Who needs a March Madness bracket when today’s Saintly Sixteen matchup is basically a championship game? 🏀
First, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! ☘️ We wish everyone a wonderful feast day… though sadly Patrick didn’t make the cut in this year’s Lent Madness bracket. But today we do have two #1 seeds going head to head in the Apostles & Allies region, and the prize is a trip to the Elate Eight.
In one corner: The Rock. The man with the keys to the kingdom and a chair with his name on it in Rome… St. Peter. 🔑 In the other: The Apostle to India, the man stuck with the most unfair nickname in history… St. Thomas (who asked one honest question and has been hearing about it ever since). 🤨
It’s PETER vs. THOMAS.
Watch today’s video for our surprising picks, read the blogs for an incredible breakdown of myths and legends, and cast your vote to see who joins St. Benedict, who just sent Anthony the Great back to the desert 77.22% to 22.38%, in the Elate Eight. 🏆 #LentMadness
Peter the Apostle
"But who do you say that I am?"
"You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
We have an entire feast day dedicated to this quote because this is it. This is what it’s all about.
Before any of the creeds, the prayer books, the liturgies that now guide our faith, these are the words on which the Church stood. That Jesus Christ was, is, and continues to be the Messiah - the redeemer, liberator, fulfillment of every one of God’s promises - and the Son of the living God.
This pure expression of faith, which echoes through the rest of scripture and down through history, came from the mouth of Peter - a young, cocky, deeply flawed man.
In the context of the rest of Peter’s life, the soundtrack to this conversation is less triumphant horns and more a tense orchestra. Because, if you look closely, you’ll see a red string that ties these words to Peter’s other most famous line, “I do not know this man.”
You cannot tell the story of Peter, of Christianity, of our collective faith without both of these quotes. To do so would water down his and humanity’s relationship with our God, who sees us on our best days and our worst days and loves us without taking either into account. We confess and we deny. We are in the garden and yet, we still eat the fruit.
Peter’s betrayal is included in all four Gospels, and his confession is in the three Synoptics. Mark’s Gospel account is famous for having no fluff and yet has four verses dedicated to Peter’s confession and seven verses for his denial. Clearly, these words are important to our faith.
If we follow Peter out of scriptures and into legends, we find a man haunted and inspired by these dialogues. Medieval Christians had a story attributed to Clement I, who was ordained by Peter, that Peter’s face was “burnt with tears.” He frequently cried for joy as he meditated on his time in Jesus’ presence and sobbed in agony when he remembered his betrayal.
(Sidebar: despite his tears, it seems that Peter never lost his bold personality. In another legend, he wrecked his archrival in Nero’s court with this sick burn:
“Let Peter say what I think.”
“I shall do it when he hath thought.”)
Holding Peter’s complexities, in his words and actions, is important for us today as we face a world that insists what is good must be perfect and what is bad is everything else. His witness is less for people looking for examples of flawlessness achieved through faith and more for people seeking comfort that God calls the deeply human beloved.
— Bekah Scolare
Thomas the Apostle
Surely much (more) could be said of the strange intricacies of how St Thomas the Apostle got down to India, or about the legend that he visited China before his death. (There are even folks in Paraguay who hold that “Pai Thome” made it all the way there to preach to the indigenous population of the time.)
But as fascinating as those legends are, there’s no denying that one quality looms foremost in any discussion, consideration, or (in this case) sportsmanlike big-ups of St. Thomas the Apostle: he was a doubter. Specifically, he doubted his fellow apostles’ claims that they’d seen the risen Christ. From our birds-eye 21st century perspective, we might better nickname the guy “healthily skeptical Thomas,” but that moniker is a bit of a mouthful.
One doesn’t need a 21st century viewpoint to appreciate the value in Thomas’s famous moment of doubt. St. Gregory the Great, who was Pope way back in the late 6th and early 7th centuries, observed that “The disbelief of Thomas has done more for our faith than the faith of the other disciples. As he touches Christ and is won over to belief, every doubt is cast aside and our faith is strengthened.”
As a thought experiment, picture the version of John’s Gospel where instead of, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe,” (John 20:25) Thomas had said to the Twelve, “Oh, you saw Jesus, our beloved and recently-brutally-executed teacher and friend? And he looked super great and 100% alive? Wow! Guess he really was the Messiah. Nice!”
