24 August 2022
Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle
Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Bartholomew, who, in the gospel of John, is known as Nathanael. His first words are the famous question, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Though we don’t know how he asks it, it’s hard to imagine such a question being posed in anything other than a condescending tone. When he meets the Lord, however, Jesus does not describe him as arrogant, but praises the fact that there is no duplicity in him. Perhaps, Christ wishes to point out something positive about Nathanael – he speaks his mind, he will not deceive you, he will tell you just what he’s feeling.
Nathanael is seen for who he is, he is known, and he is not rejected, he is loved. Hence his excitement in meeting the Lord.
It’s beautiful to think that even in those personality traits of ours that we are least proud of, Jesus is able to see something positive in them. Is there something about your personality that you struggle to embrace? Can you allow yourself to be seen in Christ’s light? Perhaps like Nathanael you will see something positive you had not yet seen, and you will feel even more known and even more loved.