Today is the feast of St. Bartholomew, also known as
Nathanael, the who Jesus said, “is a true Israelite in whom there is no guile.”
I can’t help thinking of my friend Nathanael, who has clearly inherited the
graces given to his patron, because he is a true Christian, in whom there is no
guile.
Sometimes we are given to share in the special graces given
to our patron. Is that true for you?
At other times, we can look to our patron for inspiration
and prayer. I know that when I was about to become a novice monk, my then Abbot
Joseph asked me to consider taking the name “Bede” and I objected that I was so
much unlike him. “Perhaps, he replied, but St. Bede has what you want.” And
that has been proven true.
Sometimes we might pray to our patrons to ask God to give us
the types of graces that characterized their time on earth. Could this possibly
be true for you as well?
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