Thomas is a Model of authenticity

W

hen Jesus first appeared to the apostles after the resurrection, Thomas was absent. And when you are absent, you miss the very encounter. He did not see Jesus with his own eyes like the others. He could not speak to Him or touch Him. And though his friends declared, “We have seen the Lord,” Thomas could not bring himself to believe. But instead of pretending, he voiced his doubt honestly: “Unless I see the mark of the nails... I will not believe.” This was not mere stubbornness—it was the voice of someone who yearned for a direct and authentic encounter. In that moment, Thomas showed the first sign of true faith: honesty with oneself and with God.

Secondly, in the tradition of Ignatian spirituality, honesty or authenticity holds great importance because authenticity expresses itself in desire. In the Spiritual Exercises, St Ignatius invites us to begin each prayer period with this bold act: “I will ask God our Lord for what I want and desire”—demandar a Dios nuestro Señor lo que quiero y deseo (SpEx 48). The two words—want (quiero) and desire (deseo)—may sound similar, but they reflect different layers of longing. “Want” expresses conscious hope. “Desire” reaches deeper, into the soul’s truest orientation. Ignatius even uses the word la demanda—to demand—not out of entitlement, but from the spiritual passion of one who has sought and found God along the rugged road of pilgrimage.

Thomas, in his own way, stood in this Ignatian stance. His demand—“Unless I see... unless I touch...”—wasn’t just about proof. It was bravery. Desire makes us vulnerable. To desire is to admit we need something, long for something, and cannot make it happen on our own. It takes courage to name a desire, especially when the world tells us to stay quiet, stay in line, or stay content.

For my third and final point, I offer an invitation—to do as Thomas did.

What Thomas did was not easy. It was bold, even demanding. He didn’t settle for secondhand faith. He dared to speak his need, and beneath his words was a deeper yearning—not merely for proof, but for intimacy. He longed for a personal encounter with the Risen Lord.

In that way, Thomas becomes a model for anyone who seeks not only to believe in Christ but to truly experience Him.

This desire for encounter is echoed in the words of Pope Leo XIV during his visit to St John Lateran and St Mary Major on Sunday, May 25. In his Angelus reflection, the Holy Father said:

“There are times when we feel inadequate… but the Gospel tells us not to rely on our own abilities but on the mercy of the Lord… Despite my weakness, the Lord is not ashamed of my humanity. Instead, he comes to dwell within me… and makes me an instrument of his love for others.”

This is what the Spirit does: He reminds us that we are not disqualified by our weakness. Rather, our vulnerability becomes the very space where Christ draws near. He meets us not because we are strong, but because we dare to desire, to ask, to receive.

Jesus met Thomas in that space—not with scolding, but with tenderness. “Put your finger here... see my hands... do not be unbelieving, but believe.” He offered His wounds, His very self. And from that intimate encounter came one of the most powerful declarations of faith: “My Lord and my God!”

In the end, Thomas teaches us that the journey of faith is not about having it all together. It begins with daring to show up, daring to speak our longing, and daring to trust that Christ will meet us there—not by our strength, but by the Spirit’s quiet, transforming power. Amen. Fr JM Manzano SJ