Feast of Saints Philip and James
(I Corinthians 15:1-8; John 14:6-14)
The readings today were apparently chosen because they
recall the names of the apostles whom we celebrate. The first reading mentions James as one of
the early witnesses of the resurrected Christ.
Some commentators think that James is the so-called “brother of the Lord”
mentioned throughout the New Testament.
If this is the James that St. Paul has in mind, he was probably not a
disciple during Jesus’ ministry and therefore probably not one of the twelve
apostles. The gospels report another apostle
named James besides the son of Zebedee. He
was the son of Alphaeus and is often referred to as “James the Less” because he
was younger or shorter than the son of Zebedee.
Philip the apostle also may be confused with another by the
same name. In the Acts of the Apostles
one of the seven men upon whom the apostles laid their hands was named “Philip.”
(The seven are commonly called “deacons” because their original mission was to
care for the Greek-speaking widows in the primitive church community.) Philip the apostle was a disciple of John the
Baptist who directed him to Jesus.
All this sorting of names is more than just
interesting. It demonstrates that our
faith in the resurrection of Jesus is based on the testimony of real men, not
legends, of whom the Scriptures give account.
The fact that most of those who gave testimony to the resurrection suffered
martyrdom also inspires confidence in the resurrection. Many may think it preposterous to believe
that any human life has a vital existence beyond death. For us, however, it is a necessary
conclusion.
