Bartholomew the Apostle

The Collect and Readings

The Collect

Almighty God, who gave to your apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach your word: grant that your church my love that word which he believed and may faithfully preach and receive the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

Isaiah 43, v. 8 – 13

God says, “Summon my people to court. They have eyes, but they are blind; they have ears, but they are deaf! Summon the nations to come to the trial. Which of their gods can predict the future?  Which of them foretold what is happening now? Let these gods bring in their witnesses to prove that they are right, to testify to the truth of their words.

"People of Israel, you are my witnesses; I chose you to be my servant, so that you would know me and believe in me and understand that I am the only God. Besides me there is no other god; there never was and never will be. “I alone am the LORD, the only one who can save you. I predicted what would happen, and then I came to your aid. No foreign god has ever done this; you are my witnesses.               

I am God and always will be. No one can escape from my power; no one can change what I do.”

Acts 5, v. 12 – 16  

Many miracles and wonders were being performed among the people by the apostles. All the believers met together in Solomon's Porch. Nobody outside the group dared to join them, even though the people spoke highly of them. But more and more people were added to the group — a crowd of men and women who believed in the Lord. As a result of what the apostles were doing, sick people were carried out into the streets and placed on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. And crowds of people came in from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing those who were ill or who had evil spirits in them; and they were all healed.

Luke 22, v. 24 – 30

An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be thought of as the greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the pagans have power over their people, and the rulers claim the title ‘Friends of the People’. But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant. Who is greater, the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves? The one who sits down, of course. But I am among you as one who serves.

“You have stayed with me all through my trials; and just as my Father has given me the right to rule, so I will give you the same right. You will eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to rule over the twelve tribes of Israel.