Today is called “Low Sunday” — in contrast with the high drama of Easter, celebrated last Sunday.

Last Sunday’s gospel readings described the rising of Jesus from the dead.

Today’s gospel describes the difficulties one believer had in believing it.

The apostle Thomas, absent when the risen Christ first visited the disciples, said he would not believe “unless I see in his hands the print of the nails . . . .”

The gospel continues, “After eight days, his disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being closed, and stood in their midst, and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Bring here thy finger, and see my hands . . . and be not faithless, but believing.’ Thomas answered, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.’  (Saint John’s gospel, chapter 20) 

* * *

Poor doubting Thomas.

And aren’t we like him – tempted by doubts?

It is a sin to actively doubt, but it is not a sin to have difficulties with belief.

Our responses to such difficulties must be to pray, asking God for the supernatural gift of faith — and to spend time in the company of those who do believe.

* * *

We must strive to make Australia a place where faith is encouraged, and doubts defeated.

Mary MacKillop devoted her life to this.

Blessed Mary hated those aspects of Australia which made faith more difficult.

She told Pope Pius IX in 1885 how her Josephite Sisters were “daily more and more convinced of the evils to their faith to which Australian children are exposed on account of the wicked secular education that is now general.”

What would she say about today’s Australian government schools, where teachers are forbidden to mention God?

And today’s Australian “Catholic” schools where students learn that one religion is as good as another — and that one can find salvation outside the Church and without its sacraments?

Her response would, one suspects, blister this page.