FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
My Dear Parishioners,
Many of you have visited – or at least seen pictures of – Niagara Falls. The beauty of the falls comes from the height and sheer volume of water that rushes over – some 700,000 gallons per second. Over the centuries, people have attempted deathdefying stunts, such as going over the falls locked inside a barrel. One person even tried – unsuccessfully – to swim across them.
Then there was the daredevil known as the “Great Blondin,” who crossed the falls on a highwire multiple times. In one of his attempts, he planned on pushing a wheelbarrow across the falls, balancing on a wire only several inches thick. Before starting his long and delicate journey, a voice cried out from the crowd, “You’ll never make it! Goodbye!”
But the “Great Blondin” confidently pushed the wheelbarrow from one end of the falls to the other, then turned around and made his way back. “Now do you believe I can do it?” He said to the skeptic. “Yes,” the man conceded. “Now I believe.” “Do you believe I can do it again?” Blondin asked. “Of course. A hundred times!” “If you really believe,” Blondin said, “then get into the wheelbarrow!”
Like the skeptic bystander, Thomas refuses to believe that Jesus is raised from the dead. “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,” he says. For his lack of faith, Thomas is often referred to as, “Doubting Thomas.” But that harsh nickname seems a bit unfair to me. It isn’t that Thomas is unwilling to believe; he just has more questions; he’s skeptical; he needs his own proof. Thomas is soul searching. He reminds us just how hard it can be to grasp the truth of the resurrection.
Isn’t there at least a bit of a “Doubting Thomas” within all of us? It’s that skeptical unbelieving voice within that pokes at the soft spots of our faith. Thomas shows up when our children ask us a question about God, and we don’t how to respond. He shows up when we’re standing at the graveside of a loved one, weeping. Our inner Thomas shows up when we’re faced with temptation, an uncertain future, or when an important prayer goes unanswered. And Thomas shows up when we hear those words within, “If you really believe, then get into the wheelbarrow.” It’s no coincidence that John includes this story about Doubting Thomas right after Jesus rises from the dead. John gives us permission to be like Thomas. To doubt; to question; to ponder; to search our souls.
It can be hard to believe in the goodness of God – and the truth of his resurrection from the dead – when we’re faced with a constant barrage of sickness, violence, and death. Belief is meant to be a journey.
Perhaps this is why the earliest Christians referred to themselves as followers of “The Way.” The seed is planted when someone tells us about the empty tomb. Then that seed needs time to grow and take root within us. Faith needs to be nourished, even tested, before it becomes the solid foundation of our lives. Like Thomas, it’s important to ask ourselves why we believe, and to question our faith, but always with a heart seeking the Truth; a heart open to Christ. Amen
Peace,
Fr. Monteleone
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