Exemplars of Our Faith (Liturgical Year A - 20th Sunday)

Monday marks the Memorial of Pope Saint Pius X. He is sometimes referred to as 'the Pope of the Holy Eucharist' as it was he who decreed that children should receive their First Holy Communion as soon as they were capable, through reason, of acknowledging that, at the Consecration, the Bread and wine, though appearing unchanged to the senses of sight, touch, taste and smell, were completely changed into Jesus Himself, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.
 
Thanks to this Pope our children have the great joy and privilege of receiving Jesus round about the age of 7. St Pius X also worked hard, as Pope, to ensure that those who sought to deny or 'water down' the Church's Teachings were not allowed to mislead the Faithful, who had the right to receive the whole Truth, challenging though this can be. Having worked tirelessly to achieve a peaceful resolution to the then growing hostilities in Europe, he died, some say of a broken heart, in 1914.
 
On Tuesday we celebrate the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, acknowledging Mary as Mother and Queen. Jesus, as He hung, Dying on the Cross, gave her to us (in the person of the Apostle, John) as our very own Mother. In the 5th Glorious Mystery of the Most Holy Rosary, we meditate on Her Coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth. How seriously do we take Mary’s Queenship? How often do we call on her ever available help in following God? How apt the words of St Louis Marie de Montfort, “to Jesus through Mary”.

Then, on Thursday, with Masses at 7.30am and 10am as usual, we come together to celebrate the Feast of the Patron Saint of our own parish, Saint Bartholomew. His name comes from the Aramaic ‘bar-Tȏlmay’, meaning ‘son of Talmai’.

One of the twelve Apostles, acknowledged by Our Lord as being 'one without guile' (meaning totally honest), Bartholomew would die a Martyr's Death. Little is known about him. He is commonly linked to Nathanael, who is mentioned only in the Gospel of John, noted for his remark to Philip, concerning the finding of the Messiah, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip then invites Nathanael to “come and see.” Interestingly, in the synoptic Gospels, that is those of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Philip and Bartholomew are mentioned together.

The mosaic of St. Bartholomew over the main entrance to our church

Take a look at the mosaic above the central door of our church. Here we see Saint Bartholomew, portrayed holding a flaying knife. He accepted the fate of being skinned alive rather than deny God! This gruesome death led him to be declared the Patron Saint of tanners, that is those who convert animal skins into materials such as leather.

In an age when there is often determined opposition to, and rejection of, the Church's Teachings, especially in the area of Morality, we can never have too many of these exemplary helpers! May we never be led astray but, rather, may we, through the Examples and Prayers of Our Lady and the Saints, live so as to, through our example, '...bring home the lost sheep...'.
 
Saint Bartholomew, pray for us.