Thursday of week 20 in Ordinary Time – August 24 / 2017
First reading
Apocalypse 21:9-14
The angel came to speak to me, and said, ‘Come here and I will show you the bride that the Lamb has married.’ In the spirit, he took me to the top of an enormous high mountain and showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven. It had all the radiant glory of God and glittered like some precious jewel of crystal-clear diamond. The walls of it were of a great height, and had twelve gates; at each of the twelve gates there was an angel, and over the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; on the east there were three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. The city walls stood on twelve foundation stones, each one of which bore the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The word of the Lord!
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 144(145):10-13a,17-18
Gospel
John 1:45-51
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.’ The gospel of the Lord!
Reflection
Today, the universal church celebrates St. Bartholomew, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. He is introduced as Nathaniel in the gospel reading and his name is marked on one of the gates in heaven, as related in the first reading. In celebrating St. Bartholomew the church re-assures the hope of the faithful who are not ashamed of witnessing to Christ. St. John narrates a vision of the glory that awaits all who die in Christ Jesus. This is what we profess, it is our hope, it is our firm belief that we are the bride of Christ and would be glorified for eternity. Who are truly the worthy bride of Christ?
The church doesn’t fail to recount the lives of heroic men and women of faith; living or dead. Yes, it would be dangerous to talk about living saints because the race of life and the crown of life is gained at death. Hence, the church speaks more about men and women who have died living an exemplary life of faith. We believe that they are not dead, but alive. Remember that Jehovah is God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – He is not God of the dead but the living; so don’t be mistaken. (Mark 12:27) As we celebrate Bartholomew and any other saint, the conscious message is – we can and must work towards attaining this glory which God gives to those who do his will.
Prayer
Dear Father, I love you above all things and desire to be with you in eternity. Help me to live according to your will as you prepare me for eternity, in Jesus name we pray, Amen!