How many people practice our religion but don’t really believe in what they practice? I think many. As a priest I meet people who receive the Eucharist regularly, but at the same time doubt the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine. Or some young parents bring their newborn children to the sacrament of baptism, but this sacrament for them is only a symbol, or merely a family tradition and gathering. There are also some who come to church each Sunday, but they don’t really pray; they just want to fulfill their Catholic responsibility. Some of us at times do worship, but we may have doubts or don’t believe. Just like the disciples from the Gospel reading today, when the eleven disciples saw Jesus, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. In other words, they were happy to see Him, but they still didn’t believe that it was Jesus Himself. That may happen to us, too. We can be joyfully participating in our church events, but still doubt that Christ is truly risen and truly present. Today we need to ask Jesus to reverse our experience, namely, to truly believe and then be joyful and not to be joyful but still have doubts.
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