Hello everyone! Heyo! Welcome back to Scattering Flowers with Elise and Miles, a podcast where we read the daily Gospels and the saint of the day.
Let’s get started! Today is Monday, August 24th, and the Gospel reading is John 1:45 through 51, and the scripture to reflect on is John 1:51.
And he said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.
Why do we have windows in our homes?
Or maybe why does your church have beautiful stained glass windows?
Have you ever looked at one of those pretty colorful windows when the sun is shining directly through them?
Windows provide fresh air and airflow, and they serve as safe emergency escapes.
But we have windows in our homes to let in natural light, and it gives us views of the outdoors.
Jesus is like a window that helps his disciples better see and know God.
But the disciples don’t just learn from Jesus how to see; they also learn how to become a window that lets God’s light shine through them, which helps even more people to be able to see who God is.
And guess what?
It’s not just the first disciples who can be windows to let God’s light shine in the world.
We too can choose to follow Jesus and learn what he has taught to his disciples about God.
And as we learn what Jesus taught, then we are learning how to be a window that shines God’s light into the world and helps other people see God better.
Today’s saint of the day is Saint Bartholomew.
His birth and death are unknown, but he is the patron saint of tanners and And book binders.
Bartholomew lived near Bethsaida and was also known as Nathanael.
Philip, his friend, was the disciple of John the Baptist.
One evening, Philip told Nathanael that John the Baptist had pointed out the Messiah as the Redeemer and the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
When Jesus saw the two friends coming, he spoke to Nathanael, Behold, an Israelite indeed in whom there is no evil.
Nathanael did made this act of faith.
Master, you are the Son of God.
You are the King of Israel.
To be so pure and noble that even the Lord considered him without evil is a great honor of Nathanael.
He was honest and simple and strong in his faith.
Nathanael was on the lakeshore when Jesus showed himself at his resurrection.
He and the apostles fished all night, and they caught nothing.
Jesus told them to cast the net once more, and they caught many fish.
After the Ascension, Nathanael preached the gospel in Arabia and India.
He suffered martyrdom in Armenia.
His skin was cut from his living body.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, help us to be a window that shines your light into the world and helps others see you better.
And help us to be honest and simple and strong in faith.
Saint Bartholomew, pray for us.
Amen.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Thank you so much for listening.
We’ll be back tomorrow, scattering more flowers.
See ya.