Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Bartholomew, one of the twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus to accompany him and proclaim the Gospel.

Saint Bartholomew is named in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, and in the Acts of the Apostles, among the Twelve. The Gospel of John does not mention Bartholomew by name, and an ancient tradition has led some to identify him with Nathanael, who was brought to Jesus by Philip.

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said: “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Surprised, Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him. Jesus replied that he had seen him under the fig tree before Philip called him.

This encounter led Nathanael to make a remarkable profession of faith: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus promised that he would see “greater things than these.”

Nathanael appears again towards the end of John’s Gospel as one of the disciples who encountered the risen Christ by the Sea of Tiberias. After a night of unsuccessful fishing, Jesus appeared on the shore and instructed the disciples to cast their net once more. They caught so many fish that they struggled to haul the net in, and the beloved disciple recognised him: “It is the Lord!”

Tradition holds that, following Pentecost, Saint Bartholomew travelled as a missionary to proclaim the Gospel and eventually suffered martyrdom for his faith. While accounts of his missionary journeys and death vary, the Church has honoured him as an Apostle and martyr since ancient times.

The life of Saint Bartholomew reminds us that an encounter with Christ calls us to something greater: to recognise who Jesus truly is, to follow him faithfully and to share the Good News with others.

🙏 Saint Bartholomew, pray for us.