Saint Bartholomew, Apostle (Feast)

. . . the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. 

Today we celebrate the apostle Bartholomew. But like several of Jesus’ apostles, we don’t have a lot of historical data about him.

Is he the same person as Nathanael from today’s Gospel? Probably. Bar-Talmei is a family name, and Nathanael was likely his first name. Did he travel with Thomas and Philip to India, or did he preach the gospel in Armenia? Possibly both. He is reputed to have left one of the first copies of the Gospel of Matthew in India and to have been martyred in Armenia. Did he really meet his death by being skinned alive? That’s the legend. Though some report that he was crucified upside down, many accounts and works of art portray him being flayed.

Here’s what we do know for sure: Bartholomew was an apostle of Jesus, one of the Twelve. As an apostle, he was sent by God to do what today’s responsorial psalm describes: to make known “the glorious splendor of [God’s] kingdom” (145:12). And as the Book of Revelation depicts, he was chosen by Jesus to become part of the foundation on which the Church was built (21:14).

Each of us—even you—is built upon that apostolic foundation. That means that each and every one of us is essential to the life of the Church and has a share in its mission. Just as Jesus sent out his first disciples, so today he is sending us out to serve the poor, to sacrifice for the sake of those in need, and to testify to the good news of salvation.

Remember the words you hear at the end of each Sunday Mass. Go and make disciples. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Go, you are sent forth. Go where and how the Lord sends you. And take courage in knowing that the great apostles, including Bartholomew himself, are supporting you and interceding for you.

“Jesus, I want to be like Bartholomew and answer your call!”

Revelation 21:9-14
Psalm 145:10-13, 17-18
John 1:45-51