Posted on 08/23/2013 8:23:11 PM PDT by Salvation
August 24, 2013
Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle
Reading 1 Rv 21:9b-14
The angel spoke to me, saying,
“Come here.
I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
It gleamed with the splendor of God.
Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,
like jasper, clear as crystal.
It had a massive, high wall,
with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed
and on which names were inscribed,
the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
There were three gates facing east,
three north, three south, and three west.
The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,
on which were inscribed the twelve names
of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
Responsorial Psalm PS 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Gospel Jn 1:45-51
Philip found Nathanael and told him,
“We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
But Nathanael said to him,
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Feast Day: August 24
Born: 1st century AD, Iudaea Province (Palaestina)
Died: 1st century AD, Armenia
Major Shrine: Bartholomew-on-the-Tiber Church, Rome, the Canterbury Cathedral, cathedral in Frankfurt, and the San Bartolomeo Cathedral in Lipari
Patron of: Armenia; bookbinders; butchers; cobblers; Florentine cheese merchants; Florentine salt merchants; leather workers; nervous diseases; neurological diseases; plasterers; shoemakers; tanners; trappers; twitching; whiteners
St. Bartholomew
Feast Day: August 24
Born/Died: At the time of Jesus
"Bartholomew" was one of the first followers of Jesus. This apostle's other name was Nathaniel. He came from Cana in Galilee and became a disciple of Jesus when his friend Philip invited him to come and meet the Lord.
Nathaniel received high praise from Jesus, who said, as soon as he saw him, "Here is a man in whom there is no guile." Jesus meant that Nathaniel was an honest, sincere man who would never cheat anyone.
Nathaniel was very surprised to hear those words from Jesus. "How do you know me?" he asked. "Before Philip called you," Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree." That was a favorite place that Nathaniel used for prayer.
Nathaniel must have realized then that Jesus had read his heart as he prayed. "Master!" he cried. "You are the Son of God, the King of Israel." And Nathaniel became one of the Lord's faithful apostles.
Like the other apostles, Nathaniel, or Bartholomew, preached the Gospel of Jesus even though his life was in danger. He went to India, Armenia and other lands and preached with great feeling, until he gave his life for the faith.
And so, to the reward of an apostle, St. Bartholomew added the martyr's crown.
Saturday, August 24
Liturgical Color: Red
Today is the Feast of St. Bartholomew,
Apostle. After the Resurrection, he
traveled to India and other parts of Asia
to preach the Gospel. Hostile authorities
in Armenia had him arrested and
skinned alive because of his preaching.
Daily Readings for: August 24, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: Strengthen in us, O Lord, the faith, by which the blessed Apostle Bartholomew clung wholeheartedly to your Son, and grant that through the help of his prayers your Church may become for all the nations the sacrament of salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
RECIPES
o Shaslick
ACTIVITIES
o Family and Friends of Jesus Scrapbook Album
o What Role Do the Apostles Have in the Liturgy?
PRAYERS
Ordinary Time: August 24th
Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle
Old Calendar: St. Bartholomew; Our Lady Health of the Sick (Hist)
St. Bartholomew, a doctor in the Jewish law, was a dear friend of St. Philip the Apostle. Because Bartholomew was a man "in whom there was no guile," his mind was open to the truth. He went willingly with Philip to see Christ, and recognized the Savior immediately as the Son of God. After having received the gifts of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost, Bartholomew evangelized Asia Minor, northwestern India, and Greater Armenia. In the latter country, while preaching to idolaters, he was arrested and condemned to death.
Historically today is the feast of Our Lady Health of the Sick.
St. Bartholomew
In St. John's Gospel, Bartholomew is known by the name Nathaniel (the liturgy does not always seem aware of this identity). He hailed from Cana in Galilee, was one of the first disciples called by the Lord. On that initial meeting Jesus uttered the glorious compliment: "Behold, an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile!" After the Resurrection he was favored by becoming one of the few apostles who witnessed the appearance of the risen Savior on the sea of Galilee (John 21:2). Following the Ascension he is said to have preached in Greater Armenia and to have been martyred there. While still alive, his skin was torn from his body. The Armenians honor him as the apostle of their nation. Concerning the fate of his relics, the Martyrology says: "His holy body was first taken to the island of Lipari (north of Sicily), then to Benevento, and finally to Rome on an island in the Tiber where it is honored by the faithful with pious devotion."