Not only would we have been deprived of Jesus’ poetic bonus beatitude, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Hey! That’s us!); we also might never have gotten the miraculous scene that precedes it. That’s the moment when Thomas gets his wish. He touches Christ’s once-broken body and knows for sure that this is no ruse. Surely that’s what Pope Gregory was getting at: Thomas, in touching Christ’s scars and believing, touches them for all of us, and gives us a sacred pathway to belief.
— Marissa Flaxbart
79 comments on “Peter the Apostle vs. Thomas the Apostle”
Couldn't decide between them. I had to "Eenie,Meenie, Minie, Moe." Healthily Skeptical Thomas.
Once again, Celebrity Bloggers, well done! And I see from the vote graph being so close that it proves my point.
Today's passionate and gorgeous writeups have me pondering the mystery and gift of faith -- as it is lived and known among mortals. Faith is often conflated with belief, as in Peter's "You are the Messiah!" and Thomas's "My Lord and my God!" (Should we perhaps have a feast day for the Epiphany of St. Thomas?") -- faith as expressed, promised, theologized and communicated. But faith lived is faithfulness and trust in the One we call Lord and Redeemer. And bless their hearts, both Peter and Thomas struggled with faith and trust. Peter was blusteringly quick to affirm his faith, but once he stepped out on water his trust failed him and he started to sink. And then, in fear, he denied Jesus altogether following the crucifixion. Thomas was quietly faithful as a trusted disciple, even to the point of, knowing that his own life was on the line, vowing to follow Jesus that he might indeed "die with him." But he could not take in that Jesus had actually been raised from the dead until he saw and touched the marks of his painful death -- a gift that the risen Christ gladly gave to Thomas, and through him, to all of us.
A very tough decision today! But as someone who many times over the years has spoken without thinking enough first all too often, I cherish Peter as a soulmate saint who has been indispensable to my faith journey -- a rock indeed who gets my vote.
As someone who always asks questions, I have to vote for Thomas. I believe that asking questions brings us to true faith.
Gotta go with Thomas this morning. My dad, Thomas Wesley, would so approve and besides, his birthday was last week AND he was 1/2 Irish! It's his day!!
Cheers to all.
I dearly love them both, but in honor of my friends from India, I'm going with Thomas, who certainly should get a prize for farthest travels. And if he really went to China, so much the better, because I've got Chinese friends too… And to Paraguay? We're talking miracles here.
In my faith I’m part Peter and part Thomas. I struggle with my faith at times and I suffer from impetuosity. Like the father in Mark 9 I ask Jesus: I do have Faith, help me when my Faith falls short. (Or…I do believe, help me in my unbelief.) I’m Thomas, today.
I have always been a doubter and a skeptic. I "get" Thomas. Doubts, as Frederick Buechner points out, "are the ants-in-the-pants of faith. They keep it alive and moving." Oftentimes, it takes courage to doubt and to question when the easier way out would be to go along with the crowd. It's a difficult choice today, for sure, but I'm going with Thomas.
Not fair!!! Not fair that you post my two most favorite saints against each other now, still in the midst of the competition! How does one choose???
I have always thought Thomas got (and still gets) a bad rap. Doubt is not the opposite of belief but unbelief is. And I don't think it says anywhere that Thomas ever touched Jesus. Maybe hearing his name was enough, like Mary at the empty tomb. So my vote goes to Thomas.
My recollection of the Gospel telling is that as soon as Jesus told Thomas to touch him, his belief was confirmed and complete. So, yes, I agree--no actual flesh to flesh took place!
Another terribly hard choice today and both great writeups. I especially loved this sentence:
"Holding Peter’s complexities, in his words and actions, is important for us today as we face a world that insists what is good must be perfect and what is bad is everything else."
No! Do not do this to me! Both are my favorites!
I relate to Peter's personality totally and I adore Thomas's
questions.......will think hard on this one before voting.
Pure MADNESS!
I have to go with Thomas here. Patron saint of "check your sources, you can't believe everything you see on the Internet." Once convinced, he was a faithful apostle.
