Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle

“Come and see.”—John 1:46

    Bartholomew, whose feast we celebrate today, has also been known as Nathaniel. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus says to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” As we go through each of the gospel writer’s rendition of Jesus’ life, we see how different the call is for everyone. Jesus calls both the men and the women in Scripture according to their personalities and their lifestyles.
 
    So, it is the same with each one of us. Yes, we were all called to be followers of Jesus in Baptism. But the personal call for each of us comes to us in a different way each day. We need not ask Nathaniel’s question, “How do you know me?” Jesus has known us; Jesus has loved us since the moment of our conception. Perhaps, we don’t realize that Jesus continues to call each of us on a daily basis. That call is meant for deeper intimacy with God. That call is meant for us to extend ourselves in service to others. The young Jesuit saint, Stanislaus Kostka, always prayed that he was born for greater things.
 
    As we celebrate his call from Nathaniel to Bartholomew, let us review the calls we receive from our God each day. We may not be alert to receiving these calls but neither were Jesus’ initial followers. In her book, Winds of Change: Women Challenge the Church, Sister Joan Chittister remarks that:
   
Sister continues through the calling of all the apostles and ends with:
   
    As we celebrate today’s feast, let’s re-evaluate our own responses to the daily calls we receive from God. Are we willing to center ourselves and listen?
 
    In our daily answers to God, we may pretend not to hear or to notice someone in need because we have too much to do. Or maybe we acquiesce to people of a certain rank but not to the homeless person in the street. Perhaps, we don’t realize that we are answering the call when we phone an older person who lives alone or shop for someone who is homebound. When we live in the presence of God, we can go through our day and become aware of all the invitations, all the calls that we are sent. 
 
    Using our natural talents to help those in material, emotional, or spiritual need is responding to Jesus’ call to us. We may not be fully ready, but we are willing.