photo taken aug 15 2006

 

August 24 2006

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

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 namesof the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

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 Kingdomand speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your mightand 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 waysand 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.

Eph 5:15-20
Brothers and sisters:
Watch carefully how you live,
not as foolish persons but as wise,
making the most of the opportunity,
because the days are evil.
Therefore, do not continue in ignorance,
but try to understand what is the will of the Lord.
And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery,
but be filled with the Spirit,
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts,
giving thanks always and for everything
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

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.”

It is a small thing to recall seeing Nathaniel under the fig tree and Jesus promises much more than that, but Nathaniel at that point sees the divinity of Christ clearly. Nathaniel had come as a skeptic but his experience of the presence of Jesus convinced him that he was the Son of God.

Nathaniel questions at first if any good can come from Nazareth. Perhaps he does not know that Jesus was born in Bethleham which is in alignment with the old prophets foretelling the Son of God, the Messiah coming to Israel. It is a reminder that there will be good coming from unexpected places and people who we do not at first think will be our help.

The times of the Bible demand studies of the culture and I do know that at some point I need to read and study more about the culture of the time of Jesus and the tribes of Israel. It is interesting that in the stories of the apostles that is not always Jesus that first calls the apostles to follow but with some it is their brother apostles that call them first. To me it reminds me of the monastic obedience to each other in the community. At times it is my monastic sister in my community who is telling me something that really is the call of God. God speaks to me in the Scriptures daily but also in the people who I encounter throughout the day.

I pray this morning for a loving and giving heart open to the Holy Spirit and the will of God in all that I do this day.