Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 3, 2026
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But Thomas said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The full readings of the day from the Lectionary are available here.
Reflection
Like Thomas reuniting with the rest of the Twelve, when I arrived at Notre Dame as a graduate student, I found myself surrounded by passionate disciples of Christ, many of whom had already ‘seen the Lord.’ I was born and raised Catholic, but when I arrived on campus, I had not been confirmed in the church. Of course, in our lives, faith is not a single event, so when we don’t see Jesus in certain times and seasons, it can feel as though we are surrounded by “better” disciples than we are.
Many of us empathize with Thomas in his struggle with faith. But why wasn’t Thomas there with the other disciples when Jesus came the first time? While the disciples were in hiding, Thomas was called out into the world. In our lives, times like this test our faith and leave us exasperated, sometimes drawn away from Christ by the demands of life and work. They leave us thinking: “Unless I put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
When Jesus appears to the disciples the second time, he not only bypasses the locked doors again, but he goes even further and invites Thomas to reach out and touch his wounds, turning his doubt and exasperation into an opportunity for even deeper intimacy with God than before. After his doubt, Thomas is the first to affirm our risen savior directly as “my Lord and my God!”
“Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” As one who needed to see to believe, I am so tremendously blessed to be part of the Notre Dame community, where we can see Christ every day: in the kindness of our parents and mentors, the intellectual prowess of our professors and theologians, and the devotion of our student body. The story of Thomas the apostle, my confirmation saint, reminds me of all the ways Christ reaches out to us as only he knows how.
Prayer
Jesus, we admire your patience with the disciples, and yet you also balanced it with truth. You understood where Thomas was coming from, but at the same time gave him a challenge. You are merciful, compassionate, and fully understand our human weakness. You know our fears, the things which hold us back from trusting you and from becoming fully ourselves. But you won’t let us use those things as an excuse. There is always a challenge to grow, and with the challenge comes the grace to meet it. Thank you for caring so much about us.
Saint of the Day
As one of the twelve disciples, St. Thomas was one of the closest followers of Christ.
His humanity is on full display in the Gospel. At first, he urges his friends to follow Christ, even to death, as they approach Jerusalem, the headquarters for the enemies of Jesus. Then, when Jesus is arrested, he runs away like almost everyone else.
One night after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Lord appeared to the disciples, who were locked in the upper room. Thomas happened to be absent, and when his friends told him that they had seen Jesus, he said, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail-marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20: 19-29).
A week later, Jesus appeared to the group again, and this time Thomas was able to place his fingers in the very wounds of Christ. He professed his belief with the words, “My Lord and my God.”
After Pentecost, Thomas went east, evangelizing people in India. He was eventually martyred in India in the year 72. Legend holds that he was stabbed with a spear while he was praying. Thus, he holds the spear of his martyrdom in many of his depictions.
Additionally, because of all the churches he built in India, St. Thomas is the patron saint of architects and builders.
This desire to know by touching is common to the human condition. As children, we come to know the world through touching and manipulating it. If we can feel it, we know it is real. Yet, what is most real and true about our life—that it is rooted in God—escapes our senses. Jesus says to Thomas and to us: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
St. Thomas, you believed because you saw the risen Lord, and helped others believe on faith alone—pray for us!
Bibliography
1. Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. "Thomas the Apostle." In The Encyclopedia of Saints, 325-326. New York: Visionary Living, Inc., 2001.