20th Week in Ordinary Time
24th August 2023 (Thursday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 4
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Revelation 21:9b-14
An angel spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 17-18 (R. see 12ab)
R/. Your saints, O Lord, make known the glory of your reign.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : John 1:45-51
At that time: Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Highlight: The real beauty!
Guidlines: In a world that is increasingly beauty-conscious, we need to rediscover that real beauty is not something external but is deeply interior, of heart and character{alertSuccess}
1. “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!’ This compliment of Jesus is one of the best compliments a person can receive and that too from Jesus himself. And that person is St Bartholomew who is the Nathanael in the gospel.
2. We celebrate his feast today. The expression “an Israelite indeed” can be understood in two ways: one, he is a genuine Israelite among the people of Israel; thus it refers to an individual Israelite who is guileless; the other sense indicates the very nature and identity of an Israelite; that is, an Israelite is not only one who belongs to the people of Israel but one who is essentially a guileless person.
3. Thereby, a true Israelite is without guile. Certain expressions in the first reading from Revelation 21. 9-14 are very suggestive of this trait. They are the ‘glory of God’, ‘radiance like a rarest jewel’, and ‘clear as crystal’. Therefore, one who is guileless will shine with the glory of God, be radiant and clear.
4. How many today can receive the same compliment from Jesus? Behold a true person among the Christians in whom there is no guile! Behold a true Christian because there is no guile! The world of today is overridden by guile and malice. Pretensions and deception are the order of the day. The hearts of many are highly contaminated and corrupt.
5. To be guileless is to be free from anything malicious or negative. Positively, it is to be pure of heart. This is one of the greatest Beatitudes of the Lord: “Blessed are pure of heart! They shall see God”. This implies that purity of heart enables one to see God. It is the eye that gives the clarity of sight.
6. From this, we understand the reason why many today are not able to see God, His presence, His love, His care, His power, His light, and His will. And those who fail to see God also fail to see others as they are in the bond of fraternity as one family.
Practice: Celebration of the feast of the saint is not only a call to venerate and appreciate him for his life and virtue but also a challenge to imitate and emulate him in what distinguishes him. That is his guilelessness!{alertSuccess}