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| This is such an amazing painting by Caravaggio. The focus is on Jesus' hand - guiding and giving Thomas' exactly what he needs to believe. Share this image with your child and talk about what it is that they see. |
Sunday's gospel reading is about the Apostle Thomas, who is forever remembered as "doubting" - struggling to accept something that is true. In Thomas' case, it was believing that Jesus rose from the dead.
In early February, your child heard the story from the book of John, wherein Thomas refused to believe the account of the other Apostles who declared that Jesus, who had risen from the dead, appeared to them. Thomas answers that "unless I see the nail marks in the hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."
Jesus knew and was patient with Thomas' doubts. He is also patient with us when we fail to live with confidence in our faith that God will both guide and provide.
Talk to your child about this story and about keeping the faith. See if you can get them to share with you times that they might doubt themselves or want to give up trying. Then work to reframe how they are seeing things so that their faith in God and themselves improve. "Keeping the faith" is a habit that can be formed, but it takes practice. Staying positive, focusing on what you can control, being intentionally constructive in your language, and confidently proclaiming your trust in God are all ways to draw closer to living faithfully - walking by faith, not by sight.
"Blessed are they that have not seen, yet have believed."
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