August 24, Thursday of the 20th week in Ordinary Time
Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle
Daily Readings: First reading: Revelation 21:9–14; Gospel: John 1:45–51
Nathanael was not going to be dumped. The promise of the long-expected Messiah was too important for him to be led astray by false claims. He was especially skeptical when he heard that Jesus was from an insignificant village like Nazareth (John 1:46).
So, when Philip told Nathanael that Jesus was the Messiah, Nathanael was doubtful. But rather than trying to convince his friend, Philip simply said, "Come and see" (John 1:46). Nathanael, whom the Church identifies as Bartholomew and whose feast we celebrate today, accepted Philip's invitation. And when he met Jesus, his heart was set on fire. Jesus really was the Messiah he had been longing for!
Of course, this was just the beginning of Nathanael's journey. Through multiple encounters, he became not only a faithful disciple but also one of the Twelve. According to tradition, after Jesus' resurrection and ascension, Nathanael went to India, Armenia, and possibly as far as Azerbaijan to preach the good news. We don't know what words he used, but we can imagine him relying on the same approach that Philip had used with him: inviting people to encounter Jesus so that they could understand for themselves who he is.
Who invited you to "come and see" Jesus? We can often trace our initial encounter with the Lord back to someone or multiple people who urged us to discover the Messiah for ourselves. And as followers of Jesus, we can do the same for other people.
How? Perhaps you could ask someone to come to a parish Bible study, adoration, or mass. Or you could give them a spiritual book that has meant a lot to you. Maybe it will take more than one invitation or more than one point of contact before they encounter Jesus in a personal way. But remember, you're not responsible for what happens next. Once they've accepted your invitation, Jesus will reveal himself to them and speak to their hearts in his own time and way.
So, who will you invite to encounter the Lord today?
"Jesus, open my eyes to all the ways I can invite people to 'come and see' you."
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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