August 24, 2021Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

2021년 8월 24일 성 바르톨로메오 사도 축일 



오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp 

제1독서

<그 초석들 위에는 어린양의 열두 사도 이름이 하나씩 적혀 있었습니다.>

요한 묵시록. 21,9ㄴ-14
천사가 나에게 9 말하였습니다.
“이리 오너라. 어린양의 아내가 될 신부를 너에게 보여 주겠다.”
10 이어서 그 천사는 성령께 사로잡힌 나를
크고 높은 산 위로 데리고 가서는,
하늘로부터 하느님에게서 내려오는 거룩한 도성 예루살렘을 보여 주었습니다.
11 그 도성은 하느님의 영광으로 빛나고 있었습니다.
그 광채는 매우 값진 보석 같았고
수정처럼 맑은 벽옥 같았습니다.
12 그 도성에는 크고 높은 성벽과 열두 성문이 있었습니다.
그 열두 성문에는 열두 천사가 지키고 있는데,
이스라엘 자손들의 열두 지파 이름이 하나씩 적혀 있었습니다.
13 동쪽에 성문이 셋, 북쪽에 성문이 셋, 남쪽에 성문이 셋,
서쪽에 성문이 셋 있었습니다.
14 그 도성의 성벽에는 열두 초석이 있는데,
그 위에는 어린양의 열두 사도 이름이 하나씩 적혀 있었습니다.

 

복음

<보라, 저 사람이야말로 참으로 이스라엘 사람이다. 저 사람은 거짓이 없다.>

요한. 1,45-51
그때에 45 필립보가 나타나엘을 만나 말하였다.
“우리는 모세가 율법에 기록하고 예언자들도 기록한 분을 만났소.
나자렛 출신으로 요셉의 아들 예수라는 분이시오.”
46 나타나엘은 필립보에게,
“나자렛에서 무슨 좋은 것이 나올 수 있겠소?” 하였다.
그러자 필립보가 나타나엘에게 “와서 보시오.” 하고 말하였다.
47 예수님께서는 나타나엘이 당신 쪽으로 오는 것을 보시고
그에 대하여 말씀하셨다.
“보라, 저 사람이야말로 참으로 이스라엘 사람이다.
저 사람은 거짓이 없다.”
48 나타나엘이 예수님께 “저를 어떻게 아십니까?” 하고 물으니,
예수님께서 그에게 “필립보가 너를 부르기 전에,
네가 무화과나무 아래에 있는 것을 내가 보았다.” 하고 대답하셨다.
49 그러자 나타나엘이 예수님께 말하였다.
“스승님, 스승님은 하느님의 아드님이십니다.
이스라엘의 임금님이십니다.”
50 예수님께서 나타나엘에게 이르셨다.

“네가 무화과나무 아래에 있는 것을 보았다고 해서 나를 믿느냐?
앞으로 그보다 더 큰 일을 보게 될 것이다.”
51 이어서 그에게 또 말씀하셨다.
“내가 진실로 진실로 너희에게 말한다.
너희는 하늘이 열리고
하느님의 천사들이 사람의 아들 위에서 오르내리는 것을 보게 될 것이다.”

August 24, 2021

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass 

Reading 1
Rv 21:9b-14
The angel spoke to me, saying,
“Come here.
I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
It gleamed with the splendor of God.
Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,
like jasper, clear as crystal.
It had a massive, high wall,
with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed
and on which names were inscribed,
the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel .
There were three gates facing east,
three north, three south, and three west.
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.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
R.  (12)  Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful one　　s bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Gospel
Jn 1:45-51
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.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel .
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” 
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

 The Latin Rite Church invites us to celebrate the Feast of Bartholomew (in John called Nathaniel) one of the named twelve apostles in the Synoptic Gospels.  Bartholomew/Nathaniel is a close friend or relative of Philip apparently, as he shows up in Gospel accounts with Philip in tow, or Philip shows up with him in tow.  We know nothing about him or his profession, but there are many early accounts that his mission after the Resurrection was to proclaim the Gospel across the Middle East and Central Asia as far away as India where there are various traditions of his work in other communities than Thomas (the doubter) that also is credited with going to India in the late first Century.

