Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles

Give a Mass Offering

Mass Intentions

7:45 AM – Alice Jastrem / Jo Oliva

Prayer for Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

Readings

First Reading

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the Apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms 19:2-3, 4-5

R. (5) Their message goes out through all the earth.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day;
and night to night imparts knowledge.

R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.

R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Gospel Acclamation

John 14:6b, 9c

R. Alleluia, alleluia. I am the way, the truth, and the life, says the Lord;
Philip, whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

John 14:6-14

Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

“Their message goes out through all the earth.”

— Psalms 19:5

Reflection

Sometimes familiarity with another person is mistaken as true knowledge of that individual. In today’s reading from the Gospel of John, we see Philip say to Jesus, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” I always imagine Jesus just looking blankly at Philip for a moment before he responds, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” All this time poor Philip does not really know with whom he has been speaking.

It seems that Philip and the other Apostles have been looking for more than Christ. Make no mistake, they are pleased and amazed that Christ is in their midst, but they imagine that the Father, the creator, must be even greater.

Understanding that the Father and the Son are one in the same is a difficult concept to master. We, as believers some 2,000 years later, realize the mistake that Philip makes and yet Philip speaks for all humanity as he attempts to comprehend the magnificent complexity of the glory of God, both Father and Son.

Let us learn from Philip that we do come to know the Father each time we hear of the works of the Son. How much the Father loves us to have sacrificed his only begotten Son to save us!

Peace,

Fr. John

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May 3