Saint Bartholomew

I have always liked the name of Saint Bartholomew. Some religious orders have their priests and brothers take the name of a saint. I thought that if I ever became a religious I would like the name Bartholomew, mainly because of how it sounds. All we know about Saint Bartholomew is that "he was born in Cana. He was brought to Jesus by the apostle Philip. After the Ascension of the Lord, he is said to have preached the Gospel in India where he was rewarded with the crown of martyrdom" (Magnificat, 333). Like another commentator wrote, "Bartholomew is one of the 'anonymous' apostles: all the personal details of his life have disappeared behind the Gospel he proclaimed. Like John the Baptist, he decreased to nothing so that Christ might increase" (Magnificat, 331). That is very important because the message of Christ needs to get out. We cannot interfere with the message so we are to decrease and let the good news of Jesus Christ increase. We are to be a shining example to others. Let us not be afraid to proclaim the Good News, not just with words, but with our very lives. May Saint Bartholomew intercede for us! God Bless!!!