ART SUNDAY - DOUBTING THOMAS

“To believe with certainty we must begin with doubting.” - Stanislaw Leszczynski

This Sunday is called St Thomas’ Sunday in the Greek Orthodox faith as it commemorates one of Christ’s apostles who is best remembered for his lack of faith. St. Thomas is best known for his role in verifying the Resurrection of his Master. Thomas' unwillingness to believe that the other Apostles had seen their risen Lord on the first Easter Sunday merited for him the title of "doubting Thomas." Eight days later, on Christ's second apparition, Thomas was gently rebuked for his scepticism and furnished with the evidence he had demanded - seeing in Christ's hands the point of the nails and putting his fingers in the place of the nails and his hand into His side.

At this, St. Thomas became convinced of the truth of the Resurrection and exclaimed: "My Lord and My God," thus making a public Profession of Faith in the Divinity of Jesus. St. Thomas is also mentioned as being present at another Resurrection appearance of Jesus - at Lake Tiberias when a miraculous catch of fish occurred.

This is all that we know about St. Thomas from the New Testament. Tradition says that at the dispersal of the Apostles after Pentecost this saint was sent to evangelise the Parthians, Medes, and Persians; he ultimately reached India, carrying the Faith to the Malabar coast, which still boasts a large native population calling themselves "Christians of St. Thomas." He capped his left by shedding his blood for his Master, speared to death at a place called Calamine. He is the patron of architects.

The painting I’m showcasing today is an illustration is by the masterly Caravaggio painted in 1600. It is oil on canvas, 230 x 175 cm and is in the Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, in Rome. The drama of disbelief of the tale of St Thomas seems to have touched Caravaggio personally. Few of his paintings are physically so shocking. This depiction of Thomas pushes curiosity to its limits before he will say, 'My Lord and my God.' The classical composition carefully unites the four heads in the quest for truth. Christ's head is largely in shadow, as He is the person who is the least knowable. He also has a serene beauty that is lacking in the furrowed faces of the apostles. The shocking image of the digit exploring the depths of the lance wound is mitigated slightly by the guiding hand of Christ, which seems to push Thomas’ finger deep into the wound. There is no doubt that this is supreme proof of Godhead.