RBWords

     The vivid imagery of the Book of Revelation in today's first scripture focuses on the number twelve.  The "new Jerusalem" in the vision has twelve gates, with twelve guardian angels and each gate has the name of the one of the original tribes of the Chosen People.  The foundation stones have the names of the twelve "Apostles of the Lamb."    Indeed, after Jesus' death and resurrection, since Judas was no longer in the picture, the apostles took care to replace him [Acts 1:15-26].  One may whimsically wonder if one of the stones has it, "Bartholomew/Nathanael" carved on it since the Gospel According to John doesn't mention "Bartholomew" and does mention "Nathanael."

     The vision makes certain that we all know the incredible breadth of the history of God's plan of salvation, which is rooted in the Chosen People and continued in the apostles chosen by Christ as the first preachers of the faith.  The number twelve is a kind of refrain to focus our attention on the millions of people who have followed in the footsteps of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who gave rise to the twelve tribes of Israel and then on "the Lamb" who chose twelve to serve as the foundation of a "new Israel."  

     In the creed, we profess faith in "the communion of saints" and in a church that is one, holy, catholic and APOSTOLIC.  We have a host of witnesses whose shoulders we stand on and whose prayers sustain us.  Whether is it "Bart" or "Nate," we can leave to God to sort out.  AMEN