Like the sons of Isaac who are the “fathers” of the twelve tribes of Israel, the Church honors the twelve who are named in various Gospel accounts as the “fathers” of the “tribes” or communities of the Christian Church that stands on the foundation of Peter and who are held together by Christ’s Spirit under the guidance and companionship of Peter and the headship of Jesus. 

The word Apostle means witness – one who shares in complete confidence the transforming power of Jesus in his or her own life (Mary Magdalene has been named the Apostle to the Apostles by Pope Francis and her feast has been given the same status as the other apostles.)  Such sharing is by deed even more than word and the deeds are so convincing that whole tribes and nations have continuously believed the truth of their witness about Jesus through the centuries.  For Bartholomew, as with the others, he does not announce his own deeds, but Jesus’s deeds and thus we know Christ and know only that this faithful man gave his life and death that Jesus might be known, loved, and followed.

The Gospel today invites us to recognize his Apostolic call – he came to meet Jesus at the behest of his friend or relative – he encounters Jesus’ loving gaze, and the fact that Jesus “knows him” – as God knows him, establishes his committed relationship to come and see, to discover for himself what God was inviting him to become.  With the others, he had no earthly shelter against the storms of nature or evil, only Jesus’ confidence in the Father.  He had nowhere to lay his head but where believers granted him rest, no security but God’s love made present in Jesus.  He witnessed Jesus’ human death and the glorious resurrection and recognized that God was building a New Temple in a New Jerusalem for those who would become the members of Jesus’ Body.  With his companions his feet were washed by Jesus, who perhaps gazed at him again and gently confirmed the rightness of his witness.  In all probability he ate fish with Jesus at the seashore after the resurrection and knew that he himself and the world he dwelt in were forever transformed.  In receiving Jesus’ Spirit, he could speak with the power of witness anywhere on earth – and he followed the Spirit to do just that.

Bartholomew is one of the foundation stones of that New Jerusalem that the Book of Revelations text speaks of today.  Transparent, and beautiful, the Church recognizes one of its foundation stones and honors him by simply celebrating his witness of Jesus.  Like nearly all the faithful members of the New Jerusalem he needs no biography.  His own name might be Bartholomew and it might be Nathaniel or some amazing combination of the two, but his identity is clothed in the truth that Jesus knew him, loved him, called him to follow and claimed him forever in the Reign of God, that is everlasting life.  Bartholomew asks us to trust that the message he received is the same message each of us is given – come and see, believe, receive, and witness.  May we have the courage that he had to say yes!

 http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp

 

KNOW BODY

“Do you believe just because...” —John 1:50

“When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, He remarked: ‘This man is a true Israelite. There is no guile in him’ ” (Jn 1:47). Nathanael asked Jesus, “How do You know me?” (Jn 1:48) This is a revealing response. The typical response to a total stranger would be to ask: “How do you know this information about me?” Yet Nathanael asked: “How do You know me?” The brief encounter between Nathanael and Jesus resulted in a supernatural knowledge, a binding of hearts, a joining of the divine and the human. Nathanael (Bartholomew) had an instant personal encounter with Christ and realized that Jesus knew him, loved him, and was the Son of God! (Jn 1:49)

Jesus made a comment which is also revealing. He asked if Nathanael came to believe just because He encountered Jesus personally (Jn 1:50). A life-changing personal encounter with Jesus is absolutely critical. However, Jesus went on to say that Nathanael would see much greater things than that! (Jn 1:50) He would see the glory of heaven (Jn 1:51). He would see the glory of the Church, the new Jerusalem (Rv 21:9ff). He would be chosen as an apostle (Mk 3:18), the foundation of the Body of Christ, the Church (Eph 2:20; Rv 21:14; Col 1:18). Nathanael would see Jesus as not just his Lord, but as Lord of heaven and earth.

May we all encounter Jesus personally and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Then may we all accept Him for everything that He truly is, in all His glory and splendor.

Prayer:  Jesus, may I love the Church as You do (Eph 5:25).

