Today, the liturgical color is red as we celebrate the Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle. That red isn’t just a liturgical color; it is the color of fire, the color of the Holy Spirit, and the color of the blood spilled by the men who stood on the front lines to build the early Church. It represents the ultimate sacrifice of a soldier for Christ.

Now, history has given Thomas a raw deal. We call him “Doubting Thomas.” But as Dominicans—as members of the Order of Preachers—our entire mission is built on one word: Veritas. Truth. And when you look at Thomas through the lens of truth, you don’t see a cynic. You see a man who wanted a direct encounter. He didn’t want second-hand faith; he wanted to see the Master face-to-face.

When the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord,” Thomas stood his ground with absolute, unfiltered honesty. He wasn’t going to fake it. He refused to give a superficial nod to something his heart hadn’t reconciled.

Look at how Christ responds to that honesty in today’s Gospel. Jesus doesn’t cast him out. He doesn’t read him the riot act or lecture him for having questions. No—eight days later, Jesus walks right through the doors, stands in their midst, goes straight to Thomas, and meets him exactly where he is. He says, “Put your finger here and see my hands.”

Jesus offers His wounds. And what does Thomas do? He doesn’t even need to touch them. He falls to his knees and delivers the most powerful, absolute confession of faith in the entire New Testament: “My Lord and my God.”

In our first reading, Saint Paul tells the Ephesians—and he is telling us today at St. Michael’s—that we are “no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.”

Thomas is a cornerstone of that foundation. His struggle, his grit, and his fierce loyalty to the truth are part of the bedrock we stand on.

My friends, we live in a world filled with noise and uncertainty. In life, we face storms, trials, and moments where our faith is tested. Thomas teaches us that true integrity means bringing your questions directly to the feet of the Master. Christ can handle your doubts. What He wants is your heart—honest and true.

As we approach the altar today to receive the Holy Eucharist, we are encountering that very same Risen Christ. Let our prayer today be just as deep, just as bold, and just as faithful as Saint Thomas’s. When we look upon the Lord, let us say with absolute conviction: “My Lord and my God.”

Saint Thomas the Apostle, pray for us.