St. Bartholomew, Apostle

St. Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. He is mentioned several times in the synoptic gospels. When Jesus first encounters him, he is “sitting under a fig tree”. This is a Jewish figure of speech indicating that he was studying Scripture. A fig tree provides a shady place to pray and contemplate.

Bartholomew is also widely thought to be the person identified as Nathaniel in the Gospel of John. After the resurrection of Jesus, he is one of the apostles who saw our risen Lord at the Sea of Galilee. He went on to evangelize in Asia Minor and was martyred.

His feast day is August 24.

Patron Saint of …

St. Bartholomew is the patron saint of bookbinders, butchers, cobblers, leather workers, nervous diseases, and neurological diseases.

Daily Mass Readings for the Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

• First Reading – Revelation 21:9b-14: “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.”
• Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 145: “Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.”
• Gospel – John 1:45-51: “Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.’”

Quote and Social Media Graphic

Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

The story of St. Bartholomew recalls importance of personal experience of Christ

Pope Benedict XVI , speaking to some 30,000 pilgrims about the lesser known Apostle, St. Bartholomew, during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

The Pope began by admitting that little is known about Bartholomew, who is traditionally identified in the Gospels as Nathaniel, “a name that means ‘God has given.’”

Read on.

Word on Fire Scripture Reflection

From Bishop Robert Barron. In a conversation with Jesus in today’s Gospel, Nathaniel (usually identified with the Apostle Bartholomew) makes the earliest New Testament profession of faith in Christ’s divinity: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God.” Faith is the virtue upon which Christianity rests and is the capacity to see beyond the senses to a deeper or higher reality. Read on.

USCCB Scripture Reflection Video

We must reflect on scripture and trust in God’s word. Like Bartholomew, we can encounter Jesus.