00:00Today, August 24, the Church celebrates Saint Bartholomew, one of the twelve apostles of Christ.
00:08A discreet figure in the Gospels but immense in his testimony,
00:13He carried the good news to the ends of the earth and gave his life as a martyr.
00:20Bartholomew, whose name means "son of Tolmai," is mentioned in the lists of the apostles.
00:27Tradition often identifies him with Nathanael, the man to whom Jesus said
00:32“Here is a true Israelite in whom there is no guile.”
00:38Intrigued, Nathanaël Barthélémy asks, “Where do you know me from?”
00:44Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
00:51This meeting changed his life.
00:54He recognized in Jesus the son of God and followed him without turning back.
00:59After Pentecost, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Bartholomew set out to evangelize.
01:05Traditions report that he announced the gospel in Arabia, Persia, India and especially in Armenia.
01:14There he converted many pagans and even King Polimios, whose possessed daughter he cured.
01:21His missionary zeal was immense.
01:24He preached with simplicity, healed the sick and strengthened nascent communities.
01:31But his mission was disturbing.
01:33The king's brother, jealous of his influence, had him arrested.
01:38Refusing to worship idols, Bartholomew was condemned to an atrocious death.
01:44He was flayed alive, then beheaded.
01:47It was probably around the year seventy-one.
01:51This terrible torture made him one of the most impressive martyrs of the early church.
01:58Very early on, his cult spread.
02:02His relics were transferred to Rome in the tenth century.
02:05In the church of Saint-Barthélemy in Lille, on the Tiber.
02:09He became the patron saint of tanners, bookbinders, butchers and all those who work with leather because of his torture.
02:21In Christian art, he is often depicted holding his own skin, a symbol of his martyrdom and his fidelity to the end.
02:30Saint Bartholomew invites us to uprightness of heart and fidelity to Christ.
02:37He, who was recognized by Jesus as a man without guile, teaches us sincerity, transparency and the courage of faith.
02:48His martyrdom reminds us that following Christ is not always easy,
02:53but that the final victory belongs to those who persevere in the love of God.
02:58On this August 24, let us pray to Saint Bartholomew, apostle,
03:05that he may obtain for us righteousness and sincerity in our lives,
03:10that he may intercede for the missionaries who proclaim the Gospel today,
03:16and that we may be faithful to Christ to the end, in joy as in trial.
03:28Subtitling Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
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