Homily: August 24, 2024: Feast of St. Bartholomew the Apostle (Duplicity)

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 "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." 

Bartholomew the Apostle is Nathanael.

Today’s Gospel account is a moving encounter between Jesus and Nathanael. Nathanael encountered the true Son of God and Jesus encountered the true child of Israel, which also meant a true child of God.

Jesus highlighted the quality that makes Nathanael stand out as being true and real - having no duplicity.

Initially, I thought duplicity meant hypocrisy, a description Jesus often used on the Pharisees. Later I understood the difference.

Hypocrisy is outwardly pretending to agree while inwardly opposing, or outwardly expressing to believe while inwardly is totally in disbelief. A hypocrite would criticize others openly for behavior which they themselves would engage in privately. A hypocrite is the biggest liar, pretending to be good when in truth, he is actually evil. 

Duplicity is having two faces, two sides, often with the intent to deceive or simply hiding the truth. A person with duplicity will agree with one opinion when the situation is favorable, and then agree with another opinion when the situation changes against his favor. He would say two different things to two different people, with an objective to gain advantage from both or to cheat both. A duplicitous person is an actor, he is always fake, never real.

Nathanael was someone who spoke the truth, even if it may not be accepted or agreed upon by others. A true follower of Jesus is called to speak only what he has learned from his Master. He must speak the truth, regardless of people accepting or rejecting it. The message must be the same whether delivered to the rich or the poor, the king or the servant, the powerful or the weak, the supporter or the persecutor.

A true child of God cannot have two faces, he cannot have duplicity.

That is why all the apostles faced persecution in their ministries. The world hated them because they proclaimed the message of Christ without watering it down or compromising its content to make it sweet for those who might not like it. But they never flinched nor tweaked their message, even in the face of torture and death.

Jesus says: “You cannot serve two masters.” Your words must either be yes or no. We have to be authentic, to believe what we know to be true, and to proclaim what we believe, as it is.

Can Jesus look at you and me, and say, “Here is a true child of God; there is no duplicity in him”?

Let us ask for the grace and the courage to stand firm in the teachings of Jesus and to proclaim His Gospel without compromise. Amen.

St. Bartholomew: Pray for us.


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