Reading 1
1 Cor 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.
Gospel
Jn 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.”
Meditation: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
Sts. Philip and James
Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3)
Little is known about Philip and James, the apostles whom we commemorate today. According to the Gospel of John, Philip came from Bethsaida, “the town of Andrew and Peter,” and may have been a friend or business partner of theirs (John 1:44). Before the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, Jesus asked Philip how they should feed the crowd. Philip, a businessman, calculated what it would cost and concluded that it simply could not be done (6:5-7).
Philip was just as straightforward in persuading Nathanael to meet Jesus. When his friend doubted Jesus’ credentials, Philip simply said, “Come and see” (John 1:46). Other than a few other limited references, however, Philip appears nowhere else in the New Testament. (He is not the same Philip who was a deacon in the early church—Acts 6:5; 8:6.)
We know even less about James, the son of Alphaeus. He is even called “the younger” or “lesser” to distinguish him from the other James, who was John’s brother. Some traditions consider him to be the same James who led the early Jerusalem community (Acts 15; Galatians 1:19; 2:9), but his identity still remains obscure.
It shouldn’t surprise us that even though little is known about these men, they are still considered apostles and saints. Jesus didn’t choose them because of their leadership abilities or theological prowess. He called regular people with jobs, homes, and families. They had met the Son of God, and their lives would never be the same again.
The Greek word apostolos means “one who is sent forth.” The amazing thing is that each of us has been called and sent forth to announce his gospel. Jesus has a special plan and calling for you, just as he did for Philip and James. And that plan begins with the promise that you can know his love deeply. After all, you can’t give what you don’t have! So today in prayer, quiet your heart and mind, and let Jesus show you his love. As he does, he will also show you his calling.
“Lord, as I spend time with you today, show me your loving kindness, and empower me to witness to others who need to know your love.”
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