April 27, 2025
Revised Common Lectionary
Acts 5:27-31
Psalm 118:14-29 or Psalm 150
Revelation 1:4-8
John 20:19-31
Lectionary for Mass (RC)
Acts 5:12-16
Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 (1)
Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
John 20:19-31
“Trust but verify.” That expression is most often associated in the United States with President Ronald Reagan. But it originated as a rhyming Russian proverb, one that American scholar Suzanne Massie taught to Reagan during the Cold War. He adopted it as a guiding principle in negotiations with the Soviet Union, especially around nuclear disarmament. Trust was important—but so was proof.
Each year on the Second Sunday of Easter, we return to the story of Thomas—the disciple who famously said, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe” (Jn 20:25). The testimony of his fellow disciples wasn’t enough. Thomas’s motto seems to have been less “trust but verify” and more “verify, then verify again.”
The Gospel account we hear today—Jesus’ two appearances to his disciples—is rich with language and imagery that have become deeply familiar: the locked room, the disciples’ fear, Jesus’ greeting of peace, the showing of hands and side, the breath of the Spirit, and the gift of forgiveness. These two encounters with the Risen One are dramatic, vivid, and powerful.
When Thomas finally sees the risen Jesus—one week later than the others—his reaction mirrors theirs. On the first occasion, the disciples “rejoiced when they saw the Lord” (Jn 20:20). For Thomas, it’s that unforgettable exclamation: “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28). In both cases, seeing is believing. For Thomas, as for the rest, it’s “verify and verify.”
But then Jesus speaks a word not just to Thomas—but to us: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe” (Jn 20:29).
That’s our place in the story. Unlike the first witnesses, we don’t see—we listen. Our resurrection faith is not grounded in personal verification, but in trust: trust in the witness of others, in the telling and retelling of these stories, and in the generations of believers who have passed them on.
The Gospel writer brings this episode to a close with a direct word to the reader: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe… and that through believing you may have life in his name” (Jn 20:30-31).
This sounds like a perfect ending to the whole Gospel—yet it comes right after the story of Thomas. And that placement matters. The evangelist uses the story of Thomas not to shame doubt but to show how faith arises—not from seeing, but from hearing, remembering, and trusting.
The road to belief is not a solo journey. It’s shaped by community—by stories shared, by faith handed down, by lives that embody the Good News.
In the end, it’s not “trust but verify.” It’s “trust—and trust again.”
A Hymn for Today: “We walk by faith”
Written by British vicar Henry Alford and included in his 1844 collection, Psalms and Hymns, this text has not been widely successful or popular in the United Kingdom. It has enjoyed wide circulation in North America in recent years, however, appearing in more than 70 hymnals. Based on today’s Gospel reading, it also includes a memorable opening line from 2 Corinthians 5:7. Listen here to the congregation and choir of First-Plymouth Church singing this text to the tune DUNLAP’S CREEK, and listen here for another setting by Marty Haugen, FHS. Both tunes bring out the poignancy and quiet confidence of Alford’s poetry.
We walk by faith, and not by sight;
no gracious words we hear
from one who spoke as none e’er spoke,
but we believe him near.
We may not touch his hands and side,
nor follow where he trod,
yet in his promise we rejoice,
and cry, “My Lord and God!”
Help then, O Lord, our unbelief,
and may our faith abound
to call on you when you are near,
and seek where you are found:
that when our life of faith is done,
in realms of clearer light
we may behold you as you are
in full and endless sight.
Text: Henry Alford, 1810-1871, alt.
Tunes: DUNLAP’S CREEK, ARLINGTON, SHANTI, LOBT GOTT IHR CHRISTEN, ST. BOTOLPH
Image Credit: Christ shows himself to Thomas, Rowan LeCompte and Irene LeCompte, Resurrection Chapel, Washington National Cathedral
“Word and Song: A Lectionary Reflection” is written by the Executive Director of The Hymn Society, Rev. Dr. Mike McMahon. For his full bio, click here and scroll down to the “staff” section.
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