St. Bartholomew

Their story

Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles. He is usually identified with Nathanael, whom St. John's Gospel describes in a memorable scene. After Philip met Jesus, he hurried to find his friend Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth." Nathanael was skeptical: "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip simply answered, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, He said, "Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him." Surprised, Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, and Jesus told him that He had seen him under the fig tree before Philip called him. Nathanael's doubt melted, and he declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus promised that he would see even greater things. Nathanael was also among the disciples to whom the risen Jesus appeared by the Sea of Galilee. Ancient tradition says that after Pentecost Bartholomew carried the Gospel far to the east, perhaps as far as India, and that he died as a martyr in Armenia, where he is honored as one of the founders of the Armenian Church. He is often shown holding a knife, because tradition says he was flayed alive. His honesty and his journey from doubt to faith make him a friend to every honest seeker.