Philip said to him, "Come and see." // John 1:46
A good friend of mine has a pretty amazing conversion story. He was living a completely secular life among the rich and famous in Los Angeles, when an acquaintance invited him to attend an Easter Vigil Mass. Before that Mass was over, he knew he wanted to become Catholic. He walked away from his previous life entirely, converted, and he’s now a Benedictine monk!
Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Bartholomew (also called Nathanael in the Gospel). He was from Cana of Galilee, and became one of the twelve Apostles. Jesus famously praised him, saying, “In him there is no guile” (John 1:47), which is also translated, “In him there is no duplicity.”
Tradition says Bartholomew preached the Faith and won converts in India and Armenia. There he eventually suffered perhaps the most visually spectacular martyrdom of all the Apostles, being . . . skinned. Saint John Lateran Church in Rome features larger-than-life marble sculptures of each of the Apostles, and Saint Bartholomew’s is particularly memorable, as the saint holds a flaying knife and his own skin! He is the patron saint of Armenia, amongst other places, and of various trades that work with animal skins, including tanners, bookbinders, and shoemakers.
But none of that would have been possible had not his friend Philip said to him, “Come and see” (John 1:46), and brought him to Jesus. That’s what happened to my friend as well. Both of their lives were forever changed by a friend’s invitation.
To whom in our lives could we say, “Come and see”? Maybe it’s an invitation to join us for Mass or Confession. Maybe it’s opening our home, having friends over for dinner, giving them a glimpse into what Catholic family life looks like. Maybe it’s sharing a spiritual book that’s been meaningful to us, or suggesting a faithful Catholic website. You never know how transformational one simple invitation might be.
Kendra Tierney Norton is grateful to be a wife, mother, and stepmother. She lives in the wilds of unincorporated Los Angeles County in a big old fixer-upper house with her husband and a varying number of their combined fourteen children, plus one fish, two cats, and twenty chickens. She likes to say that her goal is keeping Catholicism weird. To that end, she is the author of books including the Catholic All Year Compendium: Liturgical Living for Real Life with Ignatius Press and O Come, Emmanuel: Advent Reflections on the Jesse Tree for Families with Emmaus Road Publishing, the creator of the TV series Catholic All Year At Home on FORMED, and the CEO of Catholic All Year, an apostolate dedicated to helping parents live out their Catholic faith and pass it along to their children.
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