His Word Today: Saints Philip and James

Good morning everyone,

Today, we pray with Saints Philip and James, two of the apostles who were called by Jesus to follow him.  In fact, the gospel of John describes the calling of Saint Philip as taking place the day after Jesus had called Andrew and Peter (cf Jn 1:35-43): after Jesus had decided to leave for Galilee, he met Philip and said, 'Follow me'.  Philip came from ... Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote ... (Jn 1:44-45).  From the very beginning, Philip was outgoing, zealous to share the good news that he had discovered.

Saint James the Lesser, one of the brothers of Saint Jude was from Cana in Galilee.  He is credited with the writing of one of the Epistles in the New Testament (otherwise known as the Letter of James).  He was one of those who witnessed an apparition of the risen Christ (cf 1 Cor 15:7).  After the ascension of the Lord, James was made Bishop of Jerusalem, a responsibility which he fulfilled for thirty six years.  Like many of the early Christians, James was encouraged to deny the divinity of Christ, but when he refused to do so, the Jews sought to stone him, then took him to the pinnacle of the temple and cast him off.  As he lay half dead, with legs broken by the fall, he lifted his hands toward heaven and prayed to God for the salvation of his enemies, saying: Lord, forgive them for they know not what they do!

Philip and James are not so different from you and me.  Like the other apostles, they struggled at times to comprehend Jesus' teachings.  While Jesus was speaking about the relationship he has with God the Father, Philip voiced his concern: Master, show us the Father and that will be enough for us (Jn 14:8).  As we celebrate their feast day today, let us ask these two apostles to inspire us so that we too can truly appreciate the treasure we have discovered in Jesus.  Let us also ask these holy men to help us hear the Lord's invitation for us to follow him and generously spread the joy of knowing Jesus with those we encounter.

Have a great day.