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St Bartholomew, Fingest

Palm Sunday

 
Saint Bartholomew

Bartholomew is listed in the Bible as being one of the twelve apostles, and so one of the closest friends of Jesus, but that apart, we know little more about him.

It is possible that he was the same person as Nathaniel, the man whom Philip brought to Jesus as mentioned in St. John's Gospel, whom Jesus described as "an Israelite, in whom there is no guile."

Later traditions suggest that he preached in Asia Minor, northern India, and in Albanopolis in Armenia on the shores of the Caspian Sea, where he was flayed alive and then beheaded. The symbol for St. Bartholomew is three flaying knives on a red background.

His Feast Day is 24th August, and below are some biblical references to St. Bartholomew:

Matthew 10:1-4 (NRSV)
Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

Acts 1: 13, 14 (NRSV)
When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the Mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

Collect for the Feast Day of St Bartholomew - 24th August, taken from the Book of Common Prayer

O Almighty and everlasting God, who didst give to thine Apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach thy Word: Grant we beseech thee, unto thy Church, to love that Word which he believed, and both to preach and receive the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.