Word to the Wise
Saturday, May 3, 2025 - May 3 - Sts. Philip and James, Apostles
[1 Cor 15:1-8 and John 14:6-14]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....[1 Corinthians] "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." [John]
Every feast of the apostles brings us face to face with two foundations of our faith. The first foundation is that Jesus called the apostles to continue his message and ministry. St. Paul, in today's first scripture, does exactly that. He hands on what was handed down to him. Apostleship was not confined to the Twelve only. The very word "apostle" comes from a Greek verb meaning to send someone on a mission. The term, "apostolic succession," refers to the continuity of leadership but also to the message that the leaders are expected to proclaim.
This brings us to the second foundation. In the Nicene Creed which we recite every Sunday, we profess faith in a "one, holy, catholic, and APOSTOLIC church. This means continuity in the faith, a union of ourselves with the apostles and those, like St. Paul, who received from the Twelve what they then handed down to others. But we, by virtue of our baptism, also are called to do the same. The Church is not a museum of past beliefs but a present proclamation of the truth of Jesus Christ. The gospel scripture for today promises us the continued support of the Lord in this task. The Body of Christ is a missionary body. We stand on the shoulders of the apostles, but, as Pope Francis reminded us, we are "missionary disciples." The celebration of the memory of Sts. Philip and James ("the Less") is an opportunity to both remember them and then to imitate them! AMEN