Today’s gospel is the story of St. Thomas and it is where he receives the name: “Doubting Thomas.” However, I always point out every year that he is not doubting Thomas, he is “Angry Thomas.” If you listen carefully to the account, you do not see one who is doubting, but one who refuses to believe. He refuses because Jesus does not meet His expectation. Jesus was to be the Messiah, the new king of Israel. Under Jesus, the Romans were to be cast out and the ancient regime of Israel would be restored. The nation would be restored to its sovereign greatness with Christ as the new King David and the apostles his new administration. None of that happened. 

Further, since Jesus died on the cross not only at the hands of the Jews, but also the Romans, he clearly cannot even be considered to have been the new messiah. Now, Thomas feels he has been played the fool. He followed the wrong man. They are all wanted for being part of his plans to stage a coup, allegedly, and are enemies of those who put Jesus to death. They are now living in a mess that would not have happened if they did not follow Jesus in the first place. Finally, their life is ruined from that perspective. 

Thomas is angry. “No, I will not believe, unless you give me proof to believe. Fooled me once, shame on you, fooled me twice shame on me. This is the part when I go to kick the football and you pull it away. No, those days are done. I will not play your stupid game of ‘Jesus has returned.’ “ 

What happens, of course, is that Jesus returns and Thomas believes. Now he realizes that this was not about Jesus as the new King David, but something different. He learns in time it is about salvation, his, yours and mine. It is now totally new. 

However, I want you to notice something: 
When Thomas demands Jesus his way, he is blinded by his disappointment. When Thomas sees Jesus in the way the Lord wants Him to find Him, he discovers the truth. 

If you want to experience Christ, you have to experience Him on His terms, not yours. The same for His church. 

Many people build false expectations of Jesus and demand the Church conform herself to those expectations. They will stay away from the Church unless she does what they want. 
“The Church needs to update itself, they say. It needs to conform to the times; when it does, I will return to Church.” You will never encounter Christ and you will follow a false image of Christ who makes you feel good, but will not lead you to salvation. You will be as blind as Thomas prior to encountering Christ. 

“The Church needs to ordain women, when it does I will return to the Church.” Those who know me are aware that I teach women are the visionaries of the Church, even women who are angry at the Church. I was up against a famous Catholic woman journalist on CNN, notorious for her anger at church teaching and women not being accepted for ordination. Yet, her demand for holy priests still rings in my ears. The woman who understands her role is to be the one who brings forth the mission of salvation and evangelization like the producer who brings forth the nightly news broadcast. Let go of your demands and accept Christ as He is and you will encounter Him and do His will. The one who demands her Church her way, will be as blind as Thomas prior to encountering Christ. 

The person who sees marriage as just a piece of paper and does not have to go through that ceremony to commit his or her love, will never experience marriage in its fullness and will never encounter Christ. Again, he or she is putting conditions on the work of Christ in his or her life by saying, I will follow you on my terms for me and my family. The one who recognizes the Catholic teaching on marriage if he submits to it, will encounter Christ. 

The person who sees difficulties as a sign of God’s absence, will decide, when things go wrong, to choose not to follow God anymore. Maybe its someone who dies that they prayed would not die, so they walk away after the funeral. Maybe they experience some financial difficulty, maybe a health difficulty, maybe a family difficulty, if God existed this wouldn’t happen.They mumble as they walk away.

This is st. Thomas over and over again.

There was a movement that tried to get people to reject the sacraments. The sacraments were instituted by Christ, reject them and you reject Christ, including the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Allow yourself to encounter Christ on His terms, not yours.

Thomas encounters Christ when he stops seeking to meet Him on his own expectations and terms. So it has to be with us. Let go of your demands on encountering Christ and you will meet Him. Put conditions on your relationship with Him and you will never find Him. You will walk away angry that He is not who you want Him to be. 

However, if you let go of your demands, He will lead you beyond your imagination. 

St. Thomas preached the gospel to the ends of the Earth, literally, he ended up out in India which was the corner of the known world at the time. He also died for His faith. This adventure began when he let go of his expectations of Christ and met Him on his terms. 

Thomas never doubted, he just let his anger and disappointment blind him to the reality of Christ. Christ reached out to him as he does to you. Do not be blind to his presence.

Fr. Carr is an alliance member of the New Song Community (Canção Nova). He is the pastor of Holy Trinity Quincy, MA and is the editor of this blog. He is the author of several books, blogs and hundreds of videos all of which you may find on Youtube. He also has a regular radio program on WebRadio Canção Nova. Which he podcasts on Mixcloud and here on Catholicismanew.
You can follow him on twitter as @frbobcarr and on Google Plus as +Fr. Robert Thoughts, comments on the homily? Let us know at Facebook