St. John’s gospel uses a different name for the apostle St. Bartholomew. It calls him Nathanael, and it relates Christ’s finding that there was “no duplicity in him” (John 1:47). Other translations say that St. Bartholomew had “no guile” or “no deceit.” Not only did St. Bartholomew eschew falsehoods, but he spoke without ulterior motives. He was not trying to control what others were thinking or doing. In other words, he had a habit of speaking the truth openly and accepting the consequences. So, he was neither a manipulator nor a hypocrite. Such an encomium from Christ is not easily won. Let us think long and hard if we really want to be like St. Bartholomew.
Can we be without duplicity before God, without guile and without deceit? Can we own up to the entirety of who we are before Him? Can we follow God’s will immediately, or would we prefer to redirect the intentions of God’s immutable will? How good it would be to practice Ignatian “indifference!” The first principle and foundation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius is that “we must make ourselves indifferent to all created things.” No duplicity, no guile, and no deceit before God.