Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle, August 24, 2026

Gospel

John 1:45-51

Philip found Nathanael and told him,

"We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,

and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth."

But Nathanael said to him,

"Can anything good come from Nazareth?"

Philip said to him, "Come and see."

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,

"Here is a true child of Israel.

There is no duplicity in him."

Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"

Jesus answered and said to him,

"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."

Nathanael answered him,

"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Jesus answered and said to him,

"Do you believe

because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?

You will see greater things than this."

And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,

you will see heaven opened and the angels of God

ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Reflection

In today’s Gospel, Nathanael’s first response to Philip’s good news of having found Jesus is one of doubt, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”. I laughed when I read this because I found Nathanael to be relatable. I think we can all remember a time where we were quick to doubt or question something simply because it didn't look the way we expected or was suspicious for whatever reason. I can also understand his confusion. The Messiah was expected to come from Bethlehem, and Nathanael probably never imagined that the Son of God, would be a humble carpenter from Nazareth. What stands out to me, however, is that Nathanael does not allow his doubts to stop him from discovering the truth. When Philip tells him, “Come and see,” Nathanael is willing to go. He approaches Jesus with an open heart, and in that encounter, his doubt is transformed into faith. He goes from asking, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” to proclaiming, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

I think there is an important lesson for us in Nathanael’s willingness to change his mind and allow himself to encounter Jesus. We may have doubts, questions, or expectations about how God should work in our lives. Sometimes we can even miss what God is doing because it does not look the way we expect. Yet God often works through the ordinary and in the places we may be tempted to overlook. What transformation could occur for us if we too were open to God's grace?