Today, we celebrate two of the twelve apostles: Philip and James the Lesser. We know that James is the son of Alphaeus, but we do not know much else about him. He is known as James the Lesser to distinguish him from the other apostle named James, James the Greater, who was the son of Zebedee.
Philip came from Bethsaida in Galilee, the same town as Peter and Andrew. We hear of Jesus’ interaction with Philip in the story of the feeding of the crowds with the multiplication of the loaves and the fish as told in the Gospel of John. Jesus asks Philip about where they can get bread for the people to eat, which the Gospel notes was asked by Jesus in order to test him. These stories about Philip and the other apostles are told to illustrate how they were able to grow in their faith and collaborate with Jesus in his ministry.
We see some of Philip’s curiosity in today’s Gospel. Jesus is telling the disciples about his relationship with the Father. In response, Philip wants Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus tells Philip that if one has seen Jesus, he has indeed seen the Father. We might have a similar curiosity about our faith. We may want to see more and want more explanation. A curious mind and the questions we ask will help us in our search for God.
As we celebrate Philip and James the Lesser today, we look back to the Early Church and to the diverse group of the faithful who have been on the journey of faith throughout history. May we always see the saints as our friends who are helping us with their prayers and intercessions along our journey.
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