Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 24th August
Message from Fr Paul for Tuesday, 24th August 2021
Of the apostles, St Bartholomew came to be one of the most popular and there are many ancient churches dedicated to him all over the Christian world. Just a few miles from Belmont, you can visit one of my favourite medieval country churches, at Vowchurch in the Golden Valley. Not only is the church very beautiful, but it’s setting beside the Dore River is utterly charming. Not only that, but in the porch, you will always find for sale, to help maintain the fabric of the church, the most exquisite jams, jellies, marmalades and chutneys. It’s also one of Toby’s favourite haunts. The name Bartholomew came to be associated with medicine and healing and often a hospital grew up attached to the church. Think of the church on the island in the Tiber in Rome, the rest of the island being taken up by the hospital. A famous example in England is St Bartholomew’s Hospital (Barts) in London, founded in 1123 and so the oldest hospital in the country. It was built alongside the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great.
Our Gospel reading for today comes from John, (Jn 1: 45-51), as this evangelist relates the calling of Nathanael, who, of course, is Bartholomew. Chapter 1 of John’s Gospel is fascinating, as it gives us an alternative account of the calling of the first disciples, Andrew, Peter and so on. Let’s read what John writes:
“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.’ ‘From Nazareth?’ said Nathanael ‘Can anything good come from that place?’ ‘Come and see’ replied Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael. ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’”
It's interesting to note how a new disciple goes off to tell a friend or a relation, as Andrew, the First-Called, went immediately to tell Peter, that he had found the Messiah. Are we too reticent or frightened even to share our faith in Jesus with others? No one expected the Messiah to come from Galilee, let alone Nazareth, hence Nathanael’s reaction to Philip’s news. But Philip was not to be discouraged as often we are. No, he simply replies, “Come and see,” the very words Jesus used in his answer to Peter when he asked the Lord, “Where do you live?” This shows us clearly that our belief, faith and trust in Jesus have to be tangible, clear enough to be seen by the way we follow Jesus and live our lives. When Jesus sets eyes on Nathanael, he can see a man searching for the truth, searching, in fact, for God. Nathanael comes to faith almost too quickly. Will it last? But he will be faithful to the end, shedding his own blood for Jesus. He will see greater things than that initial conversation, for faith leads to deeper faith and commitment. He will see the Risen Christ and as he follows Jesus on the way of the Cross, he comes to see “heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.” He will see the glory of Heaven and see God face to face. May we follow in his footsteps. Amen.
