Don't we all have a little bit of Thomas in us? As a child, did you never feel a flash of jealousy that made you unreasonably obstinate? On Easter Day, Thomas missed out on seeing Jesus because he wasn't with the other disciples in the upper room when Jesus appeared. Why wasn't he there? Afterwards, when they told him, Thomas seems to have been so jealous or so angry with himself for not being there that he stubbornly refused to believe Jesus had really risen. A childish, immature reaction, maybe a mixture of disappointment, a sense of unfairness, even spitefulness. But haven't I sometimes behaved towards other people like that too, perhaps when I've felt "left out of things", or felt sorry for myself, or just wanted to be "difficult"?

The gospel notes it was eight days later when Jesus next came to the upper room, and Thomas this time was there. Whatever the reason, Thomas now did not demand the "proofs" he first wanted; instead, he gave expression to the deepest profession of faith recorded in the gospels: "My Lord, and my God". It's like the prayer on Easter night when the church refers to Adam's sin as "O happy fault", because it brought Christ's coming to redeem humanity - the Lord turned Thomas' human weakness, childishness, even his doubts into a profession of faith, and a blessing for all of us who have not seen Jesus with our human eyes yet believe.