Reflections on Scripture | Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

Join Msgr. Don Fischer as he reads and delivers a short reflection on today’s gospel, followed by 3 1/2 minutes of contemplative music and a closing prayer. Msgr. Don hopes that today’s reflection on the gospel will empower you to carry the Word in your heart throughout the day.

Choose either the video or audio below.

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."
But Nathanael said to him,
"Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
Philip said to him, "Come and see."
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this."
And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Reflection

It's always difficult to balance the humanity of Jesus and His divinity. We see Him doing amazing things that obviously no human being can do unless he was empowered to do so. He knows people, knows their hearts. And so when that is shown to Nathaniel, Jesus said, If you're going to follow me, what I want you to understand is that I'm human and I rely upon God to use me to speak for Him.

He speaks through me. And angels are images of messages. So He's saying, the angels will be coming to me over and over again, and I will be conversing with God in a way that I invite you to be a part of. If you follow me.

Closing Prayer

Father, sometimes we think about your presence in our life and saying, I wish we could do miracles and maybe we pray for miracles that we might achieve something. But the real miracle that you want us to believe in is your message. Bless us with knowledge of all that you see so we can see God our Father, Amen.

Kyle Cross