Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

Lectionary: 629

The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.



"Doesn't do much for a man's appearance." said one cowboy to another in Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, as they recalled the death of another man who had been flayed by Indians. 

Michaelangelo attempted to describe the horror of the Apostle Bartholomew's death in his painting, The Last Judgement. According to legend, when the enormous painting was unveiled the crowd gasped and the Pope dropped to his knees. 

In recent years, sedentary philosophers and ivory-towered theologians have wondered if martyrdom is really necessary. "Can't we all just get along?" they might be asking. They recall the saints who volunteered to die as martyrs to prove their fidelity, and the "martyr card" that is often used by one or both parties in a difficult relationship. They see how the word has been adopted by Islamic terrorists. They suppose the whole idea is discredited by these examples. 

But they fail to acknowledge the savage violence that innocence and virtue arouse. If some victims seem to invite abuse, that does not justify the violence that falls upon them. If some children misbehave, there is no excuse for the torture and terror they suffer. In our "peace-loving" country even our pets are abused by their disappointed owners because they cannot give "unconditional love." 

So long as there is sin in the world there will be war. The two are synonymous. So long as there is war there will be men and women who risk their lives in the struggle for peace. They will fight and die for causes they consider worth killing and dying. 

They do so because human beings cannot abide evil very long. They might be willing to suffer for awhile, hoping it will end soon. They might look the other way, or ignore what is happening, or believe that victims of violence bring it on themselves. But when the evil can no longer be denied, human beings act. They arm themselves and prepare for combat. 

Christian martyrs oppose evil but refuse to kill anyone even when confronted with deadly force. Their weapons are integrity, innocence and raw courage. Like soldiers of every age, they believe their cause will triumph even though they do not live to see it. They hope their victory will come more quickly precisely because they are not tainted by compromise. 

Every human being, regardless of creed or religion, is challenged and heartened by the witness of true Christian martyrdom.  As he approached Calvary, the first Martyr told his disciples not to expect the world's honor or recognition. As they have treated me, so will they treat you. 


We pray for our neighbors, fellow workers, acquaintances and friends that they will be inspired by our daily, quotidian witness of generosity and sacrifice. We pray they will never be aroused to such violence against their loved ones or us. 

Brother Andrew holds his
audience in rapt attention. 

We pray that we will remain faithful to the laws which Jesus has given us -- fidelity in marriage, generosity to strangers, mercy toward enemies, contrition for our sins, and so forth -- for the edification and salvation of the world. We pray also that we will never threaten,coerce, or intimidate anyone as we live in the Truth. We do penance for every instance of that violence, no matter how  subtle. 

Finally, we pray that we will not be "led into the temptation" of martyrdom. None of us is so sure of our courage.