instruction for the feast of st. bartholomew

8/4/2019 Instruction for the Feast of St. Bartholomew

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An excerpt from

EXPLANATIONOF THE

EPISTLES AND

GOSPELSFOR THE

SUNDAYS, HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALSTHROUGHOUT

THE ECCLESIASTICAL YEARBY

REV. LEONARD GOFFINE,

PRIEST OF THE ORDER OF PREMONSTRATENSIANS,

EDITED AND ENLARGED BY REV. GEORGE OTT, DEAN

AND PASTOR,

WITH THE APPROBATION OF THE RIGHT REV.BISHOP OF RATISBON.

TRANSLATED FROM THE NEWEST GERMAN EDITION

BY

REV. GERARD M. PILZ, O.S.B.



Instruction for the Feast

of St. Bartholomew,Apostle.

[August ]

artholomew, a native of Cana in Galilee,

is probably that Nathaniel whom Philip,

when called by Christ, took with him to

the Lord. When called by Christ to be an

apostle, Bartholomew left all at once, fol-

lowed Him, and witnessed His sufferings

and death, His resurrection and ascension.When he had received the Holy Ghost, he preached the gospel first

to the Jews, and gaining but little fruit from their stubbornness,

turned to the heathens in India, where he carried a copy of the gos-

pel of St. Matthew; from India St. Bartholomew went to Phrygia

and Lycaonia, everywhere preaching the faith of the cross, com-

ing finally to Great Armenia, where after gaining a rich harvest for

the faith, he received the crown of martyrdom. In Great Armenia,he smote with dumbness the devil who had been prophetizing in a

temple of the idols, freed the king’s daughter of an evil spirit, and

converted the king and many of his court to the Christian religion.

Enraged at this, the priests of the idols swore an oath to put him

to death, and at their instigation the saint was killed after frightful

tortures by Astyages, a brother of the converted king and a zealous

idolator. The general belief is, that he was crucified with his head

downwards, and while still alive the skin stripped from his body.

His sacred relics were brought to Benevent, Italy, in the year ,



and to Rome in , where they are venerated in a Church dedicated

to him.[The Introit as on the Feast of St. Andrew.]

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH. O Almighty and eternal God,

who comfortest Thy people by the sacred and venerable solemnity

of Thy blessed apostle Bartholomew: grant, we beseech Thee, that

we may love what he believed, and practise what he taught. Thro’.

EPISTLE. (. Cor. xii. –.) B: You are the body of

Christ, and members of a member. And God indeed hath set somein the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly doctors, after

that miracles, then the graces of healings, helps, governments, kinds

of tongues, interpretations of speeches. Are all apostles? Are all

prophets? Are all doctors? Are all workers of miracles? Have all

the grace of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

But be ye zealous for the better gifts.

EXPLANATION. The apostle here gives a beautiful picture of the holy Church. He teaches, that all faithful Catholics compose

the body of Christ, the universal Church; every true Catholic is,

indeed, a member of a single Church (diocese, congregation), and

this a member of the universal Church. No one is the whole body,

each one is only a member, some members higher than others, su-

periors of the Church, bishops, priests, and preachers, but no one

should raise himself above the others; for as in a body all the mem-

bers are necessary, so all the members of the body of Christ, theChurch, are necessary, though they stand on the lowest step. But

those members of the Church who do not possess the gifts which

the apostle describes, and whom God has not called to special office

in His Church, should not seek places and positions which are not

in their vocation, but as every member keeps the place on the body

which is given it, so should every member of the body of Christ,

the Church, keep the place which God has appointed to him, andwork according to his ability for the welfare of the whole Church.

Has God placed you in a farmer’s place? then envy not the nobles

and the officers; is another more skilful than you and fills a higher

position? then murmur not: for as all the members of a body can-

not be eyes, so in the moral body of the Church all cannot be in a

high office or position, but all the members of Christ’s body, all the

faithful of the Church, can be zealous for the more special gifts, for

greater sanctity and perfection, each in his own position, and for a

perfect love of God; for upon this path the king and the beggar may



journey together to eternal life.

GOSPEL. ( Luke vi. –.) A : Jesus went out in-to a mountain to pray, and he passed the whole night in the prayer

of God. And when day was come, he called unto him his disci-

ples: and he chose twelve of them (whom also he named Apostles):

Simon whom he surnamed Peter, and Andrew his brother, James

and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James

the son of Alpheus, and Simon who is called Zelotes, and Jude the

brother of James and Judas Iscariot who was the traitor. And com-

ing down with them, he stood in a plain place, and the company of

his disciples, and a very great multitude of people from all Judea

and Jerusalem, and the sea-coast of Tyre and Sidon, who were come

to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases. And they that were

troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the multitude

sought to touch him, for virtue went out from him, and healed all.

Why did Jesus go out into a mountain to pray?

Because, as St. Bonaventura says, as a mountain is high, so also

must our prayer raise us to God, and from the low valleys of the tem-

poral life, we must elevate ourselves in all our thoughts and desires

to God, if our prayer is to avail us.

Why did Christ pray in the night?

To teach us that night is the best time for prayer, because every

thing is then quiet and we can better collect our thoughts; also that

we may preserve ourselves by prayer from the snares and tempta-

tions which the devil spreads for us at night; that we should pray

at night for the graces which during the day we have found neces-

sary for ourselves and our neighbor. St. Gregory says, that on this

account Christ was accustomed to pray during the night, and dur-ing the day to work by teaching and by miracles for the salvation

of souls. For these reasons, prayers are said in monasteries in the

night, as advised by David (Ps. cliii. .), and it is a commendable

custom for families to say the rosary, a litany, and the night prayer

in common.

Why did Christ pray during this particular night?

Because He was to choose His twelve apostles in the morning,



and He, therefore, prayed to His Heavenly Father to give them all

the graces required by the mighty mission. In the same spirit theChurch prays four times during the year, on the Ember days, for

those who are dedicated to the priesthood and to receive holy orders,

as Christ prayed and as the apostles fasted and prayed before conse-

crating Paul and Barnabas. ( Acts xiii. .) Besides this, the Church

has appointed the fast at Ember time, and requires the faithful to

ask with prayer and fasting for pious priests, for on the priesthood

depends the temporal and eternal welfare or grief of the faithful.

Let us pray fervently and often, that God may give us zealous and

exemplary priests.

Why did Christ on this day call those twelve apostles, who before

were only disciples?

Because the apostolic dignity is the highest after Christ’s, and

He desired, that they should first, as disciples, prepare themselvesfor it. He who wishes to teach, must first learn. No one should enter

into an office for which he is not fitted.

What beautiful example is given us in our Saviour’s coming down

from the mountain, and in the conduct of the people awaiting

Him?

The Saviour’s descending shows us His goodness and kindnessto the poor and lowly, and to the sick. He especially teaches the

great ones of the earth, how they should kindly descend to their sub-

jects, the weak and poor, hear their complaints, and relieve them.

The conduct of the people who had come to hear Christ and sought

to touch Him, because virtue went out from Him, curing them,

teaches us first to seek the salvation of our soul, the voice of Je-

sus, and then in our physical needs to seek help from Him, sure tofind it.

PETITION. O blessed Apostle Bartholomew! who left all to

follow Christ, even giving thy life for Him, pray for us, that we also

may give up all for Christ that interferes with our love for Him, that

we may imitate Him, and be eternally happy. Amen.

instruction for the feast of st. bartholomew

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