St. Thomas & The Power of Belonging
Why wasn’t St. Thomas with the other apostles when Jesus appeared? I used to imagine that he was doing some mundane task like buying groceries. But, if we read the passage carefully, it’s likely he was absent because he didn’t want to be with the other apostles. Jesus could have appeared at any time; if Thomas was only “gone to the store”, he could have waited. Additionally, Thomas’s response to the news of the resurrection is stubborn (and maybe a tad obnoxious) disbelief.
In today’s Coach’s Corner, I ask the question: How do we help those in the same place as St. Thomas, the stubbornly disbelieving? Tune in to hear how helping a person belong can also help them to believe. The goal is to make non-believers feel accepted and engaged in the community, creating a path toward embracing faith and living a life of discipleship.
Continue the Conversation
Get EquipCast in your podcast app
Jim Jansen – Director of Pastoral Services, Archdiocese of Omaha
2 Responses to “St. Thomas & The Power of Belonging”
Hi Jim,
God’s timing always interests me. I have a friend from long ago that I have not been in contact with until about a year ago. I found out earlier this week that about 3 years ago he left the Catholic church and now attends a Lutheran church. I queried into why he left and the discussion went into the pomp and circumstance in church leadership as well as spending millions of dollars on churches such as Saint Wenceslaus. There was not one discussion around theological issues, although as I dialog with him further some may come to light. I’ve invited him to work the upcoming CEC weekend to help him belong. One of the things that Alpha taught me was that the Bible is like a love letter from God. That being the case it seems to me that the Eucharist is better than sex as it is physical intimacy with God . How do you top that? I plan on introducing that concept to the weekend so they can fully comprehend what is taking place. Unfortunately for my old friend, he cannot belong to that banquet unless he goes to confession first which will be offered to the team before and during the weekend so we will see where it goes. Please keep this CEC weekend in your prayers as we form team and invite people to attend. God Bless, Kent
Kent
I never heard or thought that way about St Thomas before. Awesome, inspiring, and thought provoking. Please keep working and asking all of us to understand why we are here. Who we need to turn too. And examples of how we need to act and invite others to learn and except the truth .