Saint Bartholomew

Who is he?

Saint Bartholomew is one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. John’s Gospel does not mention the name Bartholomew, but it tells about Nathanael, from Cana in Galilee (cf. Jn 21:2). According to tradition, the Church takes these two names to belong to the same person.

Life story

One day, Saint Philip came excitedly to tell Nathanael the news: the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and the prophets too, they had found him: Jesus of Nazareth. Nathanael was a straightforward man who said what he thought. He asked: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip didn’t argue; he only answered: “Come and see” (Jn 1:46).

He came. As soon as Jesus saw him, he said: “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” (Jn 1:47). Surprised, Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him. Jesus told him that before Philip called him, he had seen him under the fig tree. Nathanael understood at once that Jesus knew his heart well; he believed and declared that Jesus is the Son of God (cf. Jn 1:48-49).

From then on, he followed Jesus, listened to his teaching and saw him work miracles. After Jesus rose from the dead, he was one of the disciples who met him on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias (cf. Jn 21:1-2).

According to tradition, he went to preach the Gospel in very faraway lands, perhaps as far as India, then went on to Armenia and was martyred there. That is why pictures and statues often show him holding a knife, a sign of his martyrdom. Today, his relics are venerated in Rome, in the Church of Saint Bartholomew on an island in the middle of the Tiber River.

Why is he a saint?

Saint Bartholomew had an upright heart with no deceit, so much so that Jesus himself praised him. He dared to come and meet Jesus to find out for himself, and then believed in him completely. He faithfully preached the Gospel until he gave his life for the Lord.

A lesson for you

• Tell the truth, even when telling the truth gets you scolded or costs you something. God loves an honest heart.
• When you have questions about God, don’t be shy to ask; go to church, read God’s Word and ask your catechism teachers.
• When you invite a friend to come to God, you don’t need to argue; just invite them: “Come and see!”