The Church of Armenia has a national tradition that St. Jude Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew visited the Armenians early in the first century and introduced Christianity among the worshippers of the god Ahura Mazda. The new faith spread throughout the land, and in 302 A.D., St. Gregory the Illuminator baptized the king of Armenia, Dertad the Great, along with many of his followers. Since Dertad was probably the first ruler to embrace Christianity for his nation, the Armenians proudly claim they were the first Christian State.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: bookbinders; butchers; cobblers; Forentine cheese merchants; Forentine salt merchants; leather workers; nervous diseases; neurological diseases; plasterers; shoemakers; tanners; trappers; twitching; whiteners; Gambatesa, Italy; Armenia.
Symbols: Flaying or tanner's knife and book; three vertical flaying or tanner's knives; human skin; human skin on a cross; devil under his feet; St. Matthew's Gospel; scimitar; cross;
Often Portrayed As: elderly man holding a tanner's knife and a human skin; skinless man holding his own skin.
Things to Do:
Our Lady, Health of the Sick
Our Lady Health of the Sick shrine is in the diocese of Michoacan, to the west of Mexico City. It was erected by the first bishop, the famous Vasco de Quiroga. The Indians of Michoacan, the Tarascans, were nomadic and impatient of all restraint.
The bishop, in whose hands the entire project of civilizing the people was placed, set up the means and paraphernalia of civilization: the Church, hospital, asylums, workshops and tools, and the framework of administration. He laid out a hundred towns in a planned economy. He took every precaution to assure equity and justice, and he worked to develop their love of one another as children of God. He taught them about their Holy Redeemer and about His blessed mother. He erected the shrine of Our Lady of Health, through whose intercession they were to strive for health of soul and health of body. Every advance they made in virtue, every effort toward decent habits of hygiene and sanitation they were to offer as flowers in a garland to La Purisima.
The statue which represented Our Lady of Health came from Europe. The Indians cherished it. They dressed it in elegant robes. They decorated it. They placed it in a chapel shrine. They duplicated it in the wood they carved out of trees. She became a favorite Madonna in western Mexico and northward into the United States. In many places throughout this great extent of territory she is skill a favorite Madonna. In some places her title has changed: In Chihuahua, Mexico, she is Our Lady of Chihuahua; in New Mexico, she is Our Lady of Santa Fe. The name has changed but the devotion and the statue are the same.
Saint Bartholomew, Apostle
“Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46)”
Have you ever had a lackluster first impression of someone who later became a very close friend? Somehow your eyes were opened to see the treasure within. At first Nathanael, better known as the Apostle Bartholomew, was less than impressed with the rural carpenter Philip wanted to introduce him to. He couldn’t imagine that the Messiah would come from such an insignificant town as Nazareth. But Jesus’ insight into Nathanael’s character melted his resistance. “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” (John 1:47). Jesus’ supernatural knowledge allowed Nathanael to see that this fellow was worth another look.
Jesus told Nathanael, “I saw you under the fig tree” (John 1:48). In Hebrew tradition, rabbis used to study the holy texts under the shade of a fig tree. It’s as if Jesus were saying that he knew Nathanael was pondering the Scriptures, maybe even praying in anticipation of the Messiah. To Nathanael’s credit, when Jesus revealed himself he didn’t cling to his own expectations of how this Messiah would appear. Instead, he opened himself up to the possibility that there was much more to Jesus than met the eye: “Rabbi,” he said, “you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (1:49).
Occasionally, Jesus will break through our own expectations and show us something glorious about himself, another person, or even ourselves. Perhaps our co-worker shows real signs of holiness we had never seen before. Perhaps we catch a glimpse of the kind of person Jesus intends for us to be as we follow him. Or maybe we see Jesus in a new light as not only our judge but also our friend and companion.
