RBWords

    In my more "waggish" moments I find myself wondering which name appears on the foundation stone:  Bartholomew or Nathanael?  Since I have a nephew named Nathanael, I lean toward that name!  The feast is celebrated under the name Bartholomew, probably because that is the name reported in the three synoptic gospels, Mark, Matthew and Luke.  Nathanael (in John) is outvoted!  But his only speaking part in the gospels comes in John, and it is a skeptical bit of local prejudice about Nazareth.  Nevertheless, the little mini-drama with Philip is important for what it teaches us.

     Time and again in my pastoral campus ministry experience I have encountered a student who discovered faith because a friend or roommate invited him or her to come to church with them.  The enthusiasm of the friend overcomes the reluctance/resistance and the Holy Spirit moves in!  Philip is enthused about Jesus as "the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth!"  Nathanael's response is representative of many responses to Jesus, saying in effect, "You have got to be kidding? Nazareth? C'mon!"  Philip's reply is an echo of Jesus' own response to Andrew when the latter followed Jesus out of curiosity, "Come and see!" [John 1:39]

     How many of us take our baptismal commitment seriously enough to invite someone else to "come and see?"  Ask anyone who has gone through the RCIA process for becoming a Catholic how they got started on their journey!  It is usually through the influence of a friend or relative who verbally or by example said, "Come and see!"  Nathanael responded to that invitation and became an apostle.  That's why I vote for his name to be on the foundation stone even if Bartholomew is the name on the liturgical page!  AMEN