Gospel: May 3, 2024
(Friday)
Feast of Sts. Philip and James, Apostles
Psalter: Proper / (Red)
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 19: 2-3, 4-5
This 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:“Jesus has revealed the Father.”
Today’s Gospel narrates about Philip asking Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus answered Philip that whoever has seen him has already seen the Father. The words and actions of Jesus testify to the reality that the Father is in Jesus and that Jesus is in the Father. According to the Prologue of John’s Gospel: “No one has ever seen God but Jesus Christ, who is the only Son of God has revealed the Father.” (Jn. 1:18) Jesus has revealed the Father. Such revelation has been backed up by his very life. Jesus’ followers are also called to make God known in a manner that is being backed up by their very lives and examples. It is always part of our Christian duty to make God known. We are called to make God known in our world today. We are challenged to draw others closer to God by the very life we lead.
