Why St. Bartholomew Is Shown Holding His Own Skin

About this sermon

Today we celebrate St. Bartholomew the Apostle, traditionally identified with Nathanael in the Gospel of St. John. When Philip told Nathanael that he had found the Messiah, Nathanael did not immediately believe him. He wanted evidence. Yet when Christ revealed that He had seen him beneath the fig tree, Nathanael immediately confessed: “Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God.” St. Bartholomew gives us an important lesson: the Christian should be neither gullible nor stubborn. We should not believe every claim too quickly, but neither should we refuse the truth when God gives us sufficient reason to believe. After the Resurrection, Bartholomew preached the Gospel in India and Armenia. Tradition holds that he was eventually flayed alive, which is why Christian art so often depicts him holding his own skin. But this horrific image teaches something profoundly Christian: what the world intends as humiliation, suffering, and defeat, God can transform into glory. Even the instruments of a martyr’s torture become signs of victory. We also hear of a remarkable later miracle in which a procession honoring St. Bartholomew was delayed—saving the participants when the city walls suddenly collapsed. St. Bartholomew the Apostle, pray for us! 00:00 St. Bartholomew, Also Called Nathanael 00:45 Bartholomew and Philip 01:01 Philip Calls Nathanael to Christ 01:31 “Can Anything Good Come From Nazareth?” 01:40 “Come and See” 01:48 Christ Sees Nathanael Under the Fig Tree 01:56 “Rabbi, You Are the Son of God” 02:11 St. Bartholomew Was Not Gullible 03:00 Neither Gullible Nor Stubborn 03:30 Nathanael After the Resurrection 04:07 St. Bartholomew Preaches in India 04:23 His Mission in Armenia 04:39 Flayed Alive for Christ 05:12 St. Bartholomew in Christian Art 05:19 St. Bartholomew in the Sistine Chapel 05:27 Patron of Tanners & Leather Workers 05:43 Why Saints Are Shown With Instruments of Martyrdom 06:00 God Turns Disaster Into Glory 06:17 Instruments of Torture Become Symbols of Victory 06:43 St. Peter’s Humiliation Becomes Glory 07:07 The Supernatural Faith of the Church 07:22 A Miracle of St. Bartholomew’s Intercession 07:46 The City Walls Collapse 08:02 How the Procession Was Saved 08:25 What the Saints Teach Us 08:40 God Turns Suffering to Our Ultimate Good 08:55 Mediatrix Press Book Club 09:02 Free Hardcover Book 09:10 Monthly Newsletter 09:27 Exclusive Interviews & Q&A 09:34 Unlimited Audiobooks 09:50 Bonus Book Offer https://sensusfidelium.us/the-liturgical-year-dom-prosper-gueranger/august/august-24-st-bartholomew-apostle-and-martyr/ Please remember to say 3 Hail Marys for the priest 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 #StBartholomew #SaintBartholomew #Nathanael #CatholicSaints #Apostles #Catholic #CatholicChurch #Martyrdom #ChristianMartyrs #CatholicFaith #CatholicHistory #SaintOfTheDay #SistineChapel #Christianity #SensusFidelium