First reading Apocalypse 21:9-14
He showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven
The angel came to speak to me, and said, ‘Come here and I will show you the bride that the Lamb has married.’ In the spirit, he took me to the top of an enormous high mountain and showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven. It had all the radiant glory of God and glittered like some precious jewel of crystal-clear diamond. The walls of it were of a great height, and had twelve gates; at each of the twelve gates there was an angel, and over the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; on the east there were three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. The city walls stood on twelve foundation stones, each one of which bore the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Responsorial Psalm 144(145):10-13a,17-18
Gospel John 1:45-51
You will see heaven laid open, and the Son of Man
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.’ ‘From Nazareth?’ said Nathanael ‘Can anything good come from that place?’ ‘Come and see’ replied Philip. 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.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’
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Come and see
As we celebrate the Feast of St Bartholomew, let us take a moment to reflect on today’s Gospel passage and enter into the encounter between Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, and Jesus. When Philip invites Nathanael with the words, “Come and see,” he approaches Jesus with a sense of scepticism. Nathanael struggles to believe that the Messiah could possibly come from Nazareth, a place he considers ordinary and unremarkable. However, when Jesus addresses him, saying, “There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit… I saw you under the fig tree,” Nathanael is struck by a profound realisation that Jesus sees him and deeply understands him. He understands then that Jesus is not just another teacher but indeed the Son of God.
Today, Jesus meets us personally. He knows our story, our wounds, our fears and our dreams, and He loves us as who we really are. He calls us by name and invites us to a deeper faith and a more meaningful relationship with Him. As we experience His love, we invite others, “Come and see my Friend.”
Reflective question:
How can I step out of my comfort zone and invite others to “come and see” the Jesus I have discovered on my faith journey?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
