Show Notes
The opposite of faith is not doubt, the opposite of faith is certainty. Fr. Rob reflects on why doubt is a part of growing in our faith lives.
Gospel: Jn 20:19-31
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Episode Transcript
[00:00:12] Speaker A: Welcome to the Blessed Sacrament Homilies podcast where our mission is to help everyone recognize and experience the presence of God. We hope you are nourished and encouraged by the word. Thank you for joining us.
[00:00:25] Speaker B: The Lord be with you.
Reading from the holy gospel according to John glory to you Lord. On the evening of that first day.
[00:00:35] Speaker C: Of the week, when the doors were.
[00:00:37] Speaker B: Locked where the disciples were for fear.
[00:00:40] Speaker C: Of the Jews, Jesus came and stood.
[00:00:44] Speaker B: In their midst and said to them, peace be with you.
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins.
[00:01:16] Speaker C: You retain are retained.
[00:01:20] Speaker B: Thomas called Didymus, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, we have seen the Lord.
But he said to them, unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.
Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst, and said, peace be with you.
Then he said to Thomas, put your finger here and see my hands and bring your hand and put it into my side and do not be unbelieving, but believe.
Thomas answered and said to him, my lord and my God.
Jesus said to him, have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.
Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are.
[00:02:35] Speaker C: Not written in this book.
[00:02:37] Speaker B: But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in him.
[00:02:49] Speaker C: The gospel of the Lord praise you, Lord.
I think it is easy for us to think that faith is about us, about our strength of will, about our prayerfulness, when in reality faith is a gift from God, it is relational, and.
[00:03:12] Speaker B: As a gift from God, we see.
[00:03:14] Speaker C: Faith as a grace that enters into our lives.
If you remember, a week ago we talked about hope, the opposite of hope being despair.
Well, the opposite of faith is not doubt.
The opposite of faith is certainty.
Because when we are certain of something.
[00:03:45] Speaker B: We no longer need God's grace.
[00:03:47] Speaker C: We're doing it on our own.
And instead of being full of grace, we're self righteous.
So I will argue, and I will win this argument if anybody wants to take it up.
Doubt is a good thing, because when.
[00:04:09] Speaker B: We get to a place in our lives where we have doubt, that is when we can fully open our hearts.
[00:04:15] Speaker C: Up to God's grace.
[00:04:17] Speaker B: That's when God can give us what.
[00:04:19] Speaker C: We need to maintain our faith.
And Thomas is a perfect example of that.
[00:04:29] Speaker B: Thomas said those words, unless I touch the nail mark and put my hands.
[00:04:34] Speaker C: Into his side, I will not believe.
But you notice he stayed with the other disciples. He didn't leave. There was something there that he was holding onto.
And then what happened?
[00:04:48] Speaker B: Jesus Christ gave him exactly what he.
[00:04:51] Speaker C: Needed to strengthen his faith.
Well, for all of us, if we are perfectly honest with ourselves, our lives are full of doubt.
[00:05:05] Speaker B: We can wonder if all this story.
[00:05:07] Speaker C: That we've just celebrated is really true.
[00:05:10] Speaker B: Or we can wonder if God's love.
[00:05:12] Speaker C: Truly rests with me and we have doubt.
But it's only in those moments that.
[00:05:19] Speaker B: We can turn to God and get that grace.
[00:05:21] Speaker C: We need to say, lord, I'm struggling right now. My faith is shaky at best.
Give me faith.
And I'm also certain that God will always give us the strength we need to maintain that faith if we are fully open to his presence.
And just like Thomas, who I am sure after this moment, didn't struggle with doubt very much anymore, his faith became solid.
When we allow Christ to enter in, into our moments of doubt, our faith doesn't get weaker. It gets stronger. It gets built upon. It gets solidified when we allow that grace to enter.
[00:06:10] Speaker B: So if you ever find yourself in.
[00:06:13] Speaker C: A moment of doubt of your faith, don't run from it, run toward it, and allow Jesus to give you whatever it is you need, because I can guarantee you he's going to.
