Thomas the Truth-Tester

Homily for the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle

We have become so preoccupied with St. Thomas’ doubt that we fail to recognize that doubt is an integral part of faith. The Gospel text from the 20^th chapter of St. John’s Gospel challenges our preoccupation with the negative understanding of Thomas’ doubt. You have all heard me say that Thomas doubts his fellow apostles rather than Jesus’ resurrection. After all, if Jesus appeared to them and commissioned them to preach the forgiveness of sins after giving them the Holy Spirit, why are they still huddled up in the upper room hiding from the Jews?

Doubt, far from being a spiritual defect, can actually be the engine that drives a deeper faith, a richer understanding, and a more authentic relationship with the divine. Doubt prompts honest inquiry. Doubt forces us to ask real questions instead of parroting inherited answers. That search can lead to a more personal, resilient faith. Doubt deepens conviction. Faith that has wrestled with uncertainty often emerges stronger. Like Jacob wrestling the angel, the struggle leaves a mark—but also a blessing. Doubt invites divine encounter. Think of Thomas. His doubt didn’t disqualify him—it led to a direct, intimate encounter with the risen Christ. Jesus met him in his doubt, not after he resolved it. Doubt purifies belief. Doubt can strip away superficial or inherited beliefs, leaving behind what is truly meaningful. It’s a refining fire, not a destructive one. Finally, doubt fosters humility. A faith that has known doubt is less likely to be arrogant. It understands that mystery is part of the sacred.

As one writer put it, “Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it’s the space where faith is born.” This is certainly borne out by Thomas’ profession of faith after being confronted with the resurrected Lord. Thomas was someone who expected resurrection to make a difference immediately. And maybe that’s what makes his declaration in John 20 so potent. Once he sees and touches, he does change—and tradition holds that he eventually journeyed as far as India spreading the Gospel.

Thomas is not merely a “doubter,” but a truth-tester—someone unwilling to accept empty declarations unbacked by transformed action. In a way, his doubt becomes prophetic. His doubt and subsequent faith transform him into the only Jew in the Gospel of St. John who recognizes Jesus as his Lord and his God.

We will all encounter Jesus this morning in the Eucharist as we approach the altar to consume his body and blood. May that communion make each of us a truth-tester.