August 24, feast of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle
Saint Bartholomew was one of Christ's twelve apostles , the fifth, called by his first name to follow him: "In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Ministering to a Great Multitude." (Luke 6:12-16).
We find him mainly inSt. John's Gospel , under the name of Nathanael, the friend of St. Philip, who converted him: "Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” (John 1:45-49).
After that, he witnessed all the great moments of the Savior's life, including his death. Saint Bartholomew then set off to evangelize the world, notably Mesopotamia, Persia and India. He is considered a great missionary, responsible for many conversions. He died a martyr's death in Armenia, having been flayed alive and beheaded. For this reason, he is the patron saint of tanners and butchers (although, curiously, he is much prayed to for money problems). Despite his death, heathens continued to convert, thanks to the many miracles that took place at his tomb. On his feast day, August 24 , let us pray to the holy apostle and ask him to have a pure heart like his, and to help us to be good missionaries of the Savior.
Praying with the apostle Bartholomew
Prayer to become a missionary of Christ, like Bartholomew
" Almighty and eternal God, who gave your apostle Bartholomew the grace to truly believe and preach your word : grant to your Church to love what he believed and to preach what he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen."
Prayer to Saint Bartholomew to solve financial problems
" O Saint Bartholomew, apostle of Jesus Christ, your love for God was immense and you gave up everything to follow him. I invoke your intercession before the Lord in these difficult times. My financial problems are weighing heavily on my mind and heart. Help me to merit God's grace, to overcome these difficulties with faith and courage. Through your intercession, may I obtain the necessary assistance to regularize my financial situation. Give me the strength to overcome these trials, the spirit to understand my mistakes, and the courage to work towards financial stability. May the Lord's blessing grant me the wisdom to manage my finances wisely, so that I never find myself in this situation again. Infuse my heart with God's love, so that every decision I make is guided by His divine will. Amen. "
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