Word to the Wise
Thursday, August 24, 2023 - Aug. 24 - St. Bartholomew, Apostle
[Rev 21:9b-14 and John 1:45-51]The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. [Revelation] Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth." But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." [John]
Notable places like churches often raise funds for renovations or new buildings by selling inscribed bricks as part of the walkways to and from their grounds. I think of these when I read the passage from the Book of Revelations with the courses of inscribed stones. In a whimsical moment I wonder if two of those stones have "Matthew (Levi)" or "Bartholomew (Nathanael)." Does Judas show up in fine print after "Matthias"? In point of fact, the names are not as important as the number twelve because the early Church saw itself as a kind of "new Israel" with the apostles representing the twelve original tribes. cf. Matt. 19:28. When Judas was lost, it was important to keep the number at twelve, and so Matthias was chosen (by luck of the draw) to fill it out. [Acts 1:21-26]
The continuity represented in the Twelve with the grand sweep of Jewish history would continue in some way in what we Catholics refer to as the "apostolic succession," i.e. the centuries old "transfer of power" given to the apostles by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and passed on by the laying on of hands to their successors. We profess our belief in this "succession" when we say the Creed and mention "apostolic" Church.
Obviously, this is a narrative painted in broad strokes with which theologians and scripture scholars deal in detail. But we are part of a narrative that begins with a nomad named Abraham whose grandson, Jacob, had twelve sons. The continuity in this narrative is testimony to God's faithful plan of salvation in which each of us plays a bit part. AMEN