Thomas Sunday (AKA Antipascha Sunday)

The Sunday after Pascha (Easter) is known as Antipascha Sunday, or also as Thomas Sunday. The day’s gospel reading gives the account of the coming of St. Thomas to faith in Jesus. Thomas doubted the word of the Apostles who saw Jesus when he commission them and he demanded proof.

“Unless I should see the impression of the nails, and put my finger into the impression of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I shall never believe. “And after eight days the disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. And while the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, “Peace to you.” Then he was saying to Thomas, “Bring you finger here and see my hands and bring your hand and place it into my side, and stop being faithless but faithful.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God.’”Jesus was saying to him, “Because you have seen me you believed? Blessed are those who do not see and believe!” (John 20: 25 – 29).

Thomas had to see and touch. It was this irrefutable encounter that brought Thomas to faith and his own declaration of his faith in Christ, “My Lord and my God!”

In just over 30 days Jesus would be taken back into the heavens, and his glorified physical body would very, very rarely be seen again by human eyes. Thus, all who have placed their faith in Christ over the centuries have done so without seeing physical proof of Christ’s resurrected body.

Yet we believe. But, in all honesty, sometimes we must acknowledge that faith can be fragile — especially in this age of skepticism. In this generation faith is mocked, and it is called delusional. When terrible things happen in the world the faithless ridicule and ask, “Where is this God?” Yet when great good happens, God is never acknowledged as an Actor in the good.

Miracles still happen, and lives are changed by God’s grace (his energies) at work in our lives, yet…the faithful doubt at times. And the faithful can even come to a point of crisis where faith can be abandoned and they join the ranks of the secularists which abound these days. On occasion — via confession or a conversation — such doubts and questions are brought to my attention by someone (and all the clergy of this parish). What is my answer? I give an axiom: “To prove God is to live God; to live God is to prove God.” In other words, actively engage your faith in your surroundings — among those around you, in the quiet of your home, and among all of God’s creatures and creation.

I can give ordinary examples from my life regarding this psychology. if I feel tired and drained after a day of work, I find that if I exercise that fatigue is overcome and I feel strengthened and renewed. If I am feeling depressed, the depression is overcome by an act of self-giving for the good of another, however small — my good mood is then restored.

Now I offer faith’s parallel. With what ever amount of faith we possess, ACT in a manner contrary to doubt and the corruption that still abides in us. ACT in a manner contrary to the doubt of fallen human nature. CHOOSE to ACT in a manner that imitates Christ and his saints. I put forward another axiom: “We must do to become.” Think of the musician or athlete — that which is practiced is formed within the musician and athlete. The parallel of faith is this: if we practice Christ, Christ is formed and made alive in us. He is “PROVEN”! And we move from faithlessness’ death to faith’s life.

We also have this saying: “The saints prove the faith.” For my own benefit the ultimate “saint-proof” is manifested by those saints who are INCORRUPT. This is the miracle where nature’s decay following death is overcome by the divinizing energies of God which worked in them by their acts of faith. We read this from St. Paul: “Work out your own faith with fear and trembling, for God is the one energon (working) in you, and to will and to energein (to work) in behalf of his good pleasure” (Phil 2: 12, 13). It is in this verse that we learn of the “energies” of God (his grace) that God works into us for our salvation. Hence, it is by faith’s chosen actions that the reality of God is encountered and touched.

Thus, without seeing do, and by doing become, and by becoming prove Christ to yourself and to the faithless world that surrounds us.

Christ is risen!

Fr. Irenaeus

The following is a corresponding sermon: