Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish

FR MICHAEL BOAKYE YEBOAH

CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF KUMASI, GHANA

WHY DO WE DOUBT?  

            Traditionally the Second Sunday of Easter has been dedicated to Thomas’ doubting episode after the resurrection. The name Thomas comes from the Hebrew (or Aramaic) and it means “the twin.” Didymus is from the Greek and it means “the twin.” It is likely that Thomas was born as a twin. According to the Church historian Eusebius, Thomas’ real name was Judas but I hope you will suspect the reason why he will opt for his nickname rather than his real name. Thomas is remembered as “Doubting Thomas”, and I would like to think he preferred that reference than to answer the name Judas for posterity not to confuse him with the traitor.

            Using Thomas’ doubting episode as a reference I would like to discuss with you why people doubt.

            Doubt is the attitude of mind proper to the skeptic, who is by no means necessarily an unbeliever any more than a believer. When we discuss doubt within religious circles, our focus is not on an atheist but rather on a regular believer/parishioner who may be struggling with a religious mystery. Some great doctors of the church struggled with some doctrinal statements: for example, when the dogma of Immaculate Conception was declared by Pope Blessed Pius IX, some Catholic conservative thinkers entertained some levels of doubt. With this introductory thought let us now take a look at why some people entertain doubt:

1. Some people doubt for the sake of total refusal to believe.

            When one meets people like this in life, it may serve a person better when you leave them in their world. They approach issues with a total refusal to believe and leave no room for reasoning or a call to faith.

            In the gospels a group of people can be associated with this. A majority of the Jewish religious leaders made it clear that no matter what the miracles or teachings from Jesus they maintained their doubt on his messiahship. Jesus made a good decision by seeking disciples from outside the main conservative Jewish circles. John put the decision of Jesus in these words: “I came to my own and my own did not accept me but those who did accept me, I gave them opportunity to become sons and daughters of God” (John 1:11-13).

            Jesus will later advise his disciples on a similar line of action; when on their missionary journey some will refuse to accept them – he told them to shake the dust on their feet on them as a testimony and move on. As much as we need to be patient and pray for an unbeliever, we should note that we cannot change those who have no intention for a change of mind or heart.

1. Some doubt because of indifference.

            An indifferent attitude is marked by a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern for something. In this regard the person may have chosen the lazy way of doubting instead of making efforts to know or be informed. Some of the Jews were like this. They were just indifferent to Jesus and his doctrine.

            It is believed that there are many people who in their indifference to the gospel message have chosen the path of doubt. How difficult it is when you want to preach the gospel to convert souls and yet your targeted audience responds with lack of interest in what you are preaching. And if you are to press on with your message, they just react with a message of doubt to take the “sand off your feet.” A priest may be left with little to do when his parishioners show lack of interest in his ministry.

            Unlike the first group, if a priest or an evangelizer meets a group who are indifferent to his ministry, he should not be in a hurry to abandon them but rather employ various pastoral strategies until he gets an effective working plan. Priests should not give up on their parishioners easily because of lack of interest.

• Some people doubt out of ignorance.

            Some people also doubt simply because they are ignorant and they are not humble enough to accept the fact that they do not know and they may want to argue with you the whole day. As they argue they lock all the doors of reason and sit on the “cathedral” of ignorance while exercising their opinion with “I fail to believe in whatever you say.”

            People who find themselves in this category also need a patient approach from the priest or evangelizer. Many young people are ignorant of the Christian way because of no fault of their own. Some were born into pagan families or nurtured in an environment that gave them little or no contact with Christ or his gospel. I have met a lot of people in this category. When you start a conversation with them, their initial stance normally is doubt but with time the Holy Spirit softens their hearts and minds to the faith.

            Priests and other agents of evangelization need patience if they are to win some people for Christ.

1. Some do not trust the testimony of others.

            Others also doubt simply because they do not trust the testimony of others. I would like to think that Thomas can be placed under this category. He was not around when the Lord appeared to the others but he failed to believe their testimony.

            There was something unique about Thomas. He was the only disciple who openly expressed the willingness to die with the Lord. To Thomas, the cross was only what he had expected. When Jesus had proposed going to Bethany, after the news of Lazarus’ illness had come, Thomas’ reaction had been: “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). Thomas never lacked courage, but he was the natural pessimist. There can never be a doubt that he loved Jesus. He loved him enough to be willing to go to Jerusalem and die with him when the other disciples were hesitant and afraid.

            What he had expected had happened, and when it came, even though he had expected it, he was broken-hearted that he could not meet the eyes of others, but must be alone with his grief. Thomas had to face his sufferings and his sorrow alone. So, it happened that, when Jesus came back again, Thomas was not there; and the news that he had come back seem to him far too good to be true, and he refused to believe it. Belligerent in his pessimism, he said that he would never believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he had seen and handled the print of the nails in his hands and thrust his hand into the wound the spear had made in Jesus’ side. It should be of note that, there was no mention of any wound-print in Jesus’ feet because in crucifixion the feet were usually not nailed, but only loosely bound to the cross.

            Another week elapsed and Jesus came back again; and this time Thomas was there. And Jesus knew Thomas’ heart. This time Thomas pave way for open declaration of faith. It took time but when he finally believed in the resurrection, he went to the ends of the world to bear witness.

In a given faith community, let us be patient with how people grow and mature in their faith because for some it takes time and we need to be patient with them. OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP PRAY FOR US.