Sts. Philip and James, Wednesday – 3rd May 2023 — Gospel: Jn 14,6-14
Too slow to Grasp
Today we celebrate the feast of Philip and James, the lesser. Little is known about them. Philip came from the same town as Peter and Andrew which was Bethsaida in Galilee (Jn 1,44). In the first chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus calls Philip directly (Jn 1,43). Immediately after his call he found Nathanael with whom he shared his experience. To Nathanael’s skepticism, Philip responds in the same words that Jesus used as an invitation for the first disciples, “come and see.” Before feeding the five thousand, Jesus tests Philip by asking him how to feed the people. Philip’s response indicates that he fails the test (Jn 6,5-7). Here he expresses skepticism similar to Nathanael. After the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, some Greeks approached Philip with a request to see Jesus (Jn 12,20-21). James is the son of Alphaeus. Not much is known about him except that he was one among the chosen twelve.
In the Gospel, Jesus offered all the revelation that the disciples need to identify the Father. In his ignorance, Philip does not realize that in seeing Jesus he has seen the Father. He does not recognize the revelation that Jesus makes of the Father. The works of Jesus are the works of revelation. They show that the primary aim of God is not to condemn but to save. However, Philip’s question to Jesus shows that he has not fully grasped the mission and ministry of Jesus.
