Overview:

A Reflection for the Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle

A Reflection for the Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” (Jn 1:147-51)

Find today’s readings here.

Here are two things we know about St. Bartholomew (otherwise known as Nathanael), the apostle we celebrate today.

Number one, he throws Jesus some shade. When Philip tells him about Jesus of Nazareth and claims he is the one Moses wrote about, Nathanael responds, famously, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Harsh, no?

Then we have Jesus’ first greeting to Nathanael: “Here is a true child of Israel./ There is no duplicity in him.”

So Nathanael, “true child of Israel,” is the same person who dismisses Jesus just because he comes from Nazareth. How do these two things add up?

Perhaps we should admire Nathanael for his honesty. He does not question Jesus in his heart or hold grudges against him. He says what he thinks—“there is no duplicity in him.”

We should also (obviously) take Jesus at his word. After all, he saw Nathanael under the fig tree and into his heart. He knew him right away, and what he saw was good.

Nathanael also offers his own confession of faith: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” He may have been skeptical of Jesus, but he comes around in a big way. 

What are the lessons for us? Beware of duplicity. Be honest with God and with your neighbor. Don’t stew over different, darker feelings.

Above all, talk to God—under the fig tree, on the train, waiting at the stop light. Thanks to Nathanael, we know he is listening.

Tim Reidy joined America’s staff in October 2006 and served as online editor for several years before moving into his current role as the deputy editor in chief. Tim oversees America’s newsroom, directing its daily news coverage as well as working with the editorial leadership team to plan each print issue. Tim also edits the magazine’s Ideas section, where he contributes book reviews and essays. Before joining America, he worked at the Hartford Courant, a newspaper in Connecticut, and Commonweal magazine. In addition to writing for America, he has contributed to The New York Times, the Columbia Journalism Review and the Princeton Alumni Weekly. He has been interviewed about the Catholic Church on WNYC in New York, ABC, Bloomberg TV and other media outlets. Tim also serves on the board of directors of Jesuit Refugee Service USA. He lives in Bronxville, N.Y., with his wife and two children.