Doubting Thomas & Divine Mercy

On this feast of Divine Mercy Sunday, we hear from the Gospels about the oh so famous Apostle Thomas. We know so little about him from Scripture - a twin who was not in the upper room when Christ first appeared to the Apostles - and yet, he is one of the most famous because he doubted Christ's appearance.

In honor of this Gospel reading and my new little godson, in whose honor he is named, I chose to review a special book about him from the Catholic Company by Mike Aquilina and Chris Bailey called The Doubter's Novena: Nine Steps to Trust with the Apostle Thomas.

What a wonderful novena this has been! Combining daily prayers through the intercession of St. Thomas with reflections based on Thomas' apppearances in Scripture and the living tradition and legends of his ministry in India, this book is perfect for all those who "are believers in God, but... also struggle with doubts."

The Apostle Thomas understood what it means to wrestle with doubt. But that's only the beginning of the story. After Jesus answered his skepticism, Thomas became one of the Church's most successful missionaries, evangelizing India despite hardships, misunderstandings, and temptations.

An example is one I cited above - although he is best remembered for doubting that Jesus had risen, what is often overlooked is why he had the occasion to doubt in the first place. He wasn't there. At a time of great fear and anxiety for the other apostles, whom Scripture tells us had "the doors were [sic] locked... for fear of the Jews," Thomas was not with them. Apparently, he alone was brave enough to be out in the city, amongst those whom the rest of Jesus' followers feared enough to hide themselves away.

This novena is a beautiful one for any liturgical season and anytime in your life of faith, but particularly helpful and meaningful for those facing large questions or doubts (like an upcoming deployment), undergoing trials (like a deployment) or just seeking the peace and reassurance that only Christ can bring.


This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company, who are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible. Although the book was provided to me for the review, the opinions are my own.