Vigils Reading

WHY DID THOMAS DEMAND PROOF?

From a commentary by St Peter Chrysologus

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When Thomas heard from his fellow disciples that they had seen the

Lord, he answered: Unless I see the wounds made by the nails and put my

hand into his side, I will not believe. Why did Thomas thus demand proof before

believing? Why was he so devout toward the suffering Christ, but so resistant to

the risen Christ? Why did a pious hand open again the wounds made by a

wicked hand? Why did the hand of a follower strive to plunge anew into the side

opened by the spear of a wicked soldier?…

When the Lord died, the devil’s power collapsed, the prison of hell was

thrown open, the fetters of the dead were broken, tombs were destroyed; when

the Lord rose again death’s nature was completely changed. The stone before

the Lord’s most holy sepulcher was rolled away, and the linen cloths were

loosened; at his rising in glory death took to flight and life returned; his body

arose never to die again. Why then, Thomas, were you the only one to make such

a shrewd inquiry, demanding that the Lord’s wounds be shown as the only way

to convince you? Suppose those wounds had vanished with all the other marks

of suffering – what danger to your faith would not your curiosity have

engendered?

My brothers and sisters, piety made this search and devotion these

demands to ensure that impiety should not thereafter raise doubts about the

Lord’s resurrection. It was not only the doubts in his own heart that Thomas was

healing, but everyone else’s as well; and as he was to proclaim these things to the

nations, this energetic advocate was diligently trying to discover how he could

support the profession of so great a faith. Beyond question his spirit of prophecy

was greater than his doubt. For why should he have made such a request unless

he had learned from the Lord by prophetic inspiration that these wounds alone

were to be retained as proof of the resurrection?

Furthermore, the Lord of his own accord had shown the others what this

man subsequently demanded. The text says: Jesus came and stood in their

midst and showed them his hands and his side. For he who had entered through

closed doors and was with good reason thought by the disciples to be a ghost

could not prove himself to their doubting minds except by the wounds that told

of his passion. Then he came and said to Thomas: Put your finger here, and see

my hands, and put out your hand and put it into my side, and be not faithless

but believing. Do this so that when you reopen these wounds which have

already poured forth water and blood to cleanse and ransom all humankind,

faith may pour out over the whole world. Thomas answered: My Lord and my

God!

See how scripture shows not only a human body but also, through the

suffering this body endured, that Christ is, as Thomas acclaims him, God and

Lord. Truly he is God who lives again after being dead, who rose after suffering a

mortal wound; for although he endured so much suffering and received such

great wounds, he lives and reigns as God for countless ages.