Promise:  “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him; to all who call upon Him in truth.” —Ps 145:18

Praise:  St. Bartholomew renounced his prejudice toward Nazoreans and accepted Jesus the Nazorean as his Lord (see Jn 1:49).

 http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/

 Do you allow any blind-spots to blur your vision of God's kingdom and his ways? Jesus went to the heart of the matter when he called the religious leaders of his day blind Pharisees and hypocrites! A hypocrite is an actor or imposter who says one thing but does the opposite or who puts on an outward appearance of doing good while inwardly clinging to wrong attitudes, selfish desires and ambitions, or bad intentions. Many scribes and Pharisees had made it a regular practice to publicly put on a good show of outward zeal and piety with the intention of winning greater honors, privileges, and favors among the people. Jesus had a very good reason for severely rebuking the scribes and Pharisees, the religious teachers and leaders, for misleading people and neglecting the heart and essence of God's law - love of God and love of neighbor

What forms our outward practices and habits?
The scribes in particular devoted their whole lives to the study of God's law contained in the five books of Moses (Torah). As the religious experts of their day, they took great pride in their knowledge and outward observance of the commandments and precepts of the law of Moses. They further divided the 613 precepts of the Law of Mosesinto thousands of tiny rules and regulations. They were so exacting in their interpretations and in trying to live them out, that they had little time for much else. By the time they finished compiling their interpretations it took no less than fifty volumes to contain them! Jesus chastised them for neglecting the more important matters of religion, such as justice and the love of God. In their misguided zeal they had lost sight of God and of his purpose for the law.

God's law of love reveals what is truly important and necessary
Jesus used the example of tithing to show how far they had missed the mark. God had commanded a tithe of the first fruits of one's labor as an expression of thanksgiving and honor for his providential care for his people (Deuteronomy 14:22; Leviticus 27:30). The scribes, however, went to extreme lengths to tithe on insignificant things (such as tiny plants) with great mathematical accuracy. They were very attentive to minute matters of little importance, but they neglected to care for the needy and the weak. Jesus admonished them because their hearts were not right. They were filled with pride and contempt for others who were not like themselves. They put unnecessary burdens on others while neglecting to show charity, especially to the weak and the poor.

The scribes and Pharisees meticulously went through the outward observance of their religious duties and practices while forgetting the realities of God's intention and purpose for the law - his love and righteousness (justice and goodness). Jesus used a humorous example to show how out of proportion matters had gotten with them. Gnats were considered the smallest of insects and camels were considered the largest of animals in Palestine. Both were considered ritually impure. The scribes went to great lengths to avoid contact with gnats, even to the point of straining the wine cup with a fine cloth lest they accidentally swallowed a gnat. The stark contrast must have drawn chuckles as well as groans.

God's love shapes our minds and transforms our hearts and actions
What was the point of Jesus' humorous and important lesson? The essence of God's commandments is rooted in love - love of God and love of neighbor, righteousness (justice and goodness), and mercy. God is love and everything he does, including his justice and goodness, flows from his love for us. True love is costly and sacrificial - it both embraces and lifts the burdens of others. Do you allow the love of God to shape and transform the way you live your daily life - including the way you think of others, speak of them, and treat them?

Lord Jesus, fill me with your love and mercy that I may always think, speak, and treat others with fairness, loving-kindness, patience, and goodness.

Psalm 139:1-6

1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, lo, O LORD, you know it altogether.
5 You beset me behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Neglecting Weighty Matters of Love and Justice, by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)

"Not only among the Jews but among ourselves as well, we find people sinning in these ways. They are swallowing camels. People of this type frequently show off their religion even in the smallest of things. They are rightly called hypocrites for wanting to exploit their religiosity before men but being unwilling to undertake that very faith which God himself has justified. Therefore the imitators of the scribes and Pharisees must be dislodged and sent away from us, lest a woe touches us in the same way it touches them. The scribes could be described as those who valued nothing found in the Scriptures except its plain sense interpreted legalistically. Meanwhile they condemn those who look into the very depths of God himself. Mint and dill and cummin are only spices for food but are not themselves substantial food. What substantive food would mean in conversion would be that which is necessary for the justification of our souls - faith and love - unlike these legalisms, which are more like condiments and flavorings. It is as if a meal might be thought to consist more of condiments and flavorings than the food itself. The seriousness of judgment is neglected while great attention is given to minor matters. Spiritual exercises which in and of themselves are hardly justice are spoken of as justice and compassion and faith. It is lacking in justice to treat these small parts as the whole. When we do not offer to God the observance of all that is necessary for worship, we fail altogether." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 19-20)

More Homilies

August 24, 2020 Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle