Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/082412.cfm

"We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth."

The Book of Deuteronomy ends on a note of sadness:

Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, in all the signs and wonders the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and against all his land, and all the great might and the awesome power that Moses displayed in the sight of all Israel.

The Lord had assured Moses and the people there would always be a prophet to lead them in God’s way:

A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kindred; that is the one to whom you shall listen. This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let me not again hear the voice of the LORD, my God, nor see this great fire any more, or I will die.” And the LORD said to me, “What they have said is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kindred, and will put my words into the mouth of the prophet; the prophet shall tell them all that I command. Anyone who will not listen to my words which the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will hold accountable for it.” (Deuteronomy 18:15ff)

Since the death of Moses and the coming of Christ many prophets appeared, most of them not speaking God’s word and generally useless. Only a few had been reliable and none could hold a candle to Moses.

But still, as we hear in Philip’s words, the People of God expect. Although they are sad and disappointed, their hope has not been overcome by the darkness of so many centuries.

And now, recently John the Baptist has stirred up a lot of excitement. Could he be the One? Certainly some people thought so and many people hoped so; but John killed that misunderstanding when he pointed to Jesus and cried out:

“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.”

Philip has caught John’s excitement and has already begun to spread the word. In today’s gospel he brings Nathaniel/Bartholomew into the company of Jesus.

The episode reminds us of many things: 

• first, our native desire for divine deliverance that comes with being human; 
• second, our expectation of a savior that has been inspired by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God; and 
• third, how we must rely on the testimony of others to recognize the Savior when he appears.

The Holy Spirit spoke to the prophet John; John spoke to Philip; Philip spoke to Nathaniel; and Nathaniel joined the Company of Apostles, who speak to us. Upon their testimony the Church is built:

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. Revelation 21:14

The Church celebrates the apostles so often because we must remain grateful for their testimony and true to their witness. We dare not abandon this sacred tradition. Every age of Christianity has seen new prophets arise to redefine Christ for us; invariably they tell us the apostles got it wrong, or that the Church misplaced the truth since the Apostles. With their brilliant ideas they will set us straight.

But we are not a church of ideas. We are a fellowship bound together by the Holy Spirit, who helps us maintain our sacraments in their original spirit, the scriptures in their original interpretation, and the tradition as it is handed on. Our doctrines never claim to be original ideas; they are simply explanations of the truth as the apostles received it.

Our witness, traditions, liturgies, sacraments and doctrines direct us back to the one about whom Moses wrote in the law.