Gospel: May 3, 2025
May 3, 2025 (Saturday)
Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles
Psalter: Proper / (Red)
Ps 19:2-3, 4-5
Their message goes out through all the earth.
1st Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, of the Good News that I preached to you, and which you received, and on which, you stand firm. By that gospel, you are saved, provided that you hold to it, as I preached it. Otherwise, you will have believed in vain. In the first place, I have passed on to you what I, myself, received: that Christ died for our sins, as Scripture says; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve. Afterward, he appeared to more than 500 brothers and sisters together; most of them are still alive, although some have already gone to rest. Then he appeared to James, and after that, to all the apostles. And last of all, he appeared to the most despicable of them, this is, to me.
Gospel: John 14:6-14
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me. If you know me, you will know the Father also; indeed, you know him, and you have seen him.” Philip asked him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that is enough.” Jesus said to him, “What! I have been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever sees me sees the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? All that I say to you, I do not say of myself. The Father who dwells in me is doing his own work.
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; at least believe it on the evidence of these works that I do. Truly, I say to you, the one who believes in me will do the same works that I do; and he will even do greater than these, for I am going to the Father. Everything you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Indeed, anything you ask, calling upon my name, I will do it.
Reflection:
“Whoever sees me sees the Father.”
Saint Paul says that Jesus is the image of the unseen God (Col 1:15). This reflects Christ’s own teaching to the apostles, in answer to Philip’s request: “Lord, show us the Father, and that is enough.” The Persons of the Trinity are One, and so the one nature of God shines through each Person, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Thus, Jesus replies, “Whoever sees me sees the Father.” Jesus is not simply a wise teacher or wonder worker. He is Lord and God, and it is for this reason that Saints Philip and James dedicated their whole lives to proclaiming salvation through his Name, even to the shedding of their blood. In parish ministry I would pray with the sick and the dying Jesus’ words “I am the way, the truth and the life.” I was often struck by the depth of faith that they would pray these words, seeing in them their hope, their comfort and their salvation. Just as Philip and James looked to Christ and saw their way to the Father, so do we. Let’s pray for all who are sick and dying, that they might not fear, but trust in Christ, their way to eternal life.
