“Because You Have Seen”

“Happy are those that have not seen and yet believe.” – John 20:29

1. Thomas Believed – Saint Thomas asked for visible proof and it was granted by Jesus, but without the love and trust of his friends, Thomas could not have given himself completely in his unique act of total surrender to his Lord and God. An act of simple faith would have brought Saint Thomas to the same end through the grace of God, but he had not learned from the experience of others to trust and put his faith in the hands of others.
2. Francis Believed – The first of the lesser brothers to join Francis was Brother Bernard of Quintavalle. Bernard had spent a night pretending to be asleep, watching Francis at prayer, and in the morning Bernard resolved to give away his wealth and to follow Francis in following Jesus. Francis had asked for companions that would, with him, follow the gospel message to give his possessions to the poor, to take nothing for the journey and to renounce self in taking up the cross to follow Jesus. Francis could not have been assured that he was in fact following the way of Jesus had he not had companions along the way to share his dream, to carry the cross of God’s peace and to be an instrument of good in harmony with his brothers. Happy were Francis and Bernard and all the lesser brothers and poor sisters that had not seen and yet believed.
3. Reason for My Belief – What is the basis of my belief? Is it based on proof, physical reality and miracles or intellectual conviction? Or, am I willing to accept the blessings of God as manifestations of His presence in my life? Have I trusted in the experiences of others to reinforce the blessed presence of the risen Jesus Christ in my being? Who are the Brother Bernards in my life who have been the answer to my prayers, been the inspiration to continue to follow the way even amid my doubts? Happy are those who have seen the hand of God in the everyday blessings and believed.