Monday, 2 March 2026

What If It's All True? – A Follow Up To "When Doubt Creeps In"

Last week we reflected on what happens when doubt creeps in – when quiet questions rise about the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, and the bold claims of Christianity. 

We considered the witnesses, the martyrs, the saints who staked everything on what they had seen and believed. But now let us take one step further. If we have faced our doubts honestly… what if, after examining the testimony and the courage of the martyrs, we dare to ask the deeper question – what if it's all true?


From Question to Consequence

When doubt appears, we often ask whether the events of the Gospel really happened. But once we revisit the testimony – "That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes… and touched with our hands" (1 John 1:1, RSV-CE) – another question emerges.

If the Incarnation truly occurred, if the tomb truly stood empty, if Christ truly rose in the body that was crucified, then our faith is not merely inherited tradition. It is response to reality.

After the Resurrection, Thomas struggled. He wanted physical proof. When the risen Christ appeared and invited him to touch His wounds, Thomas answered, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28, RSV-CE). And then Jesus spoke words that echo across every century: "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (John 20:29, RSV-CE).

We are among those who have not seen with our physical eyes – and yet believe. That blessing is spoken over us.

Our faith is not inferior because we were not in the upper room. It is part of the unfolding plan of God.

The Strength of the Witnesses

We do not believe blindly. We believe through testimony.

St. Peter proclaimed boldly what he had witnessed. St. Paul wrote that the risen Christ appeared to many, including "more than five hundred brethren at one time" (1 Corinthians 15:6, RSV-CE). This was not a private vision hidden from scrutiny. It was public encounter.

And these witnesses endured suffering rather than deny their proclamation.

St. Ignatius of Antioch journeyed toward martyrdom convinced that Christ's Resurrection was not metaphor. St. Perpetua and St. Felicity embraced death with serenity rooted in hope of eternal life.

Their faith flowed from the certainty that Christ had conquered death.

If it is all true, then their courage makes sense.

The Incarnation and Its Ripple Effect

If it is all true, then God has entered human history in a way that changes everything.

"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14, RSV-CE). If this is true, then human dignity is immeasurable. Every person carries eternal significance.

St. Teresa of Calcutta served the poorest because she believed she was serving Christ Himself. St. Athanasius of Alexandria wrote that God became man so that we might share in divine life. Such convictions do not arise from poetic metaphor alone. They arise from belief in an actual Incarnation.

If it is all true, then the Eucharist is not symbolic ritual but living presence. When Jesus said, "This is my body" (Matthew 26:26, RSV-CE), He meant what He said.

If it is all true, then when we kneel at Mass, we kneel before the risen Lord.

Living With Eternal Vision

If it is all true, then eternity is real. Heaven is not sentimental imagery. Hell is not medieval invention. Jesus speaks of eternal life and eternal consequence with sobering clarity.

"I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2, RSV-CE). These words are either breathtakingly true or entirely empty. And if they are true, then our lives carry eternal weight.

St. John Vianney spent countless hours in the confessional because he believed souls were eternal. St. Maximilian Kolbe offered his life for another prisoner because he believed death was not the end.

If it is all true, then love becomes urgent. Forgiveness becomes urgent. Conversion becomes urgent.

Blessed Without Seeing

There is something deeply consoling in Christ's words to Thomas. "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (John 20:29, RSV-CE).

We were not present at the empty tomb. We did not place our fingers in the wounds. Yet we believe through apostolic witness, through the continuity of the Church, through the Sacraments, through the quiet action of grace.

Faith is not sight. It is trust grounded in testimony and sustained by grace.

When doubt creeps in, we remember the witnesses. When we ask what if it is all true, we remember the blessing spoken over those who believe without seeing.

We are included in that blessing.

Practical Steps – Living In The Truth

If we truly accept that it is all true, then even ordinary moments shift.

We approach the Eucharist with reverence.
We forgive because mercy is real.
We examine our conscience because eternity matters.
We pray not into silence but into relationship.

We need not make dramatic gestures. Quiet fidelity becomes profound when rooted in truth.

Each act of charity becomes participation in divine life. Each moment of patience becomes preparation for heaven.

Weekly Challenge

This week, let us read John 20 slowly, especially the encounter between Jesus and Thomas. Let us place ourselves in that room.

Then, throughout the week, let us consciously remember Christ's words: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

When doubt flickers, let us recall that we stand within a long line of believers who trusted the testimony handed down to them.

Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes

Our Lady of Lourdes, you believed without seeing the full unfolding of God's plan. You trusted the angel's message and carried truth within you.

Intercede for us in our daily lives. When doubt returns, steady our hearts. When questions arise, guide us gently toward your Son. Help us to live with confidence in the truth of the Incarnation and the Resurrection.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

A prayer for all who read this blog post and all who never will

Lord Jesus, risen and living, we thank You for the blessing spoken over those who believe without seeing.

Strengthen our faith when it trembles. Deepen our trust in the witness handed down through the ages. Help us to live as though Your Resurrection is not distant history but present reality.

May our belief shape our choices. May our hope steady our hearts. And may we one day see clearly the truth we now embrace by faith.

Amen.

Final Prayer-Poem

We did not stand
Before the tomb,
Nor see the stone
Roll back in gloom.

We did not touch
The wounded side,
Nor walk the shore
Where You abide.

Yet still we trust
Through ages long,
Through martyr's blood
And witness strong.

Blessed, You said,
Though sight we lack –
Faith lights the path
We travel back.

And in that light
We choose to stand,
Believing still
With open hand.

Parish Invitation

You are invited to join us at our parish for Holy Mass, where we gather in faith around the risen Christ. Come and receive Him in the Eucharist. Come regularly to confession and experience His mercy.

Take part in our parish activities, join our Living Rosary Group, and read our latest parish newsletter to stay connected and grow deeper in faith.

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20, RSV-CE).

We would be honored to welcome you. 


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