What is so refreshing and good about Thomas' reaction to the news that Jesus was risen is that he was open and honest about his doubts. He didn't hide his doubt and lack of belief. Very often such honesty about our doubt and disbelief is the stepping stone to a deeper faith.

When it comes to belief, it seems some people are very blessed, while others are plagued with doubts. People may sometimes have doubts about the existence of God, doubt about the goodness of God, doubt about the divinity of Jesus, doubt about the existence of the next life, doubt about the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, doubt that God has truly forgiven them their sins, doubt that they will be saved, even if they place their trust in Christ and try to live a good life. It may be consoling to know that some, if not many, saints were plagued with doubts about some of the above issues. St. Therese of Lisieux experienced serious doubts about God before she died at 23 years of age.

How should we handle such doubts?

Three suggestions:

Continue to make acts of faith in God, even if you feel nothing spiritual. Talk to a priest or an experienced spiritual guide. Surround yourself with people of faith who can pray for and with you. You should not be ashamed about having doubts, especially when you realize that some saints had them. Doubts do not make us less of a believer.

Doubt may also be a part of the maturing process of a Catholic Christian. Questioning beliefs have led many a person, including myself, to a deeper understanding of Catholic beliefs. As with sin, the devil wants to use doubt to diminish our faith in a good God. God wants to use it to lead us closer to him. Our task is to work with God and not with the devil.

Four Things That Can Weaken Our Faith

There are several things that can weaken our faith, especially if it is fragile and without deep roots in Christ. Here I will name four things that can weaken our faith.

First, The poor example of other Catholics, especially the clergy and other leaders in our Church. Poor example by Church leaders can make people of fragile faith cynical and cause them to quit church. The poor example of other supposedly good Catholics (neighbors, parents) can also scandalize Catholics with a fragile faith.

Unfortunately, any of us at some time in our lives could be like one of the Apostles. Judas betrayed Jesus, Peter denied him, all of them fled. Paul had a big fight with Barnabas. If our faith is deeply rooted in Christ, then the poor example of clergy, lay leaders and other Catholics may sadden us, surprise us, even shake us up a bit, but it will not cause us to quit church because our faith is not in people, but in Christ.

Second, if we or family members get hit with a lot of bad stuff, our faith in a good and loving God may also be rattled. Some, if not many, Catholics and other Christians quit church and prayer when bad stuff happens to them. They feel God has abandoned them and let them down. I think we can all identify with people who seem to get more than their share of bad stuff happening to them. It has to be a most difficult challenge to keep believing in a God of love when there is a lot of pain in our lives. But, praise God, every parish has outstanding examples of people who have an unwavering faith, even when they are handed all kinds of bad stuff. We should be most grateful for the wonderful example of these people and perhaps ask them how they acquired such a deep faith.

Third, if we do not have a solid understanding of our Catholic faith, we may lose it when others question us and use scriptures to show us how "wrong" we are in our beliefs. This can happen a lot to young people after they leave home. But, it also happens to other Catholics, especially in a time of crisis and questioning, and to Catholics who are not well versed in their Catholic beliefs. If they meet up with a non-Catholic who is well versed in the Bible, the Catholic may well end up thinking his Catholic beliefs are "mere human tradition." Such Catholics would be well-advised to talk to a priest and/or read the book called Surprised by Truth, the story of about twelve fundamentalist Protestant ministers who believed that God called them to lead Catholics out of their "wayward church". But as they explored Catholicism, each of them was very surprised by the truth of Catholicism and ended up joining the Catholic Church.

Fourth, If we practice our faith in a rote, mechanical way, we may also lose it just as couples who go through the motions of communication often end up losing their marriage. Faith, like marriage, is work. If we do not work at deepening our faith in Christ and his Church, we may end up losing both.

Caring and Nurturing Our Faith

A fire that is not "fed" would gradually and surely die. A marriage relationship that is not nurtured goes cold and often dies. People who fail to nurture their faith or practice it in a rote kind of way often wake up some morning with little or no faith. This happens all the time. We see it especially with regard to the Eucharist. People at one stage of their lives have a strong faith and love for the Eucharist. "Stuff" happens and in another stage they stop going to church. It could be because bad things happen or because they become so busy with other things that their spiritual life is neglected. As with a marriage relationship, a crisis can lead to a stronger faith life or to a break with God and church. On any given weekend in church, some people are returning to God and church and some are consciously or unconsciously distancing themselves.

We nurture our faith in God primarily by an open and honest relationship with him and by "hanging around" with other Catholic Christians who have a strong faith in Jesus and his church. Catholics here and elsewhere find participation in a Small Christian Community, to be a big help as they work through their faith struggles.