The twelve foundations

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary are those for the feast of Saint Bartholomew, apostle. The Book of Revelation describes the "new Jerusalem" which is the Church. The vision shows that the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Jesus) form the foundations of the Church. Certainly the apostles were the instruments of the will of the Lord as proclaimed by the psalmist to "make known to all people your mighty deeds". In our experience of the intimate relationship with Jesus to which we are invited we may have encountered the Divine in ways similar to Nathanael as described in the passage from the Gospel of John today. The Spirit, who knows our inner being more than we, reveals truth about our nature which is personal revelation. Our indwelling Spirit in resonance with the Spirit of personal revelation gives us the conviction of Nathanael (Bartholomew) that "You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel"! Like the apostles, our lives are to be the vehicle whereby all people come to know the mighty deeds of God.