THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Easter, 2023

1Cor15:1-8

Ps 19

John14:6-14

Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles 

Master, show us the Father

There are several people by the name ‘James’ in the gospels. The James of today’s feast is the one referred to as the brother or cousin of Jesus. 

In today’s first reading(1 Cor 15;1-8), Saint Paul lists James as one of those to whom the risen Lord appeared, ‘then he appeared to James, and then to all the Apostles’. James would become a leading member of the church in Jerusalem. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul refers to him as one of the pillars of the church in Jerusalem. Paul and James did not see eye to eye on the issue of the grounds for admitting pagans to the church, with James insisting that they needed to be circumcised and Paul adamant that their faith in Christ was sufficient grounds. Paul was on the right side of Christian history there. James was a man of deep faith, but he had much to learn. 

According to the opening chapter of John’s gospel, Philip was from the town of Bethsaida, on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee and it was he who found Nathanael and called him to Jesus, with the invitation ‘Come and see’. In today’s gospel reading (Jn 14:6-14), Philip says to Jesus, ‘Let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied’. Philip had already come to Jesus and seen him. Yet, he did not realize that in seeing Jesus he was seeing the Father, which is why Jesus says to him, ‘To have seen me is to have seen the Father’. Philip had responded to the call of Jesus and had gone on to bring Nathanael to Jesus, but he too had much to learn; he was still on a journey of discovery about Jesus. Even though he saw Jesus with the eyes of faith, there were greater things he had yet to see, namely, that the Father was living in Jesus and working through Jesus and to see Jesus was to see the Father. 

Like James and Philip, we are all on a journey of discovery about Jesus. There are always ‘greater things’ regarding Jesus we have yet to see. Through the Holy Spirit, the Lord works in our lives to lead us to the complete truth. All he asks is that we are open and responsive to his guidance.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, in your word I find life, truth, and freedom. May I never doubt your word nor forget your commandments. Amen.

+Remain blessed