August 24, 2012
Friday
St. Bartholomew, Apostle (Feast)
by Rev. Fr. Deo Florencio (Lorenzo Mission Institute)
Megamall
First Reading: Revelation 21:9-14
Psalm: Psalm 145:10-13, 17-18
45 Philip found Nathan'a-el, and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 Nathan'a-el said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathan'a-el coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" 48 Nathan'a-el said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathan'a-el answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." 51 And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."
HOMILY
The Gospel today is about Jesus seeing Nathaniel under the fig tree.
Fr. Deo said that according to Bible scholars, Nathaniel is the real Bartholomew. Little do we know about the apostles. Matthew was a tax collector and an outcast, Simon was involved in terrorism, while others were fishermen, ordinary people and even sinners. Paano sila nagkaroon ng karapatan na maging foundation ng ating church? Why did God choose them to lead the Church and make other people to be like Christ in holiness?
Jesus saw His Apostles beyond who they were. Jesus saw them in God’s eyes and according to God’s plan. Jesus saw in them what they can become. Even if they were sinners, God had a greater plan for them. Like Jesus, do we also see others beyond their external appearance or their condition? Do we see the potentials of a person or what is in the mind of God for that person?
Fr. Deo said that according to Bible scholars, Nathaniel is the real Bartholomew. Little do we know about the apostles. Matthew was a tax collector and an outcast, Simon was involved in terrorism, while others were fishermen, ordinary people and even sinners. Paano sila nagkaroon ng karapatan na maging foundation ng ating church? Why did God choose them to lead the Church and make other people to be like Christ in holiness?
Jesus saw His Apostles beyond who they were. Jesus saw them in God’s eyes and according to God’s plan. Jesus saw in them what they can become. Even if they were sinners, God had a greater plan for them. Like Jesus, do we also see others beyond their external appearance or their condition? Do we see the potentials of a person or what is in the mind of God for that person?
St. Bartholomew, Apostle – Pray for us
