St Thomas the Apostle; St Mary Magdalene

Read “St Thomas the Apostle” and “St Mary Magdalene” in Sounding the Seasons. Guite presents Thomas as a courageous, persistent questioner whose demand for truth leads him to confess Jesus as Lord and God. The poem turns faith toward the real, wounded body of the risen Christ. Guite's Mary Magdalene sonnet portrays a woman freed from burdens others placed on her, and connects her with tears, the garden tomb, and the message she carries. The Gospels do not identify her as the woman who anointed Jesus, though a long Western tradition joins those figures.

Thomas was absent when Jesus first came to the disciples. When they told him they had seen the Lord, he asked for evidence he could touch. The others did not silence him or push him outside the group. A week later, Jesus returned and addressed Thomas directly. Jesus met his question with his wounds. Thomas's confession grew from that encounter.

The passage does not say that every doubt will receive the answer we want, or that faith depends on getting control of every mystery. It shows that honest questions can be spoken in the presence of Jesus and among fellow believers. Thomas's question mattered enough to be included in the Gospel. If a question is troubling you, you do not have to disguise it as certainty. You can bring it to Christ, read Scripture with care, and seek a wise person who can listen without shaming you.

Guite's Thomas poem honors that stubborn search for a faith grounded in the flesh-and-blood Lord. Jesus' risen body carries wounds; resurrection does not pretend suffering never happened. In the same way, being known by Jesus does not mean being reduced to the worst thing someone has said about you.

The Mary Magdalene sonnet adds another form of being known. John's account describes Mary weeping at the tomb, then recognizing Jesus when he speaks her name. She is entrusted with news to share. Her story gives dignity to someone whose grief and witness matter. The Gospels describe her as a disciple and resurrection witness; the tradition that combines her with the unnamed anointing woman should be recognized as tradition, not stated as a Gospel fact.

Together, Thomas and Mary invite us to come honestly and receive our identity from Christ. A painful label may cling to a person, but it does not have the authority to name them completely. Jesus sees the whole person and calls disciples into truthful, hopeful life. If grief or a painful past is weighing on you, speak with a pastor, counselor, or trusted friend.

The useful takeaway is to bring your real questions to Jesus and let his truth, rather than a false label, shape how you see yourself.