Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saints Philip and James, two of the apostles called by Jesus.  For centuries, the Catholic Church had special feasts to honor only four of the apostles: Sts. Peter and Paul, St. John the Evangelist, and St. Andrew, the brother of Peter. The Church memorialized the remaining apostles all together on June 29. But in the sixth century, the bodies of Sts. Philip and James were brought to Rome from the East and were laid to rest in the Basilica of the Holy Apostles. Since they arrived together at the same location, the Church instituted a single feast day for both apostles.

St. James is often referred to as “St. James the Lesser” to distinguish him from the other apostle named James, who was the brother of John.  This nickname likely refers to his younger age, not that he was any less important.  Tradition says the James is the author of the epistle in the New Testament.  St. James became the bishop of the Church of Jerusalem and played a central role in the Church’s first council.  In 62 A.D., the Jewish leaders accused James of breaking the Law. After refusing to deny the claim that Jesus was the Messiah, he was pushed from the top of the Temple battlements.  

St. Philip was one of the first of the 12 apostles called by Christ.  After Jesus had asked Peter and Andrew to follow him, he next asked Philip.  John's Gospel says, "Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, 'Follow Me.'" (Jn 1:43)  Philip brought his friend Nathanael to Jesus, insisting that he had found the person about who Moses had written.  Philip followed Jesus throughout his ministry.  He was present at the wedding feast of Cana.  In the story of the Loaves and Fishes, Philip was the one who Jesus proposed the difficulty of feeding the multitudes.  In the end, he was martyred for his faith in Christ in Greece.  He was scourged, imprisoned, and ultimately crucified upside down in 62 A.D.  

 

Deacon Joe Trevino

St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church

Houston, TX