Thomas the Honest

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I'm grateful for my field education parish and to The Rev. Betty McWhorter, the rector of St. Patrick's for teaching me so many things about living a faithful life as a parish priest. Of the many things that has stuck with me is remembering some of the Sundays of Easter. That's right, Easter Sunday is the first of seven Sundays in the 50-day-long season of Easter, and really there are eight, because Pentecost Sunday is the 50th day of Easter, when we remember the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church (the community called-out to be Christ followers.) Around Easter, she would grill me: "What is the fourth week of Easter?...What is the second week of Easter?" I came up with a simple little device: week 4 is Good Shepherd Sunday (sheep walk on 4 legs) and week 2 is Thomas Sunday (Thomas walks on 2 legs... ). It's silly, but it helped me remember.

The whole beautiful season is about understanding the unbelievable experience of the disciples and others coming into contact with the Risen Christ following his crucifixion. If you don't find that hard to believe, you aren't really paying attention. 
So, back to week 2, when Thomas the Honest gets to see Jesus. You see, the first time most of the disciples see Jesus Thomas wasn't present. (That's after Mary Magdalene, the Apostle to the Apostles told them she had spoken to him.) I wonder where Thomas was, away from his friends who were hiding in fear. We don't get to know where he went, but we do know that he second time Jesus showed up, Thomas was there! Jesus spoke directly to him. Thomas was honest about his disbelief. He struggled to understand what the disciples meant when they said, "Our Lord came to us, we saw him and the holes in his hands!" Thomas said with all his honesty, "I need to see and touch for myself!" 
So, the second time, Thomas was there. Jesus invites him to look and touch, to feel the reality of his resurrected body there among them. I'm grateful for Thomas's honesty, and for Jesus' grace to return again and again. Christ offers us what we need to believe, to trust that he is with us. Maybe in a sunrise or in the beauty of a flower. Maybe through the touch of a friend. Be honest and ask, our risen Lord will show up. 

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