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Weekday Homilies: Sts. Philip and James, Apostles, 03-05-14
James the Less |
Leonardo Last Supper positions |
Weekday Homilies: Sts. Philip and James, Apostles, 03-05-14
FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2014
Sts. Philip and James, Apostles, 03-05-14
1 Cor 15:1-8 / John 14:6-14
Today we celebrate the feast of two apostles, St. Philip and St. James.
St. Philip was one of the first chosen disciples of Christ. He in turn shared his calling with Nathaniel, saying, “We have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth.” And when Nathaniel in wonder asked, “Can any good come out of Nazareth?” And St. Philip simply answered, “Come and see,” and brought him to Jesus.
St. James (the Lesser), traditional author of the Letter of James, was the son of Alphaeus. Saint Paul tells us that he was favored by a special apparition of Christ after the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7). As the Apostles went forth among the nations to preach the Good News, Saint James remained as Bishop of Jerusalem, where the Jews held him in high veneration for his purity, mortification, and prayer, that they named him the Just. He governed that church for 30 years before his martyrdom.
Yet, like the rest of the apostles, St. Philip and St. James also took a while to understand who Jesus was and who He really was.
As we heard in the gospel, St. Philip asked Jesus to let them see the Father and they shall be satisfied. We could almost hear Jesus sighing as He commented that they still do not know Him.
As we also heard in the 1st reading, after His resurrection, Jesus seemed to have made a special appearance to St. James and then to the rest of the apostles.
It was after His resurrection that the apostles began to understand who Jesus really was and that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Just like how the St. Philip and St. James and the rest of the apostles were called and sent forth to preach the Good News, we too are called and sent.
Just like the apostles had to slowly come to an understanding of who Jesus is and that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, we too must come to that understanding of who Jesus is.
The apostles were ordinary men who trusted and loved Jesus and led holy lives worthy of their calling.
May we too love Jesus deeply, pray faithfully and live lives worthy of the Good News of Lord.
Today we celebrate the feast of two apostles, St. Philip and St. James.
St. Philip was one of the first chosen disciples of Christ. He in turn shared his calling with Nathaniel, saying, “We have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth.” And when Nathaniel in wonder asked, “Can any good come out of Nazareth?” And St. Philip simply answered, “Come and see,” and brought him to Jesus.
St. James (the Lesser), traditional author of the Letter of James, was the son of Alphaeus. Saint Paul tells us that he was favored by a special apparition of Christ after the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7). As the Apostles went forth among the nations to preach the Good News, Saint James remained as Bishop of Jerusalem, where the Jews held him in high veneration for his purity, mortification, and prayer, that they named him the Just. He governed that church for 30 years before his martyrdom.
Yet, like the rest of the apostles, St. Philip and St. James also took a while to understand who Jesus was and who He really was.
St. Philip - right |
As we also heard in the 1st reading, after His resurrection, Jesus seemed to have made a special appearance to St. James and then to the rest of the apostles.
It was after His resurrection that the apostles began to understand who Jesus really was and that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Just like how the St. Philip and St. James and the rest of the apostles were called and sent forth to preach the Good News, we too are called and sent.
Just like the apostles had to slowly come to an understanding of who Jesus is and that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, we too must come to that understanding of who Jesus is.
The apostles were ordinary men who trusted and loved Jesus and led holy lives worthy of their calling.
May we too love Jesus deeply, pray faithfully and live lives worthy of the Good News of Lord.
Posted by Rev Fr Stephen Yim at 5/02/2014 10:03:00 PM
Philip & James by Greco |
Saints PHILIP and JAMES
Apostles
Apostles
Philip was one of the first chosen Disciples of Christ. On the way from Judea to Galilee Our Lord found Philip, and said, "Follow me" Philip straightway obeyed; and then in his zeal and charity sought to win Nathaniel also, saying, "We have found him of whom Moses and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth;" and when Nathaniel in wonder asked, "Can any good come out of Nazareth?" Philip simply answered, "Come and see," and brought him to Jesus.
Another characteristic saying of this apostle is preserved for us by St. John. Christ in his last discourse had spoken of his Father; and Philip exclaimed, in the fervor of his thirst for God, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough"
St. James the Less, the author of an inspired epistle, was also one of the Twelve. St. Paul tells us that he was favored by a special apparition of Christ after the Resurrection. On the dispersion of the apostles among the nations, St. James was left as Bishop of Jerusalem; and even the Jews held in such high veneration his purity, mortification, and prayer, that they named him the Just.
The earliest of Church historians has handed down many traditions of St. James's sanctity. He was always a virgin, says Hegesippus, and consecrated to God. He drank no wine, wore no sandals on his feet, and but a single garment on his body. He prostrated himself so much in prayer that the skin of his knees was hardened like a camel's hoof. The Jews, it is said, used out of respect to touch the hem of his garment. He was indeed a living proof of his own words, "The wisdom that is from above first indeed is chaste, then peaceable, modest, full of mercy and good fruits."
He sat beside St. Peter and St. Paul at the Council of Jerusalem; and when St. Paul at a later time escaped the fury of the Jews by appealing to Cæsar, the people took vengeance on James, and crying, "The just one hath erred," stoned him to death.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
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