Why are those who have not seen yet believe consider blessed?

Why are those who have not seen yet believe consider blessed?

John 20:19-31. Another account of the doubting Thomas story. “You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

As seekers of good, we somewhat need comprehensible and reasonable evidences to inform our faith. But in a sense, the words of Jesus in the doubting Thomas story seems to allow the possibility of divine revelation, wherein it is God who first reveals Himself actively to a person, rather than a person seeking God first.

I interpret this as a sign of why those who have not seen but authentically believe “blessed; this is precisely because they have received the rare grace of God or the Holy Spirit or Mama Mary revealing themselves to them, as in the case of Fatima and the Lourdesian apparitions.

What does this practically mean?

For me, a truly divine revelation should be impossible to ignore, as in how the other disciples encountered the risen Lord. But the more regular occurrence may resemble the experience of Thomas – we recognize the limits of our minds and our propensity to be fooled, therefore, we need evidence.

Whether we are like the other disciples or Thomas, to me, it doesn’t matter. God loves our uniqueness and respects our quirks; and He would help us in our providential journey. Thomas is not a villain and should not be villified; in many ways, we are and we should be like Him.

And we can take solace in the fact that like any other being in an authentic faithful relationship, Jesus would help us understand the kind of love He reveals to us.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 114: APRIL 24, 2022]