St. Bartholomew was chosen by Christ one of his twelve apostles,
when he formed that sacred college. * He was with them a witness of our
Lord's glorious resurrection, and his other principal actions on earth, and
was instructed in his divine school, and from his sacred mouth. He is
mentioned among the other disciples who were met together joining in devout
prayer after Christ's ascension and he received the Holy Ghost with the
rest. Having been prepared by the example and instructions of our Redeemer,
and by humble and fervent prayer, he was replenished, in the descent of the
Holy Ghost, with an heroic spirit of humility, mortification, contempt of
the world, compunction, prayer, holy zeal, and burning charity. Thus armed
and filled with the eminent spirit of all virtues, twelve apostles converted
many great nations to Christ, and carried the sound of his name into the
remotest corners of the earth. How comes it that nowadays the apostolic
labors of so many ministers of the divine word produce so little fruit? One
great reason of this difference is, their neglect to obtain of God a large
share in the spirit of the apostles. Their success and the influence of
their words upon the hearts of men depend not upon human prudence,
eloquence, and abilities; the principal instrument of God's grace in
multiplying the fruit of his word in the hearts of men, is the spirit with
which it is announced by those whom he honors with the ministry. Their
sincere disinterestedness, humility, and overflowing zeal and charity give,
as it were, a living voice to that divine faith and virtue which they
preach; and those who take upon them this charge are doubly bound to prepare
themselves for it by strenuously laboring to obtain of Christ this perfect
spirit in the sanctification of their own souls, not to profane their holy
ministry, and destroy the work of God which is committed to their charge.


            St. Bartholomew being eminently qualified by the divine grace to
discharge the functions of an apostle, carried the gospel through the most
barbarous countries of the East, penetrating into the remoter Indies, as
Eusebius * and other ancient writers testify. By the name of Indies, the
ancients sometimes mean only Arabia and Persia; but here they speak of
proper India; for they make mention of the Brachmans of that country, famous
over the whole world for their pretended skill in philosophy, and in the
superstitious mysteries of their idolatry. Eusebius relates that St.
Pantaenus, about the beginning of the third century, going into the Indies
to confute their Brachmans, found there some who still retained the
knowledge of Christ, and showed him a copy of St. Matthew's gospel in
Hebrew, which they assured him that St. Bartholomew had brought into those
parts when he planted the faith among them. This apostle returned again into
the northwest parts of Asia; and met St. Philip at Hierapolis in Phrygia.
Hence he traveled into Lyaconia, where St. Chrysostom affirms that he
instructed the people in the Christian faith; but we know not even the names
of many of the countries to which he preached. We are struck with
astonishment when we call to mind how many prisons the apostles sanctified,
how many dangers they braved, how many vast regions they traveled over, and
how many nations they conquered to Christ; but if we admire their courage,
zeal, and labors, we have still greater reason to wonder and be confounded
at our supine sloth and insensibility, who do nothing for the enlargement of
God's kingdom in others, or even for the sanctification of our own souls. It
is not owing to the want of means or of strength through the divine grace,
but to the want of courage and sincere resolution that we do so little; that
we find no opportunities for exercising charity towards our neighbor, no
time for prayer and recollection of spirit no strength for the practice of
fasting and penance. If we examine into the truth, we shall find that we
blind ourselves by vain pretenses, and that sloth, tepidity, and
indifference have many hindrances, which fervor, resolution, industry, and
contrivance find ways readily to remove. The apostles, who did and suffered
so much for God, still sincerely called themselves unprofitable servants,
made no account of their labors, and were altogether taken up with the
thoughts of what they owed to God, and how infinitely they yet fell short of
this. True love exerts itself beyond what seems possible, yet counts all it
does as nothing.


            St. Bartholomew's last removal was into Great Armenia, where,
preaching in a place obstinately addicted to the worship of Idols, he was
crowned with a glorious martyrdom, as St. Gregory of Tours mentions. * The
modern Greek historians say, that he was condemned by the governor of
Albanopolis to be crucified. Others affirm, that he was flayed alive, which
might well enough consist with his crucifixion; this double punishment being
in use, as we learn from Plutarch and Arrian, not only in Egypt, but also
among the Persians, the next neighbors to these Armenians, who might very
easily borrow from them this piece of barbarous cruelty. Theodorus Lector
says, that the emperor Anastasius having built the city of Duras in
Mesopotamia in 508, caused the relics of St. Bartholomew to be removed
thither. Saint Gregory of Tours assures us that, before the end of the sixth
age they were carried to the isle of Lipari near Sicily. Anastasius the
Librarian informs us * that, in 809 they were translated from Lipari to
Benevento; from whence they were conveyed to Rome in 983, as Baronius
relates. Ever since that time they lie deposited in a porphyry monument
under the high altar, in the famous church of St. Bartholomew, in the isle
of the Tiber, in Rome. An arm of this apostle's body was sent a present by
the bishop of Benevento to St. Edward the Confessor, and by him bestowed on
the cathedral church of Canterbury. Among the many excellent statues which
adorn the cathedral at Milan, none is more justly admired than one of St.
Bartholomew flayed alive, representing the muscles, veins, and other parts
with an inimitable softness and justness, the work of Chr. Cibo. The feast
of St. Bartholomew in ancient Martyrologies is marked on the 24th of August
in the West, but among the Greeks on the 11th of June.


            The characteristical virtue of the apostles was zeal for the
divine glory; the first property of the love of God. A soldier is always
ready to defend the honor of his prince, and a son that of his father; and
can a Christian say he loves God, who is indifferent to his honor? Or can
charity towards his neighbor be lodged in his breast, if he can see him in
danger of perishing, and not endeavor, at least by tears and prayers, to
avert his misfortune. Every faithful servant of God makes the first petition
which our Lord teaches us in his divine prayer, the object of his perpetual
ardent desires and tears, that the God of his heart, and of all creatures,
may be known, perfectly loved, and faithfully served by all; and he never
ceases earnestly to invite, with the royal prophet, all creatures with their
whole strength, and with all their powers, to magnify the Lord with him; but
then it is the first part of his care and prayer that he may himself
perfectly attain to this happiness of devoting to God all the affections of
his soul, and all the actions of his life; and it is to him a subject of
perpetual tears and compunction that he should have ever offended so good a
God, and so kind a Redeemer.