Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

Today’s Gospel is not a parable but a true story of the encounter with Jesus for Philip and Nathaniel (thought to be the Apostle Bartholomew by many scholars). It is also true for us and everyone who is ever born. Verse 48 caught my attention when Nathaniel said to Jesus, “How do you know me?”

The question Nathaniel asks Jesus is almost laughable for those of us who know who Jesus is, yet it is very sobering when we realize that not everyone knows who Jesus is. You and I know that Jesus is God. We understand that we have been created in the divine image, formed in our mother’s womb, to know God. And that Jesus came to enable us to know God. He knows everything about us. We have nothing to hide because there is nothing we can hide from Jesus.

A young man came to our home to power wash our patio. I asked him how his relationship with God was. He didn’t take long to reveal he was nowhere with God. I told him about Jesus. He did an excellent job for my wife and I. I gave him a tip and a Bible to read to get to know Jesus. After all, Jesus knows who he is. The mission field is right in our backyard.

Let Us Pray:

Dear heavenly Father, give us the courage to tell others about your Son Jesus, the savior of the world. In your name, Jesus. Amen.