St. Thomas the Apostle

Advent is drawing to a close, and this is shaping up to be a hard week for many of our friends and neighbors, who are dealing with unemployment, sickness, estrangement from family, and the other elements of a "blue Christmas."

Into this picture today comes the disciple who represents both the transforming power and the tender compassion of the risen Christ.

Thomas was grieving Jesus' death like the other disciples, broken and hiding when he had hoped to be celebrating. "We had hoped," two other disciples said, "that he was the one to redeem Israel." Thomas was disappointed and unable to share in his friends' joy when they said they had seen the risen Lord.

What has always thrilled me about Thomas' story is how Jesus responds to him -- not by judging his disbelief (though Jesus does tease his friend, the way men do when they love each other too much to say). Jesus comes to Thomas and gives him what he needs in order to believe.

What do you need right now in order to believe? Say it out loud like Thomas did, and "in the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon [you]" just as it did for Thomas.

Out of grief and disbelief, through the compassion of the risen Christ, was born an apostle who ranged far and wide, legend says, to spread the Good News.

May our gracious Lord come to each of us with the news we need to hear in this most holy, this most difficult week.