Doubting Thomas and the Importance of Showing Up

At Mass this Sunday we will hear the story of Doubting Thomas, the apostle who refused to believe in the Resurrection until he had touched the wounds of Christ himself. And while in some ways it is unfortunate that the name Doubting Thomas has followed him throughout the centuries (he was, after all, martyred while spreading the Good News in India), he can be a model for anyone who experiences doubts and skepticism when it comes to the faith.

Fr. Tim Grumbach stopped by Trending with Timmerie to discuss the story of Doubting Thomas, and the lessons St. Thomas can teach anyone who struggles with doubt.

Fr. Grumbach pointed out an often-overlooked aspect of the Doubting Thomas story, noting, “Thomas still had the courage to approach the one person who could forgive him for that fear, for that running away. Jesus didn’t kick him out of the room for doubting, or for protecting himself from believing the unbelievable. But He drew him into His wounds.”

Thomas could have walked away from being a disciple after the crucifixion. He abandoned Jesus in His pain and suffering, and Thomas could have let his shame and his doubts keep him from facing Jesus. But he didn’t.

“What an act of courage and belief it was on Thomas’s part,” Fr. Grumbach said. “Maybe a little misdirected, maybe a little too much passion and wanting to protect himself. But he still showed up. That’s what has always been most important for me when considering Thomas. He still showed up.”

Fr. Grumbach shared that he knows first-hand the importance of not letting doubt drive you away from the faith, but giving Christ the opportunity to find you and show you the truth of His love.

“My dad calls Thomas his patron saint,” he said. “Not because his name is Thomas. It’s not. But because my dad admits his own doubts, and that’s always been a beautiful and powerful thing for me to see. To learn about a spiritual fatherhood in which you can admit your doubts and say, ‘I have someone like St. Thomas to be an example and to intercede for me, and to still show up.”

Fr. Grumbach explained that his father doubted, and admitted his doubts, but he still took his children to Mass every single Sunday. And that example had a powerful effect on Fr. Grumbach growing up.

“I don’t know how deep any doubt my dad had went, but I do know that if there was any doubt there in my dad’s life he still showed up and brought his family with him,” Fr. Grumbach said. “And that’s what I see in Thomas.”

Listen to the full conversation below:

Trending with Timmerie airs weekdays at 6:00 p.m. Central on Relevant Radio® and the Relevant Radio App.

Stephanie Foley serves as a Digital Media Producer at Relevant Radio®. She is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she studied journalism, and she has worked in Catholic radio for 12 years. Stephanie is a wife, a mother of three boys, and in her free time she enjoys reading, running, and really good coffee. You can find more of Stephanie’s writing at relevantradio.com and on the free Relevant Radio mobile app.