Feast of St. Bartholomew
One
Today is the Feast of the Apostle Nathaniel, also known as Bartholomew.
John 1:45-51, “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.’ ‘From Nazareth?’ said Nathanael ‘Can anything good come from that place?’ ‘Come and see’ replied Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael. ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’”
Philip was friends with Jesus, and he wanted Nathaniel to know Jesus. It is not the job of Philip to make Nathaniel believe, because he is free like everyone and must make his own choice. No, Philip is not responsible for the conversion of Nathaniel. Philip’s job is this – and pay close attention – Phillip’s responsibility is to be friends with Jesus, to be friends with Nathaniel, and to make the invitation. The outcome is up to Nathaniel and God.
Even though Nathaniel initially rejects Philip by saying, “From Nazareth?...”Can anything good come from that place?” Yet, Philip was not deterred and said to his friend, “Come and see for yourself.”
Two
Through his friendship, Philip helped Nathaniel to Jesus.
Then Nathaniel took responsibility and, with his Apostle friend St. Jude, they introduced Jesus to the people of Armenia in the first century. And there Nathaniel was martyred by being skinned alive, as graphically depicted by Michael Angelo in the Sistine Chapel.
I’m not sure how Jude got out alive – maybe that’s why he is the saint of hopeless cases…
In 300 AD St. Gregory (called the Illuminator because he brought the light of Christ to the Armenians) converted the king of Armenia, and subsequently the entire nation to Christianity. This was the first nation to become Catholic.
In spite of being conquered by Islamic invaders in the seventh century and under the Iron Curtain of the Atheist Soviet Union from 1920 to 1990, the vast majority of Armenians (90-97%) are Christian, members of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is one of the oldest Christian churches dating back, as we said to 300 AD.
The Armenians have withstood the most unimaginable attacks on their faith and retained it as a nation. But it all started with Phillip being friends with Jesus and Phillip being friends with Nathaniel and then being willing to invite without worrying about the results.
Three
Many Christians think it is not their job to lead people to Jesus.
They think it is the job of the Church or the priest or some other professional or some program or video or book. But think about it, your bishop or priest can’t do that with everyone.
The fact is, people come to God through other people, usually people they know, whom they trust, and most importantly people who know, understand, love, and care for them. People who have delighted in them.
This is your responsibility.
I wish I could reach every soul for Christ. But I can’t and I am not even supposed to. My responsibility and that of The Holy Family School of Faith is to help you fulfill your mission where you live and with whom you already have a relationship.
Your responsibility is the same as Phillip
Have a deep friendship with Jesus in prayer.
Foster real friendships with the people God has placed in your life.
Then invite them to meet Jesus in prayer.
Four
Catherine of Siena and Niccolo di Toldo
Niccolo di Toldo was a young man from a neighboring town of Siena. One night he drank too much in a local tavern and spoke flippantly and derisively about the government of Siena. For this minor offense, he was arrested, imprisoned, and sentenced to death.
Fr. Tommaso went to the young man to prepare him for death, but Niccola was consumed with anger for such an extreme sentence for a trifling offense that he refused to see the priest or turn to God. That is when St. Catherine of Siena went to Niccolo. And something happened in their conversations because Niccolo accepted the will of God, went to confession, and received Holy Communion, the two things he had always avoided. Then he made Catherine promise she would be with him at his execution saying to her, “Stay with me, do not go from me and I will be good. I will die happy.”
When the day of execution arrived, Niccolo came, peaceful as a lamb, and he smiled when he saw that Catherine stood there waiting for him. He asked her to make the sign of the cross over him, and she whispered to him, “My dear brother, let us go to the eternal marriage feast, to enjoy life which shall never end.” She bared his throat, and when he laid his head on the block she knelt beside him. He said nothing but “Jesus, Catherine”, and then his head fell into her hands.
Later, Catherine was plagued with doubts about the soul of Niccolo and Jesus revealed to her that he was in heaven saying, “For I have not forgotten the reverence and love he had for Mary…For my goodness…has decreed that anyone at all…who holds her in due reverence will never be snatched or devoured by the infernal demon. She is like a bait set out by my goodness to catch souls.” Dialogue 139
Through friendship, Catherine led Niccolo to Our Lady and Our Lady led him to Jesus.
That should be a constant model for us.
Five
Sundays are the most important days God gave us for our mission.
What could be a practical strategy to help our family and friends to God?
Follow the example of Phillip, Nathaniel, and Catherine of Siena. Be committed to friendship with Jesus in daily meditation in the Rosary and the prayerful reading of Scripture. Be committed to spending time with the people God has placed in your life and do it regularly – make it a habit – so that you can know, understand, love, and care for them.
And most of all – delight in them! Find the true good things in them and delight in it and show them you delight in them – that you think they make the world better by just being in it.
Then when an opportunity arises, ask them if you can share the Rosary Podcast with them, or invite them to pray the Rosary with you. That’s your responsibility:
You have a friendship with Jesus in prayer. You develop friendships with the people in your life and then you invite them to meet Jesus in prayer, especially in the Rosary, because Mary is all-powerful in leading people to Jesus!
The rest is up to that person and God!