When something like this happens, don’t dismiss it! God is trying to expand your vision. He wants to open your eyes to his presence, his goodness, and his grace. It’s all around you, just as the angels were all around Nathanael. Instead, open your eyes. Open your heart. Let Jesus’ veiled majesty move you, just as it moved Nathanael, to spread the news that Jesus is the Messiah.
“Come Holy Spirit, open my eyes to the glory of God that is all around me. Help me to see Jesus with the eyes of faith so that I can become his witness.”
Revelation 21:9-14; Psalm 145:10-13, 17-18
SON OF TOLMAI: ST. BARTHOLOMEW THE APOSTLE
(A biblical reflection on the Feast of St. Bartholomew, August 24, 2013)
Gospel Reading: Jn 1:45-51
First Reading: Rev 21:9-14; Psalms: Ps 145:10-13,17-18
The Scripture Text
Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nathanael said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael said to Him, How do you know me? Jesus answered him, Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. Nathanael answered Him, Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! Jesus anwered him, Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these. And He said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. (Jn 1:45-51)
Today is the feast of St. Bartholomew (Hebrew: bar Tolmai; son of Tolmai), one of the apostles, whose name appears in all the apostolic lists (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts of the Apostles 1:13) but nowhere else in the New Testament. John is the only writer to mention the apostle Nathanael, but tradition considers him to be the disciple named Bartholomew in the other Gospels. Bartholomew could have been Nathanaels surname. Bartholomew is always listed beside the name of Philip, the one who John tells us introduced Nathanael to Jesus (John 1:45-46).
When Philip shared his belief that Jesus might be the Messiah, Nathanael replied, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46). Rabbinical thinking held that the Messiah would come from Judea, the land of David most certainly not from a region sucah as Galilee, overrun by Gentiles. More than a cynical remark or a statement of unbelief, Nathanaels reaction revealed a firm adherence to Gods word as he understood it, and a willingness to have his assumptions challenged. The fact that he accepted Phillips invitation to meet Jesus says much about Nathanaels openness to the truth.
With fitting irony, having never spoken a word with Nathanael, Jesus declared, Behold, and Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile! (John 1:47). Nathanaels openness impressed Jesus. He saw very little cynicism, suspicion, or prejudice in the person of Nathanael. This man did not hide behind masks. Instead, he spoke truthfully (sometimes bluntly) and expected nothing less in return. Consequently, Jesus explained that He knew Nathanael by having seen him under the fig tree. Rabbis were known to congregate around fig trees to discuss Gods word. Nathanaels open heart must have been fertile ground indeed for Gods word to take root.
God wants to give us the same freedom and openness that Nathanael had. Being without guile is not just a natural attribute, but comes as we place our security in the hands of Jesus. Knowing His forgiveness and trusting in His Fathers provision, we will have no need for the defenses and cynical self-protection that are so much a part of this world. Like Nathanael, let us immerse ourselves in Scripture and let the word of God heal us of all guile.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know us better than we know ourselves. May Your Holy Spirit remove our guile and make us lights that clearly reflect Your glory. Amen.
Daily Marriage Tip for August 24, 2013:
(Readers Tip) If your spouse asks whats wrong, dont say nothing if there is. Even if you cant talk about it right away, let them know there is something that needs to be resolved.
