Feast of the Apostle

The Feast of St. Bartholomew, one of the Twelve Apostles, is a special day for Discalced Carmelites. It is a day of joyful remembrance and thanksgiving for it is the anniversary of the founding by our holy Mother St. Teresa of the first monastery of the Carmelite Reform, St Joseph’s in Avila in 1562.

St Bartholomew was from Cana in Galilee.  He is mentioned in the Gospel as one of the twelve apostles and is identified with the Nathanael mentioned in John’s Gospel who was brought to Jesus by his friend, the Apostle Philip.  According to tradition, St Bartholomew preached the Gospel in Arabia and Armenia where he died as a martyr.

In the first reading from the book of Revelation (21:9-14) we hear of John’s vision of the new Jerusalem where the “city walls stood on twelve foundation stones, each of which bore the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

In the Gospel from John (1:45-51) we hear Philip inviting Nathanael to come to see Jesus, “When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit’. ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’  Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel’.