Word to the Wise
Thursday, May 3, 2018 - May 3 - Sts. Philip and James, Apostles
[1 Cor 15:1-8 and John 14:6-14]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. [1 Corinthians]
The feast of the apostles Philip and James the Lesser allows us a "breather" from our reflections on the Farewell Discourse. However, the Gospel According to John records an incident involving the apostle Philip. I want to reflect today on that passage and on words from St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians which is the first scripture for today.
Every Sunday we make the Profession of Faith contained in the Nicene Creed. In that creed we profess faith in a church that is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. That last word is what anchors the community of faith in a tradition that was begun and sustained by Jesus' original followers, the apostles, who are referred to after his resurrection as the Twelve. Although we know very little about James, son of Alpheus, the other apostle, Philip, is mentioned a number of times in the gospels. In the Gospel According to John, Philip is approached by a group of Greek-speaking Jews who say to him, "Sir, we would like to see Jesus." [John 12:21] This line is important for all of us who are baptized. We are in the position of the apostles when it comes to the first approach of many people.
The passage from St. Paul echoes other lines from the creed, especially the words, "in accordance with the scriptures." It is the role of the apostle to proclaim the truths of the faith "in accordance with the scriptures.". Pope Francis and all the other bishops of the church are considered to be the successors to the apostles, and they are a guarantee of our continuity in faith. But the task of discipleship belongs to all of us. What will we say to those who ask us, "We would like to see Jesus?" AMEN