Bartholomew is the Nathaniel that we see in today’s Gospel. When Philip comes to Bartholomew with the news that he had found the savior, Bartholomew makes the famous statement: Can anything good come from Nazareth? So, it seems that Bartholomew was a straightforward fellow. He didn’t hide this thoughts or sugar coat everything. He did not mince his words with diplomatically or politically correct phrases. Bartholomew probably thought that Philip had found another devout rabbi, another political fanatic, or another rebel rouser. Despite this apparent doubt and rejection, Bartholomew was open to getting to know the savior announced to him by Philip. Bartholomew had that quality of being open and attentive. He listened to Nathaniel’s message and then went to see for himself. Attentiveness and action.
When he meets the Savior, Jesus praises his lack of duplicity. There was no double-dealing, deceitfulness, or two-facedness in Bartholomew. This lack of deceitfulness leads a skeptical Bartholomew to make a profound proclamation of faith right at that first moment of their encounter: Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel. He recognized that Jesus was not just another devout rabbi or political activist, but the Son of God.
Tradition says Bartholomew spent the rest of his life sharing the Good News that he received initially from Philip. He dedicated his life to evangelization, sharing his relationship with Jesus, throughout India and northern Africa.
Bartholomew’s qualities of attentiveness, action, and lack of deceitfulness predisposed him to being an apostle and martyr. How important are those personal qualities in our own lives? What are we doing to develop those qualities in ourselves for the service of the Gospel?
Image: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-bartholomew-apostle-569