Gospel: Jn 1: 45-51
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
The Gospel of John uses the name Nathanael for this disciple known as Bartholomew in the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The incident related in today's Gospel for the Feast of St. Bartholomew describes how Nathaniel's skepticism, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" (Jn 1: 46) quickly changes to a profound profession of belief :"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel" (Jn 1:49).
Something "clicked" with Nathanael and he was now quick to believe. What an encounter with Jesus will do! Would that we would be so attentive and quick to respond! We can try by asking God to make us disposable to his voice as he talks to us in our daily circumstances or in our quiet prayer. We just might hear him calling us by name and speaking intimately to us and inviting us to greater trust in him, to greater love for him.
Bro. Rene
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