Homily for Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle

Homily for the Feast of
St. Thomas the Apostle

July 3, 2025
John 20: 24-29
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Jesus and Thomas
Via Lucis, Shrine of St. John Bosco at Colle Don Bosco
(Giovanni Dragoni)

“Jesus stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you’” (John 20: 28).

In his 2d appearance to the apostles in the upper room, Risen Jesus again greets them with “Shalom!”  He wished them—we can say, granted them—peace twice in his 1st post-resurrection appearance (John 20:19-21).

That grant is noteworthy because it implies Jesus’ forgiveness of and reconciliation with those who had deserted him, even denied knowing him.  On this 2d appearance, that gift is extended also to Thomas.  If Judas had come back, we can be sure he, too, would have been received graciously.

We may wonder which was more convincing to Thomas:  touching Jesus’ wounds or being reconciled in spite of his having run away, his having (on the face of it) abandoned his fellow apostles too, for earlier “Thomas … was not with them” (20:24), and his skepticism of what his friends told him.

When we run from Jesus thru sin or thru reluctance to hear his voice, and when we bail on our friends in some fashion, Jesus still wants to grant us his peace, just as he did the 11, Thomas included.

In spite of our failings—even at this late stage of our lives—we “also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Eph 2:22).  Jesus doesn’t halt his construction project in each of us.  He remains confident in the power of his grace to save us as he did Thomas and the others.  He continues to greet us daily:  “Peace be with you.”