I was interested to read just the other day that for the first quarter of the Church’s existence only four Apostles were given feast days: Ss. Peter, Paul, Andrew, and John. In 560, the relics of Ss. Philip and James were formally brought to the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles (Santi Dodici Apostoli) in Rome and placed under the high altar there. To commemorate the event, today’s feast was added to the Church calendar.
Like the other Apostles, James and Philip played essential roles in building up the Church. Philip preached to the Scythians in what is now southern Russia and Ukraine and northern Iran. For his part, James remained in Jerusalem, where he served as head of the church there until he was martyred around AD 62.
The fact that we are celebrating a missionary and a bishop on the same day shows us that Our Lord’s Apostles were a diverse set of individuals. Each of them followed the path God had laid out for them with humility and perseverance. Today’s feast also shows us two different but related ways that we ourselves can deepen our faith.
James is probably the better known of these two Apostles because of the New Testament letter that bears his name. In that letter, James makes it clear that faith must be paired with action (2:14-19).
When Jesus invited Philip to follow him, Philip was so excited that he encouraged his friend Nathanael (aka Bartholomew) to do the same. As we see in today’s Gospel, Philip never stopped seeking a deeper understanding of the Lord. He felt free to ask Jesus questions because he wanted his faith to have the strongest foundation possible. That foundation likely became his main support in all his missionary travels.
And so today we commemorate two very different Apostles, a missionary and a pastor. Two very important themes, deepening our faith and pairing that faith with action. Taken together, Philip and James show us that the Christian life is meant to change our actions and our inner thoughts and understanding. May we always follow their example.
Dum Tacet Clamat 