The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. – Matthew 28:17
The Gospel reading for today is from the very end of Matthew. At the tomb on Easter morning, the Risen Christ told Mary Magdalen: “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me” (Matthew 28:10). Then the apostles traveled from Jerusalem to Galilee to see Christ. But when they did see him, “they worshiped, but they doubted” (Matthew 28:17). They saw the Risen Lord with their own eyes, but they still doubted.
Their doubt is not complete disbelief; it means that they wavered in the firmness of their conviction that Jesus truly had risen. Their eyes saw, but they had yet to fully grasp the reality of the resurrection. Isn’t this true of our own walk of faith? Sometimes we have doubts, but God works within whatever conviction of faith we have and can do amazing things through us. Notice that Jesus sent the disciples on their mission even though they had doubts. He assured them of his power and then sent them to make disciples all over the world, to baptize them in the power of the Holy Trinity, and to teach the new converts how to follow his commandments (c.f. Matthew 28:18-20). And so they did! The book of Acts and the New Testament encyclicals clearly show the early Church doing exactly as Jesus directed them. They carried out God’s purpose despite their original doubt.
What does this mean for us? How about the times that we doubt our ability to be witnesses for Christ? We doubt that we have the ability to be missionary disciples and proclaim him to others. We might have doubts about the Real Presence of the Eucharist, or about certain Church teachings. Whatever our doubts are, Christ can work within whatever faith is present. Bring your doubts to Christ, and the power of the Holy Trinity will work within you will be able to do far more than all that you ask or even think of for his glory (c.f. Ephesians 3:20).