Saint Bartholomew
The Good in Everything
Today we celebrate the feast day of Saint Bartholomew, one of the twelve whom scripture scholars identify as Nathaniel whom we see being brought by Philip to Jesus in the Gospel today. Philip after finding the Messiah, he invited his friend Nathaniel, "Come and See." How often do we invite others to Jesus, or are we like the Pharisees and Scribes who block people's way to Jesus and the kingdom of heaven? Nathaniel had prejudice about Nazareth and that's why when Philip tells him that he had found the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, he asked, "can anything good come from Nazareth?" What a prejudice! Being a devout Jew, he asked himself: how could the Messiah come from Galilee when the prophets said he would come from Bethlehem of Judaea? But indeed, Jesus was born in Bethlehem though he was raised in Nazareth. Aren't we all a bit like Nathaniel? We are skeptical when someone tries to convince us of the truth until we can comprehend it for ourselves.
However, his prejudice is cleared by Jesus' response by telling Philip whom he really is (“Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him”) and that he had seen him under the fig tree before Philip had called Him. Jesus' response imbues faith in Nathaniel and make the first recorded confession of belief in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
The lesson of Nathanael tells us that if we bring our confusion to our Lord in faith and openness, all will be made clear. We will have our temptations to doubt removed, and we will be able to have faith that goes far beyond human reason alone. When we are full of prejudices and doubts, do we bring them to Jesus to clear them by shedding his light on our minds so that we can understand? or where do we find our answers from?
Most times we may form prejudices about people, places, and certain things, so much that even if we witness something good from the person or place, we cannot believe but instead we have to rationalize it again and again. Today's Gospel teaches us not to form such prejudices for there is always good in everyone, every place and in everything. God created everything in this world good, then why do we judge what God created good as 'good for nothing' and we despise it?
Prejudice not only stops us from seeing something good in someone or a place but also affects our relationship and attitudes towards them. If you know that all people from a certain place are thieves according to you, most probably you will not have anything to do with them, but the truth is that one experience cannot make you to conclude generally. There is always good in everything.
Even in our church, there are many prejudices towards people especially to our religious leaders. You find, someone saying, oh if it is father so and so, I will not go for mass, and I have heard many of such statements. We form many images of our religious leaders, and this affects us in our spiritual growth as there is nothing we can hear or take from him or her whether good or bad. The same attitude is normally formed towards the people who have grown at our exposure, and when we think he or she cannot become someone. After he or she has succeeded, we cannot in any way believe it; only rationalizing.
So, brethren, today's Gospel encourages us to stop such attitudes. Let us try always to experience the person or a place personally and also know that everything God created is good and so there is good in everything. Reflect today on how you form prejudices towards people. Have you started clearing those prejudices? Let today's Gospel challenge you. Through the intercession of Saint Bartholomew, let us implore God to help us always see good in everything.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus, in you is the fullness of all goodness, may your goodness help us recognise goodness in everything before we criticize them. Like the apostle Nathanael, grant me a sincere and humble heart that is open to receiving your word and the invitation to be your disciple. Amen
St Bartholomew, pray for us. Be blessed.
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