Holy Apostle Bartholomew

Life

One of the Twelve great Apostles. By all appearances, Bartholomew and Nathanael are one and the same person. United with the Apostle Philip and Philip's sister, the maiden Mariamne — and for some time with Saint John the Theologian — he preached the Gospel first in Asia, then in India, and finally in Armenia, where he ended his life as a martyr. In Hierapolis these holy apostles by prayer slew a great serpent that the pagans kept in a temple and worshipped. In that same city they by prayer gave sight to Stachys, who had been blind for forty years. Then the crowd rose against them and crucified both Philip and Bartholomew (Bartholomew upside down). At that moment an earthquake occurred, in which the wicked judges and many people perished. Sensing this as the punishment of God, many ran to take the apostles down from the crosses, but Philip had already breathed his last, while Bartholomew was still alive. After this Bartholomew went to India, where he preached and translated the Gospel of Matthew into the Indian language. Then he crossed into Armenia, where he healed the king's daughter of madness. But the king's envious brother Astyages seized the Apostle of God and crucified him on a cross, then had him flayed and finally beheaded in Albanopolis of Armenia. The Christians honorably buried his body in a lead coffin. Since many miracles occurred over his relics, the pagans took the coffin and cast it into the sea. But the water carried the coffin to the Lipari Islands, where Bishop Agathon, by a revelation in a dream, met it and buried it in a church. Saint Bartholomew appeared in the church to the Venerable Joseph the Hymnographer, clothed in white vestments, and blessed him with the Gospel, that he might sing spiritual songs: "Let the waters of heavenly wisdom flow from thy tongue!" He also appeared to Emperor Anastasius (491-518) and told him that he would protect the newly built city of Daras. Later the relics of this great apostle were transferred to Benevento and then to Rome. Over them great and awesome miracles have occurred.

From the Hymn of Praise

A solitary monk in the church at nightBy fervent prayer drives darkness from his soul.Then came a monk, in no way unusual,He too stood and sang, as one skilled in singing.