Tuesday –St. Bartholomew

Gospel – John1:45-51

Shopping!

Old City Market, Jerusalem

I live in a divided house and it’s been going on for over 47 years.  No matter what I do, Ginger and I remain at odds with each other and no clear resolution seems possible, ever!  You see, I like to shop!  And Ginger?  Well, if she never has to set foot in a mall again, she would be thrilled!

Now granted these days we do most of our shopping online.  And that creates a whole new set of hoops to jump through.  We are no longer just searching for a new coffee machine (for example).  We are looking for the best we can find and at the best price!  I guess this saves of gas but not necessarily on time. All of a sudden, it’s not just the destination anymore; it’s the search itself that is rewarding!  The search challenges us and engages us!  And when we do find that perfect item at a bargain price, we pat ourselves on the back for a job well done! 

Something similar, but much more significant, happens in today’s Gospel.  You might miss it if you aren’t careful!  It is a simple line at the beginning – we have found the One!  The implication here is that Philip and Bartholomew have been searching (shopping) for the One, the Messiah!  And Philip is convinced their search is over; he has found Jesus!  You can almost feel his excitement at the end of this long search. 

We celebrate today the Feast of St. Bartholomew, or Nathaniel, one of the Twelve.  And in today’s Gospel, Bartholomew and Philip ‘find’ Jesus and begin their faith journey with Him.  Jesus offers us the chance to follow Him and to earn a reward so unimaginable, so overwhelming, so eternal! 

And that is where He leaves it.  It is then our choice, our decision – follow Him or not!  We face that choice every day!  Every moment of our lives we have the chance to search for Jesus and then to say YES, to follow Him, to follow that journey of faith.  Where, I ask, does that journey take you TODAY?  What will be your response?  Are we still searching for ‘the one’?  Have we found Him?  Are we excited at finding Him?

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