thomas, during those days after Jesus died, your discouragement, your disappointment... because I know you loved Him. But I give you thanks, Thomas, because you didn't go away; you stayed in Jerusalem, even if everything was over for you, because you were loyal! I give you thanks, because when the others told you they had seen the Lord, even if you didn't believe them (and that wasn't right) you didn't think they were crazy, or liars. What more could you wish for than seeing Jesus, conversing with Him, touching Him again as in the old days?! I thank you, Thomas, for waiting with the Apostles until Jesus came to cure your disbelief. I thank you for your beautiful act of faith: "My Lord and my God!" Thanks to you, Thomas, I believe in Him all the more; thanks to you I long to touch Him in Holy Communion even more; thank you, Thomas, for not going away when your faith was weak, for your loyalty to Him and His Apostles; thank you for touching His wounds for me and teaching me to come to touch Him as well when my faith is weak. Thank you for staying with Him until your death, martyred for love of the One I want to love like you did: "My Lord and my God!" Mary, Virgin Most Faithful, intercede for me to increase my faith.