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Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle
Lectionary: 629
Reading 1RV 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.
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.
“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.
The holy city Jerusalem is a metaphor for the Catholic Church.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.
The Catholic Church is descended from the Twelve Tribes of Israel and founded upon the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ.
The Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ are those which He selected, except for Judas. St. Mattias is the first Bishop selected by the Church. St. Paul is the 13th Apostle of Jesus Christ. But since Judas disqualified himself, St. Paul becomes the 12th righteous Apostle upon which the Foundation of the Catholic Church rests.
Responsorial PsalmPS 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.
Those who love Christ preach His Gospel. We are the children of Mary:
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
GospelJN 1:45-51
Philip found Nathanael and told him,
and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
But Nathanael said to him,
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
“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.”
The reason that the Apostle Nathanael is being mentioned here is because today is his feast day. He is also known as Bartholomew.“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?”
When he first heard of Jesus, he was doubtful that anything good could come from Jesus' hometown.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 must have had a reputation of being honest. Because he wasn't surprised when Jesus said that he was an honest man. In fact, he wondered how Jesus knew that he was an honest man.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.”
I don't know what a fig tree signifies. But Jesus said that He knew that Nathanael was honest when He saw him under the fig tree.Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Notice that this is the same confession that Simon Peter made in Matthew 16:18. Yet Jesus did not make Nathanael the Rock upon which the Church was built. Yet Nathanael made the same confession years before St. Peter made his. Therefore, it is not upon the confession that the Church was built. But on St. Peter.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.”
And Jesus said, "If you think that was great, you ain't seen nothin' yet, son."
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