This is another really difficult choice, but a choice must be made. I was certain at first that I would vote for Peter, the Rock. But after reading the blog about Thomas today, and reviewing the initial writeup about him, I will cast my vote for Thomas. Thomas spoke boldly for many, I am sure, who harbored doubts in his own day, and who needed more evidence. That evidence was given and is important to this day. "Thomas, in touching Christ's scars and believing, touches them for all of us, and gives us a sacred pathway to belief."
Thomas was shortchanged when his gospel was not included in the Bible. We can learn a lot from it. He has my vote!
A very difficult choice! Peter the rock vs Thomas the skeptic, both very relatable saints and original disciples. But I feel more personal connection to St. Thomas as I have visited the site of his martyrdom and first burial in India, and it is a holy place.
"O Thomas Didymus, through Christ who suffered thee to touch him, we entreat thee, by thy prayers for us on high, to aid us in our miseries, lest we be doomed with the lost, when the Judge appeareth." - antiphon on the Magnificat, First Vespers of St. Thomas
Voting for Thomas today!
I can't help myself, I named my only son Peter.
You Petrine folks worry me. I'm all in for Thomas, who symbolizes the doubt many of us common folks have, yet came back stronger than ever and proselytized to the subcontinent. Gates of hell, notwithstanding.
“Upon this rock…”. An old seminary professor translated that expression this way: “Even with such a blockhead as this one I will build my church.”
So I voted for Thomas. We share a name and similar temperament.
Ms. Flaxbart's final words brought me to literal tears. These are both important stories and reflections, but I just had to go with Peter who has been an important part of my faith path and reminding me that perfection doth not make the Rock.
Correction to the blog post about Thomas: Scripture never says that he touched Jesus' scars. Jesus invited him to, and Thomas' response was to say, "My Lord and my God!"
John 21:15-19
"15When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.”
Jesus replied, “Feed My lambs.”
16Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.”
Jesus told him, “Shepherd My sheep.”
17Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?”
Peter was deeply hurt that Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?”
“Lord, You know all things,” he replied. “You know I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
18Truly, truly, I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone elsed will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God."
This section is why I voted for Saint Peter. It's a chastisement, command, and prophecy all in one. I believe that everyone at least once in their life is like Saint Peter.
Saint Thomas is great but we don't know as much about him compared to Saint Peter.
Also I like the theory that Christ named Peter "Peter" partially because He was calling him dumb.
Great write-up on Peter by Bekah Scolare.
Two exceptionally beautiful write ups today, thank you both for enriching my worship.
What a tough one! I understand Thomas's doubt, after all, if someone saud they had never experienced doubt in their faith, well, they would be lying. Doubt is human nature. But heart had always been with Peter, who on the surface, probably was the last person anyone expected Jesus to choose to build his church. Despite this assignment, Peter never lost who he was as a person. So, Peter it is for me!
Peter denied the Lord three times.
Thomas’ case was presented wonderfully, but I still have to vote for Peter. He is the rock. He was always by Jesus’ side. I have to vote for him.
BUT he was NOT always by Jess' side. He denied him threee times.
My take on the thought exercise-
The apostles knew about Lazarus's rising. Anyone who's read about Moses and his shining face and was probably blinded by the glow on the lucky stiffs who were in the room with the risen Lord would have sensed that Presence. The resurrection would have been easier to accept than the pain of being excluded by Jesus.
Picture it: Peter was probably running his mouth about how Jesus gave them all that authority, and it was so wonderful...and Andrew gave him a sharp elbow to the ribs as the realization hits: Thomas wasn't there. He missed out on the big event. Is he not part of the group anymore? And poor Thomas wonders why he was left out. Why didn't Jesus wait for him? Does he even matter? "I can't believe it!" would have been my first reaction, too.
Then Jesus comes back for him and he makes his big statement.
The good news for us is that because Thomas wasn't there at first and yet was still commissioned, we who were not there that first Easter can be commissioned, too (blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe...)
Thomas counts! and so we count.
Being named Tom, I was always picked on in grade school (CATHOLIC grade school yet!) when this story came around. There were at least two other boys named Tommy inmy class, but I was the one who got picked on. UNFAIR!
Anyway, I think the guy got a bum rap, and I am proud to cast my vote for him!
Peter will probably pull this off but I’m showing some love for Thomas as I identify with him more than with Peter.