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Business Mirror, The Philippines
Aug 23 2014
Saint Bartholomew the Apostle skinned alive for spreading his faith
Written by Corazon Damo-Santiago
HE was flayed alive--the skin of his body cut into strips, then pulled
off, leaving his body open and bleeding for a long time, then
beheaded, wrote Fr. Paolo O. Pirlo, SHML, in My First Book of Saints.
Why? Because he was to die the Persian way in the "most barbarous
country of the East" in the ancient times; because he converted
Polymius, the king of Armenia, to Christianity; because Astyages, the
king's brother, ordered his death; because spreading the Catholic
faith is a great crime, noted John Francis Fenion in Saint
Bartholomew, Volume 2 of Catholic Encyclopedia.
Then he was beheadead and crucified.
Bartholomew: True Israelite
BARTHOLOMEW is derived from Aramaic Bar Tolmay, which means "son of
Tolmay," also known as Nathanael. He was born in the 1st century in
Cana, Judea.
One day his friend Philip from Bethsaida told Nathanael, "We have
found the one whom Moses wrote about in the Book of the Law and whom
the prophets also wrote about. He is Jesus, son of Joseph from
Nazareth" (John 1:45).
Bartholomew, characterized as frank and skeptic, was attracted by
Philip's enthusiasm remarked: "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
(John 1:46).
Nevertheless, he went with Philip when he insisted that Bartholomew
come and see Jesus.
Seeing him, Jesus announced that Bartholomew is a true Israelite
incapable of deceit, that made him ask, "How do you know me?"
Jesus' answer that he was under a fig tree before Philip called him
convinced Bartholomew that Jesus, indeed, is the Son of God and King
of Israel. Batholomew witnessed Jesus' Ascencion to heaven.
To spread the word of God, the apostles were assigned to different
countries. Reputed to have introduced Christianity to Armenia (Turkey)
with Saint Jude Thaddeus, both are patron saints of Armenia Apostolic
church. Saints and Angels by Catholic On-Line states that he also
preached in Persia, Egypt and Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), which
"cradled the most ancient civilization of human history." A monastery
named after the saint was built on the site of his martyrdom.
Invoked by various skilled workers
HIS body was washed in the waters, and a large part of the skins and
the bones were deposited in Lipari, Sicily. Many miracles had been
attributed to him in the place.
Foremost of which was when his silver statue was melted on the orders
of fascist officials who raised funds to finance World War II.
When the melted silver was weighed, it registered only a few grams so
the silver was returned to Lipari. In reality, however, it weighed
many kilograms.
On his feast day, the saint's gold-and-silver statue was carried
through town. While men were carrying it downhill, the statue suddenly
became so heavy that they decided to put it down to rest.
When they continued the journey the statue became heavier, so the men
stopped to gain their momentum. On the third time they rested with the
statue, the walls collapsed downhill. Had they carried the image, many
would have been killed.
The miracles seemingly involved weight, so he was made the saint of
tanners. However, he was also invoked by people to be the saint of
butlers, salt merchants, leather industries, shoemakers, bookbinders,
Florentine cheesemakers, and people suffering from neurological
diseases. Saint Bartholomew's relics had been deposited in churches
named to honor him: his arm in Canterbury, England; skull in
Frankfurt, Germany; and body in Lipari.
In 983 some skin and bones were brought to Tiber Church of Saint
Bartholomew in Rome.
The Coptic church commemorates his martyrdom on the first day of the
Coptic calendar, August 29. Eastern Christianity honors him on June
11, and the Roman Catholic Chrurch on August 24.
Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of
Education-National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member
of Mater Redemptoris College, Laguna.
http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/features/faith/37604-saint-bartholomew-the-apostle-skinned-alive-for-spreading-his-faith
Aug 23 2014
Saint Bartholomew the Apostle skinned alive for spreading his faith
Written by Corazon Damo-Santiago
HE was flayed alive--the skin of his body cut into strips, then pulled
off, leaving his body open and bleeding for a long time, then
beheaded, wrote Fr. Paolo O. Pirlo, SHML, in My First Book of Saints.
Why? Because he was to die the Persian way in the "most barbarous
country of the East" in the ancient times; because he converted
Polymius, the king of Armenia, to Christianity; because Astyages, the
king's brother, ordered his death; because spreading the Catholic
faith is a great crime, noted John Francis Fenion in Saint
Bartholomew, Volume 2 of Catholic Encyclopedia.
Then he was beheadead and crucified.
Bartholomew: True Israelite
BARTHOLOMEW is derived from Aramaic Bar Tolmay, which means "son of
Tolmay," also known as Nathanael. He was born in the 1st century in
Cana, Judea.
One day his friend Philip from Bethsaida told Nathanael, "We have
found the one whom Moses wrote about in the Book of the Law and whom
the prophets also wrote about. He is Jesus, son of Joseph from
Nazareth" (John 1:45).
Bartholomew, characterized as frank and skeptic, was attracted by
Philip's enthusiasm remarked: "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
(John 1:46).
Nevertheless, he went with Philip when he insisted that Bartholomew
come and see Jesus.
Seeing him, Jesus announced that Bartholomew is a true Israelite
incapable of deceit, that made him ask, "How do you know me?"
Jesus' answer that he was under a fig tree before Philip called him
convinced Bartholomew that Jesus, indeed, is the Son of God and King
of Israel. Batholomew witnessed Jesus' Ascencion to heaven.
To spread the word of God, the apostles were assigned to different
countries. Reputed to have introduced Christianity to Armenia (Turkey)
with Saint Jude Thaddeus, both are patron saints of Armenia Apostolic
church. Saints and Angels by Catholic On-Line states that he also
preached in Persia, Egypt and Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), which
"cradled the most ancient civilization of human history." A monastery
named after the saint was built on the site of his martyrdom.
Invoked by various skilled workers
HIS body was washed in the waters, and a large part of the skins and
the bones were deposited in Lipari, Sicily. Many miracles had been
attributed to him in the place.
Foremost of which was when his silver statue was melted on the orders
of fascist officials who raised funds to finance World War II.
When the melted silver was weighed, it registered only a few grams so
the silver was returned to Lipari. In reality, however, it weighed
many kilograms.
On his feast day, the saint's gold-and-silver statue was carried
through town. While men were carrying it downhill, the statue suddenly
became so heavy that they decided to put it down to rest.
When they continued the journey the statue became heavier, so the men
stopped to gain their momentum. On the third time they rested with the
statue, the walls collapsed downhill. Had they carried the image, many
would have been killed.
The miracles seemingly involved weight, so he was made the saint of
tanners. However, he was also invoked by people to be the saint of
butlers, salt merchants, leather industries, shoemakers, bookbinders,
Florentine cheesemakers, and people suffering from neurological
diseases. Saint Bartholomew's relics had been deposited in churches
named to honor him: his arm in Canterbury, England; skull in
Frankfurt, Germany; and body in Lipari.
In 983 some skin and bones were brought to Tiber Church of Saint
Bartholomew in Rome.
The Coptic church commemorates his martyrdom on the first day of the
Coptic calendar, August 29. Eastern Christianity honors him on June
11, and the Roman Catholic Chrurch on August 24.
Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of
Education-National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member
of Mater Redemptoris College, Laguna.
http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/features/faith/37604-saint-bartholomew-the-apostle-skinned-alive-for-spreading-his-faith