The disciple Thomas is either vilified for his lack of faith or applauded for his scepticism. He is, in some sense, a candidate for patron saint of those who do not believe.
We know the story well. The other disciples tell Thomas that Jesus is alive and they have seen him. He has been told the women had seen Jesus as well. The story of Mary Magdalene at the tomb would have begun to take iconic shape amongst the hangers on.
Somehow, in the midst of all this, Thomas has been absent, not present for any of the sightings. Unlike all the other disciples he is not locked away in the upper room. Thomas was a pragmatist, a down to earth practical bloke who dealt with the circumstances as he saw them. Jesus promised much, upset the ruling clique, was crucified and died. That he knew to be the facts, and facts are facts. The rest, all a little fanciful, did not add up to his way of thinking. He went about putting his life back together, and those who wanted to sit locked up in a room waiting for a miracle could do so if they wanted to, but not him.
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