The Vocation of St Bartholomew | ||
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Saint Bartholomew, Apostle
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John 1:45-51 Philip found Nathaniel and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth." But Nathaniel said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathaniel said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathaniel answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in your wondrous shining glory, although this is hidden from my eyes. I hope in the peace and everlasting joy of the world to come, for this world is a valley of tears. I love you, even though I am not always able to discern the love in your intentions when you permit me to suffer. You are my God and my all. Petition: Lord, increase my intimacy with you. 1. The Call: It is traditionally understood that the Nathaniel St. John refers to is St. Bartholomew the apostle. Nathaniel, like all of us, receives a call to be an apostle. In Nathaniel’s case, the call does not come directly from Jesus, but through a mediator, Philip, who testifies to him who Jesus is. At first Nathaniel doubts, but he does not totally reject the idea and goes to meet Jesus. Christ calls many of us through a mediator: a friend, relative, consecrated person, etc. Even though there may be doubts, as long as there is some opening in us, Christ is able to work and draw us closer to himself. 2. The Profession of Faith: Nathaniel’s contact with Christ results in a profession of faith, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Here there is no doubt or skepticism. The encounter with Christ produces a clear and firm affirmation. Philip, the intermediary, drops out of the picture and Nathaniel has a direct and strong personal relationship with Christ. Nathaniel becomes a convinced apostle. So too, even though we may have come to Christ through intermediaries, we gradually begin to base our faith on our own personal experience of Christ. 3. Greater Things: Nathaniel – St. Bartholomew – went on to become one of the Twelve Apostles. Tradition has it that he preached the Gospel in India and Armenia where he died a martyr, flayed alive and beheaded. No doubt it was his insight of faith, his perception of the greater things that gave him the strength and fortitude to preach the Gospel and die a martyr. From his first simple encounter with Christ he became a great saint who lived his life in profound union with God. Petition: Lord, I know that sometimes I can be a skeptic, not trusting that you can transform my life. So often I have these simple prayerful dialogues with you; please help me so that these small conversations can blossom into a firm profession of faith and a tenacious apostolic zeal. Resolution: I will pray the Creed sometime during the day to renew my faith in Christ. |
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All Issues > Volume 29, Issue 5
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English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
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45. | Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith to him: We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth. | Invenit Philippus Nathanaël, et dicit ei : Quem scripsit Moyses in lege, et prophetæ, invenimus Jesum filium Joseph a Nazareth. | ευρισκει φιλιππος τον ναθαναηλ και λεγει αυτω ον εγραψεν μωσης εν τω νομω και οι προφηται ευρηκαμεν ιησουν τον υιον του ιωσηφ τον απο ναζαρετ |
46. | And Nathanael said to him: Can any thing of good come from Nazareth? Philip saith to him: Come and see. | Et dixit ei Nathanaël : A Nazareth potest aliquid boni esse ? Dicit ei Philippus : Veni et vide. | και ειπεν αυτω ναθαναηλ εκ ναζαρετ δυναται τι αγαθον ειναι λεγει αυτω φιλιππος ερχου και ιδε |
47. | Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him: and he saith of him: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile. | Vidit Jesus Nathanaël venientem ad se, et dicit de eo : Ecce vere Israëlita, in quo dolus non est. | ειδεν ο ιησους τον ναθαναηλ ερχομενον προς αυτον και λεγει περι αυτου ιδε αληθως ισραηλιτης εν ω δολος ουκ εστιν |
48. | Nathanael saith to him: Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered, and said to him: Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. | Dicit ei Nathanaël : Unde me nosti ? Respondit Jesus, et dixit ei : Priusquam te Philippus vocavit, cum esses sub ficu, vidi te. | λεγει αυτω ναθαναηλ ποθεν με γινωσκεις απεκριθη ιησους και ειπεν αυτω προ του σε φιλιππον φωνησαι οντα υπο την συκην ειδον σε |
49. | Nathanael answered him, and said: Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel. | Respondit ei Nathanaël, et ait : Rabbi, tu es Filius Dei, tu es rex Israël. | απεκριθη ναθαναηλ και λεγει αυτω ραββι συ ει ο υιος του θεου συ ει ο βασιλευς του ισραηλ |
50. | Jesus answered, and said to him: Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, thou believest: greater things than these shalt thou see. | Respondit Jesus, et dixit ei : Quia dixi tibi : Vidi te sub ficu, credis ; majus his videbis. | απεκριθη ιησους και ειπεν αυτω οτι ειπον σοι ειδον σε υποκατω της συκης πιστευεις μειζω τουτων οψει |
51. | And he saith to him: Amen, amen I say to you, you shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. | Et dicit ei : Amen, amen dico vobis, videbitis cælum apertum, et angelos Dei ascendentes, et descendentes supra Filium hominis. | και λεγει αυτω αμην αμην λεγω υμιν απ αρτι οψεσθε τον ουρανον ανεωγοτα και τους αγγελους του θεου αναβαινοντας και καταβαινοντας επι τον υιον του ανθρωπου |
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