But we must go back to the Appearances of our Lord to His disciples, by which He confirmed their faith in this astounding Mystery. When during forty days they saw Him, touched Him, heard Him, ate with Him, they could no longer doubt the reality of the Resurrection. He was as real a person to them as Peter or John; He might be looked for at any moment; they could put their questions and difficulties to Him as before.
About a week after the Resurrection the Eleven left Judea for Galilee. They were glad to go north. Jerusalem had few happy memories for them. There the Lord had suffered and died. His enemies were there and more infuriated than ever since His Resurrection from the dead. It was by the simple folk of Galilee that He had been most followed and loved. Everything there—the mountains, the fields, the highways—spoke to them of Him. And above all, the Lake. On its beach they had received their call to follow Him and become fishers of men. There He had spoken the first parables and worked many of His deeds of mercy. He had stilled its storms and come to them across its waters. What wonder that they were glad to find themselves once more on the shores of that dear Lake!
It was strange to go back to nets and fishing after that marvellous Pasch; but they were poor men, and had to live by their labour. And so when Peter said one evening:
"I go a-fishing," six of them answered:
"We also come with thee."
One of them was Thomas. He had learned his lesson; he was not going to lose a chance again by separating himself from the rest.
