RBWords

     One of the ways that gardens or monuments pay for themselves nowadays is by selling bricks with the names of donors or honorees on them.  I often see such "memory walks" in my travels to parishes or retreat houses.  The passage from Revelations that serves as the first scripture for this feast day reminds me of these brick creations.  Of course, the imagination can provide many variations on how those stones or bricks looked with the names of the disciples on them!  In the case of Bartholomew, however, the imagination may have to pause a bit longer!  Would the brick show it like this:  BARTHOLOMEW [a.k.a. NATHANAEL]?   The three synoptic gospels and the Acts of the Apostles all speak of Bartholomew.  Only the Gospel of John speaks of "Nathanael."   At least the Gospel of John gives him a speaking part and some personality.  He is famous for saying, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"  But, as with so many encounters with Jesus in the Gospel of John, he meets Jesus and comes to faith: "Rabbi, you are the son of God; you are the King of Israel."  Then he blends into the Twelve and disappears as an individual.

     The image in the Book of Revelation and our creeds remind us that the church is "founded" on the apostles.  The professions of faith that we read from Peter, Thomas and Nathanael [Bartholomew] are evidence of that sure foundation.  Yes, it could be a shaky one, as witnessed by Judas and by Peter's denial and by the flight of the apostles at the Garden of Gethsemani, but ultimately with the help of the Holy Spirit, the eleven recovered their courage and added another twelfth, Matthias, and the rest is history, even if there is some disagreement about Bartholomew's name.  Their successors, the Pope and bishops, have to rely on the same source of courage!  Pray for them!   AMEN