After eight days from the time of the Resurrection of Christ, the Apostles gathered again, probably in the same house, and Thomas was with them. Again, out of precaution, the doors were locked, and in spite of this, Christ instantly appeared among them and said:

Peace be upon you! (John 20:26). Then, turning to Thomas, he says:

put thy finger hither, and see my hands; put your finger into the nail wounds. Thomas obeyed, with his finger he felt the nail wounds of his hands. Then Jesus said to him:

Give thy hand and put it into my side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing (John 20:27). Jesus bared His pierced side, the wound of which was so great that you could put a hand in it. Thomas, having already made sure that the hands of Jesus standing before him were really pierced through, stretched out his hand to the wound on his side, felt it and, falling down before Him, exclaimed: "

You are my Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). Thomas was the first of all people to recognize Jesus Christ as God.

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You have believed (Christ says to him),

because he saw Me; but it was necessary to believe in My Resurrection on the basis of all that the prophets had said about Me and all that I had done; and blessed are those who do not see Me now risen, and believe in Me;

blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:29)."

Concluding the story of Christ's appearance to the Apostles in the presence of Thomas, the Evangelist and Apostle John says:

Jesus did many other miracles before His disciples, which are not written in this book. And these things are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing ye may have life in his name.

80. Confusing the pre-eternal procession of the Spirit according to His divinity from the Father with His temporal mission to the beneficent people.

CHAPTER 47. The appearance of Christ to the Apostles in Galilee. Ascension of the Lord