Commenting on the Apostle Thomas, one writer casts him not so much as a doubter but more a stand-in for those many people over the centuries who want more evidence that the Risen Jesus is alive and present.

Even though Thomas hears the testimony of all those witnesses around him who insist, “We have seen the Lord,” Thomas wants proof. (To his credit, he had previously suggested they “follow Jesus and die with him.” John 11:16)

Here he is in the room, insisting he’s not going to be taken in by what the others claim they saw. He wants to finger the evidence, as it were, to touch Jesus’ wounded hands and sides before he’ll consent to believing.  However, with Jesus’ appearance, Thomas gives up his demand for verification. Not standing on his proof-test, he simply “sees and believes.”

Isn’t that the barrier every believer must cross? That is, coming to the threshold of believing without hard proof in hand, and yet somehow moving forward — “my Lord and my God!”

Isn’t that just what happened to those other disciples before Thomas arrived? Their consent wasn’t purely their own. Belief comes through Jesus as he breathes on them with his words, “Believe the Holy Spirit.” Their faith arose when Jesus bestowed it.

Most every believer comes to this threshold, a cross-over point where all the “proofs” by themselves don’t bring about belief. Rather, it’s God’s Spirit leading us across that line. Thomas lays aside his demand for incontrovertible evidence and lets himself be taken along by the power of his prayer, “My Lord and my God.”

A story about my own journey. Before coming into the seminary, I was a student at a Catholic college on a work scholarship. Part of my job was to wax and buff the floors of the chapel when no one was there. On one night, I somehow began to take extra notice the statues and paintings and Bible-words that were all around me. And the question came to me, “Is any of this real?” The answer, reaching beyond any logical deduction, was a yes.  In hindsight, it might well have been the Holy Spirit’s breath moving through and around me that night.

A possible parallel in St. Vincent’s experience?  The pivotal day he was drawn to Jesus’ words in Luke’s 4th chapter, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” One more instance of being Spirit-led that’s especially relevant to the Vincentian Family.

Many can likely provide examples of situations where they felt encouragement to make decisions without fool proof evidence; i.e. stories of crossing over the hesitations and being enabled to say (with Thomas) “My Lord and my God.”