+ Today we celebrate the feast of two Apostles of the Lord: personal friends of his, eyewitness of his resurrection and among twelve sent to proclaim the power and reality of this newness of life to the whole world. Philip is from Bethsaida and is the patron saint of Uruguay. At the feeding of the five thousand, it is Phillip who tells the Lord that they have only two hundred denarii worth of bread to feed so many. Since he had a Greek name, it is not surprising that the Greeks came to him looking for Jesus. At the Last Supper it was Phillip who asked Jesus to show the Twelve the father – which was the opportunity for Jesus to teach very plainly and clearly that he who sees him (Jesus) sees also the Father. He is listed among those waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room on Pentecost. At his death his remains were said to have been brought to Rome and place in the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles, a church originally dedicated to both Phillip and James – thus the reason why their feasts are celebrated together on this day.
St. James the Lesser, was the son of Alphaeus, and his mother Mary was present at the Cross on Good Friday. Almost nothing else is known about him. But he has been identified with James of Jerusalem who was described as the "brother" (cousin) of the Lord, and who presided over the council of Jerusalem. He was sentenced to death by the Sanhedrin in the year 62.
This combined feast day was originally celebrated on May 1, but was changed first to May 11, in 1955, then again to May 3, in 1969.
The power of this feast lies in one of the most quoted and important statements in Scripture: Jesus says to Thomas (and Phillip and James) I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE; but in answer to Phillip's question: WHOEVER HAS SEEN ME, HAS SEEN THE FATHER! for the way leads to him, the Father; the truth is about him, the Father; and the life is him, the Father! Alleluia!
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