Monday, August 24, 2020 - Saint Bartholomew, Apostle - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 1, 45-51 - Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!

Today we celebrate the apostle Saint Bartholomew. Bartholomew comes from Aramaic, meaning son of Tolmai. But he was also called Nathanael, which can be translated as God's gift.

But this Gospel that is presented to us leads us to a deeper reflection on our relationship with Jesus. The reaction of Nathanael, who was not satisfied with the statement: "He of whom it is written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets, we have found him", he committed himself to meet and live in communion with Jesus. It is not that the testimonies of others are useless, that they are even very important. But it is even more important to have a more intimate and lasting relationship with Jesus.

It is a sincere desire to know rather than to ask: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"; and his direct encounter with Jesus instilled in him a deep faith, leading him to declare: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God", and this brought him joy and happiness. Jesus' declaration that he is an Israelite without guile confirms the words of the psalmist: "Blessed is the man... whose spirit is without deceit" (Psalms 32, 2).

Let us not neglect our relationship with Jesus. Let us not be satisfied with what is reported to us, but let us intensely seek communion of life with Him.