Blessed are those who have not seen but believe

You did not see him, yet you love him. And still without seeing him, you are filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe. PHOTO | FOTOSEARCH

What you need to know:

  • Don’t make the mistake of thinking people blessed with visions and voices from heaven are holier than those who have never received such favours.

Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to live together with Jesus when he was preaching the Gospel two thousand years ago? There was a time when I used to think I would be more committed to Jesus. Perhaps you too, have entertained the same idea at some point in your life.

One thing is for sure: those first men and women who did know Jesus in the flesh talked about his Second Coming as if it were something they would experience before they died, even when they knew Jesus had said ‘nobody knew the hour’.

It’s not a bad thing — this insatiable desire to behold the face of Christ. On the contrary, it’s a clear sign that we are committed to him. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking people blessed with visions and voices from heaven are holier than those who have never received such favours.

This would seem to be the lesson our Lord wanted us to learn from Thomas the Apostle — the one who said, “I refuse to believe until I see the holes the nails made in his hands … and I can put my hand into his side.” The Risen Lord allowed Thomas to see him and to touch him, but then declared: “You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

What is so good about “not seeing”? Why would that be better than seeing and touching our Lord as the first disciples saw him and touched him? Perhaps we will only understand when we get to heaven. In the meantime, consider these words of St Peter in his first letter: “You did not see him, yet you love him. And still without seeing him, you are filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe.”

St Peter refers here to the action of the Holy Spirit, confirming by his own experience what Jesus told the Apostles on the night of the Last Supper: “It is better for you that I go because if I do not go, the Paraclete will not come to you.”

What does this mean — especially for those who feel none of that “glorious joy” mentioned by St Peter? If there is something you want to ask for, ask for this one thing and persevere until you get it: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.”