Collect taken from the memorial of St. Bartholomew, Apostle.
Collect: Strengthen in us, O Lord, the faith, by which the blessed Apostle Bartholomew clung wholeheartedly to your Son, and grant that through the help of his prayers your Church may become for all the nations the sacrament of salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son…
“Strengthen in us, O Lord, the faith, by which the blessed Apostle Bartholomew clung wholeheartedly to your Son,”
-Especially after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven, Bartholomew could not rely on ordinary human perception to stay close to Christ. Instead, he had to rely upon a supernatural ability to be assured of Jesus’ continued existence and importance. That ability is the virtue we call faith and we know it is a gift, so we ask God for it.
“and grant that through the help of his prayers your Church may become for all the nations the sacrament of salvation.“
-A sacrament is a visible sign of an invisible reality, but it usually requires some explanation to understand. The Church is a sign of the invisible reality of salvation, which is something we cannot touch or see directly. But, that Church needs to be proclaimed to the world, which is a difficult task, so we ask the help of God and His saint, Bartholomew.
Questions & Advice: Is faith merely an idea to you, or is it truly a habit and virtue? Do you recognize the gift of salvation available to us through the Church or has salvation become a totally private matter for you?
Read about Apostolic Tradition in the Catechism (74-79). Make sure you know your bishop’s name. Spend some of your daily prayer time interceding for him, that he might be faithful and fruitful in carrying out the mission he has received from Bartholomew and all the Apostles. Consider inviting someone to take a closer look at the Catholic Church.
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| Sancte Bartolomaee, ora pro nobis! |