DAILY- HOMILY

August 24, 2017 – THURSDAY, 20TH Week in Ordinary Time

ST. BARTHOLOMEW, Apostle

Feast, Red

Rev 21: 9b- 14 / Jn 1: 45 -51

     St. Bartholomew, Apostle, is identified with Nathanael from Cana in Galilee whom Jesus called as one of his first followers. Tradition says he was martyed in India.

1st Reading:       Rev 21: 9b- 14

     And the angel said, "Come, I am going to show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." He took me up in a spiritual vision to a very high mountain and he showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, like a precious jewel with the color of crystal-clear jasper.

     Its wall, large and high, has twelve gates; stationed at them are twelve angels. Over the gates are written the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. Three gates face the east; three gates face the north; three gates face the south and three gates face the west. The city wall stands on twelve foundation stones on which are written the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

GOSPEL READING:           Jn 1: 45- 51

     Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found the one that Moses wrote about in the Law, and the prophets as well: he is Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth." Nathanael replied, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see,"

     When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, he said of him, "Here comes an Israelite: a true one; there is nothing false in him." Nathanael asked him, "How do you know me?" And Jesus said to him, "Before Philip called you, you were under the

fig tree and I saw you."

     Nathanael answered, "Master, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" But Jesus replied, "You believe because I said, 'I saw you under the fig tree.' But you will see greater things than that. Truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

REFLECTION

     In the very simple exchange in the Gospel reading we see Nathanael's faith (or lack of it?) shift almost instantaneously from skepticism ("Can anything good come from Nazareth?") to sudden, almost blind belief in Jesus because Jesus said Nathanael was a "true Israelite" and that, "before Philip called you, you were under the fig tree and I saw you."

     We do know that the simple faith Nathanael (whose feast as St. Bartholomew, Apostle, we celebrate today) displayed when initially informed about and introduced to Jesus grew and strengthened in his years with Jesus in his public life. Tradition says this faith and love of Jesus were proven by his martyrdom in India.

     We pray that God may confirm and strengthen our faith in him.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     ANGELO CARLO A. GONZALES

     BRYCE KING CATHERINE EDEN

     THERESE M. CHUA

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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