Today is the feast day of St. Thomas, one of the lesser known apostles and rarely referred to within the Gospel. As most know from today’s reading, he is best known for failing to believe in the resurrection of Jesus – thus, the name “doubting Thomas.” Although it is easy to cast aspersions toward Thomas for his doubt, I have to think we all have a little Thomas in us from time to time. Was Jesus resurrected? Is there a God? These are probably not uncommon thoughts as we go through our lives and cope with not only personal problems, but also face a barrage of world events that include war, starvation, and various other injustices. Who hasn’t gotten frustrated and questioned the existence of God at one point or another – at least a bit?

Before getting too frustrated with the perceived lack of “physical proof” that Jesus was resurrected and that God exists, maybe it’s okay to have a little bit of Thomas in us as long as we use that doubt as a motivator to search for the physical presence of God in our lives. Maybe it’s a friendly smile, the opening of a door, a consoling word, someone forgiving us for a past wrong that, upon reflection, are really physical signs of God’s presence in our lives. And maybe it just takes us looking for God and finding Him in these acts both great and small that allow us to feel that much closer to Him. So, as we move forward with our day, let us seek out and find ways in which God is an active presence in our lives. And know that we will, at times, have doubts and that is okay for as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For we walk by faith, and not by sight.”