The Three Things You Need to Get from This Life to the Next

Today is the feast of the Apostle Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael. I walk by his house in Cana in the Holy Land every time I lead a pilgrimage there. Bartholomew was one of the few who said yes to a life of deep friendship with Jesus Christ. He lived this intimate friendship with Jesus and with the other Apostles for three years and then he went forth after the Resurrection to constantly invite others into friendship with Jesus. We make things too complicated and difficult. This life is most importantly about a deep friendship with Jesus in prayer; it is about living authentic friendships with others; and constantly multiplying by inviting others into this way of life. Yeah, I know, you got a lot of things going on in your life. But the only things you will take with you from this life to the next are these three:  your friendship with Jesus – so you better get that now, because if you exit this life without it you are screwed;  Virtuous friendships with others also goes with us into heaven, that is why we have the communion of saints – a bunch of really close friends who are perfectly happy with God;  Finally, that we helped others to friendship with Jesus like Bartholomew did.  The friendship and love Bartholomew had for Christ and souls took him to Armenia, on the far eastern side of Turkey, where he introduced the brother of the King of Armenia to Jesus and he converted. For this the King had Bartholomew skinned alive and crucified head downward. The missionary efforts of St. Bartholomew along with the Apostle Jude Thaddeus were so successful that in 301, thanks to the apostolate of St. Gregory the Illuminator, Armenia became the first nation that embraced Christianity and proclaimed it a state religion, even before the Edict of Milan of 313, by which the Roman Empire tolerated Christianity, and the Edict of Theodosius by which in 380 the Empire recognized Christianity as a state religion. Surrounded by Islam on all sides Armenia has remained a Christian nation until this day. Way to go Bart! The Gospel of Todays Mass for the Feast of Bartholomew is from John 1:45-51  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.’ ‘From Nazareth?’ said Nathanael ‘Can anything good come from that place?’ ‘Come and see’ replied Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael. ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’ People come to God through other people. There is no other way. Philp helped Bartholomew into friendship with Jesus by his friendship with Bartholomew. That is precisely how God set it up; that by the unique friendships established through marriage, family, work and social life, we develop authentic friendships with others. True friends want what is best for the other and the greatest good is friendship with God. so that is what we hope to help our spouse, kids and friends to – deep friendship with Jesus. If we truly live the virtue of friendship in which we demonstrate that we know, love and care for the other person unconditionally, then we will have won the right to propose friendship with Jesus to them. But only based on this precondition. Am I really demonstrating that I really know, understand, love and care unconditionally for those around me? If yes, then I am on good footing to help them to Jesus. IF not, then I have some work to do.  Bartholomew lived Deep friendship with God.