Some of the most grounded people of faith I know went through a period of serious doubt.

Most people just never say it out loud. They show up, go through the motions, and assume everyone else in the pew has it figured out.

They don't.

Doubt isn't the opposite of faith. In my years as a priest, I find that it is the precursor to a deeper one. The person who has never questioned what they believe probably hasn't needed to yet. The person who has come out the other side of real uncertainty is someone whose faith has some weight to it.

What I find so fascinating about Thomas is that he stayed. He kept showing up, even empty. He didn't have answers and he didn't pretend to. Most of us know that feeling (even me), sitting in a pew, going through the motions, not sure we believe anymore. Thomas did too. And what he was looking for found him.

It can find you too.

This week’s invitation: If you're carrying a doubt or a question you've never said out loud, write it down. Just getting it out of your head and onto paper is sometimes enough to start working through it honestly.

God Bless.

FF