Episode Details

A meditation for the Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle, from Dom Guéranger’s “The Liturgical Year”, Volume V of the Time after Pentecost.Saint Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael in the Gospel tradition, was one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Our Lord Jesus Christ. A native of Cana in Galilee, he was introduced to Christ by the Apostle Philip, who told him that they had found the Messiah. Initially skeptical, Bartholomew was immediately convinced when Jesus revealed that He had seen him under the fig tree, and he responded with a profound profession of faith, proclaiming Christ to be the Son of God and King of Israel. After Pentecost, tradition holds that Bartholomew preached the Gospel in distant lands, particularly Armenia and regions of the East, where he converted many to Christianity. According to ancient tradition, he was martyred in Armenia by being flayed alive and then beheaded, making his martyrdom one of the most horrific suffered by any of the Apostles. His feast is celebrated on August 24 in the traditional Roman calendar.Please note that Servant of God Dom Prosper Guéranger went to his eternal reward in 1875; at this point, Volumes I-IX (Advent to Pentecost Saturday) had been completed, but Volumes X-XV (Trinity Sunday to Advent) had not yet been completed. Thus, the remaining readings of the Liturgical Year, from Trinity Sunday until Advent, were not directly authored by Dom Prosper, but were the work of his disciple Dom Lucien Fromage. Dom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year, a monumental fifteen-volume work, offers a comprehensive exploration of the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, guiding readers through the spiritual and historical richness of the Church’s worship. Written in the 19th century, the series provides daily meditations, historical context, and liturgical texts for the Mass and Divine Office, covering the entire cycle of seasons—Advent, Christmas, Lent, Passiontide, Easter, and the Time after Pentecost—as well as feast days of saints. Guéranger’s work, rooted in a deep contemplative spirit, aims to immerse the faithful in the Church’s prayerful life, emphasizing the unity of faith through the axiom lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of prayer is the law of belief"), and remains a cherished resource for Catholics seeking to deepen their spiritual lives. Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805–1875) was a French Benedictine monk, liturgical scholar, and founder of the Solesmes Abbey, renowned for his pivotal role in reviving the Benedictine Order in France and restoring the Roman liturgy after the disruptions of the French Revolution. Born in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, he entered the priesthood in 1827 and, inspired by a vision to restore monastic life, reestablished the Benedictine community at Solesmes in 1833, becoming its first abbot. A staunch defender of ultramontanism and traditional Catholic worship, he also championed the revival of Gregorian chant, significantly influencing the liturgical renewal movement.Link to the Dom Guéranger's Liturgical Year playlist (updated daily): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZKdyYnV_bkh7rH6piW0ShgsdcefFoOvJIf you would like to support this channel:  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/InprincipioPodcast PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U5EZ9X2CE2V7W Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/InPrincipioPodcast Zelle: inprincipiopodcast@gmail.com; or search for Zelle tag “inprincipiopodcast”  Checks may be written out to ‘InPrincipio Podcast’ and mailed to: P.O. Box 117 Cedar Ridge, CA 95924Sincere thanks to all who are able to contribute, by your prayers, your patronage, or otherwise. Your support sustains this work and helps make these readings available to others.Artwork: “Saint Bartholomew” by Pinturicchio c.1497Music: Ave Maria (Gregorian chant)From Vesperae de Confessore non Pontifice Performed by Schola Gregoriana, Pallottine Seminary (Ołtarzew, Poland)Conductor: Fr. Dariusz Smolarek