Believe without a Doubt?

by David Lins  |  04/23/2023  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

Have you ever prayed with every fiber of your being, just to feel as though all you got in return were the sound of crickets? I’ve been there.

Or have you ever thundered the heavens with frustration because the phrase, “God will never give you more than you can handle” just didn’t seem to apply to you? I’ve been there, too.

And have you ever had a moment of doubt and thought maybe I’m just a fool for believing in all this? Well, I’m ashamed to say I’ve also been there.

This weekend, we read about Cleopas and another man walking down a road, when a stranger joins them.

He asks what they’ve been talking about. Shocked, they basically ask if he’s been living under a rock. But the stranger persists...

This is where Cleopas, who as the brother of St. Joseph, and an important figure in Jesus’ ministry, says some particularly interesting words.

“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word.”

He calls Jesus a mere prophet. Not a messiah or divine.

Skip ahead and he says, “But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel.”

He says this in the past tense. He has given up hope and is literally walking away from where he thinks the ministry failed, leaving where he believes it all fell apart.

He then goes on to speak of “some women” from his group who claimed to find the tomb of Christ and saw a vision of angels announcing his resurrection. And yet, they were still leaving! But we all know the stranger was Jesus, supernaturally concealing himself.

Jesus walked with them in their doubt. So understand this: just because they left him temporarily, didn’t mean he ever left them. And then? He ministered to them. He loved them. And they came to recognize him again.

***I am having a second back surgery (Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion) on Saturday, 4/29 at 7:30AM and I’d appreciate any spare prayers you might have.***