Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle
Today is the feast of St. Bartholomew, and today’s Gospel tells the story of how Nathanael, also known as Bartholomew, met Jesus. Jesus observed that “there is no duplicity” in Bartholomew. This reading encourages us to look at ourselves and see if there is any duplicity in our lives.
I recall what Jesus said in Matthew 5:37, “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No’” (also in James 5:12). Do we mean what we say? Do we sometimes tell people things that are different from our intentions? Bartholomew can help us look at the honesty of our words. He seemed to be a rather honest person if not direct especially when he said of Jesus, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Rather than being offended, Jesus appreciates Bartholomew’s honesty. Do we appreciate others’ honesty even when they seem offensive? I am reminded of the Silence of Words, an aspect of the System of Virtues which is a part of Marianist spirituality that helps us take on the virtues of Jesus. Words can build up or tear down, so the Silence of Words is awareness of what we say and what is said to us. How can we be more like Jesus in what we say and how we listen to others?
Bartholomew can also help us find God in unexpected places. He did not expect much out of Nazareth and therefore didn’t expect the Messiah to come from there. However, as we see in his interaction with Jesus, Bartholomew was amazed at what Jesus said. This apostle can inspire us to be amazed at the goodness we find in unexpected places. Often when I pray the Examen, I appreciate the times throughout the day when God has been present to me even when I didn’t realize it at the time. Like today’s Responsorial Psalm, let us give thanks and praise God for all God has done for us.
—Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI