Aug-24 Feast of St Bartholomew
August 24: Feast of the Apostle and Martyr St Bartholomew Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus named in Matthew 10:2–4, Mark 3:16–19, Luke 6:14–16, Acts 1:1–13. The Church honors Bartholomew as a saint, and he is the patron of butchers. The name “Bartholomew” most likely comes from Aramaic (Bar-Talmai), meaning “son of Talmai.” He was born in Cana in Galilee, an area renowned for farming. Some identify him as Nathanael (meaning God has given), who appears only in the Gospel of John 1:43-51 when introduced to Jesus by his good friend, the apostle Philip. Nathanael was skeptical of Jesus because Philip told him he found the Messiah, who came from Nazareth. Nathanael famously said, “ Nazareth! Can anything good come from there ?” (John 1:46). We are presented with the Apostle's character in this brief and beautiful dialogue with the Lord Jesus. He is a good Jew, honest and innocent, a just man, who devotes much time to quiet reflection and prayer - "under the fi...