THE TWELVE FOUNDATION STONES

The angel came to speak to me, and said, 'Come here and I will show you the bride that the Lamb has married.' In the spirit, he took me to the top of an enormous high mountain and showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven. It had all the radiant glory of God and glittered like some precious jewel of crystal-clear diamond. The walls of it were of a great height, and  had twelve gates; at each of the twelve  gates there was an angel, and over the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; on the east there were three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.  The city walls stood on twelve foundation stones, each one of which bore the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Mass Readings

Saint Batholomew

Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, 'We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law; the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth. 'From Nazareth?' said Nathaniel 'Can anything good come from that place?' 'Come and see' replied Philip. When Jesus saw Nathaniel coming he said of him, 'There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.' 'How do you know me?' said Nathaniel. 'Before Philip came to call you,' said Jesus 'I saw you under the fig tree.' Nathaniel answered, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.' Jesus replied, 'You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.' And then he added 'I tell you most solemnly, you will see  heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.' 

Lord Jesus Christ, each day you call me.  I know I am not worthy, you are my Shepherd, I your little lamb. Remove from my life any obstacle that may hinder my hearing your voice. Give the grace to obey your voice.