The Feast of St.

Thomas the Apostle, or Doubting Thomas,
as he has the misfortune to be nicknamed,

falls on Friday,
Thomas is named as a disciple of Jesus

in each of the Gospels.

But it's only in St.

John's Gospel that he gets to speak.

And it's this dialogue
which gets him his nickname.

Thomas said:
Unless I see the mark of the nails in his

hands and put my finger in the mark
of the nails, in my hand, in his side.

I will not believe. That's what Thomas says of
the Risen Christ to the other disciples.

What lies behind this story of Thomas is
the account given to us

in John's Gospel
of how Jesus, on the same day that his

resurrection was discovered by Mary
Magdalene, appeared twice to his disciples.

They had experienced over three days

the desolation of Jesus' crucifixion
and death and the perplexing news

and experience of his tomb
having been found empty.

That evening, they met and locked
themselves in, in a state of fear.

And into this scene,
of fearfulness and confusion

Jesus appeared to his frightened disciples
and showing them the wounds of his

crucifixion, said to them:
Peace be with you.

Into their uncertainty, their turmoil.

He spoke his words of peace.

A week later, he did it again.

The disciples were again behind closed
doors, and this time Thomas was with them.

And again, Jesus broke through the barrier
of a closed door

and invaded their fearfulness
and turmoil with his word of peace.

Peace be with you, he said.

The parallel with our current
circumstances is clear.

But we remember how Jesus found his
divided and fearful disciples

and ignoring the barriers which they had
put in place to keep themselves safe.

Simply said to them: Peace be with you.

May God's peace be his gift to each of us.

Now and forever.