SATURDAY, SECOND WEEK OF EASTER
Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles
1 Cor 15: 1-8 Ps 19: 2-5 Jn 14: 6-14
OUR FAITH’S FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH
Today we celebrate the feast of the apostles Philip and James. The incidents involving Philip in John’s Gospel shed light on the intimate companionship he enjoyed with Jesus. As for James (the son of Alphaeus, not of Zebedee), he played a crucially important role during the early years of Christianity. He is traditionally considered to have been the first Bishop of Jerusalem.
Our vocation to Christian discipleship is a special gift we have received, and the manner in which we respond to it is our gift to God. Today’s feast as well as the readings remind us that God chooses whomever he wishes without any merit of our own. Once we become members of His family, He gradually transforms us. Throughout the process however, our freedom is not taken away. The words of our Lord: “Have I been so long a time with you and have you not known Me? Philip, he that sees Me sees the Father also,” is a challenge to introspect the quality of our relationship with Jesus who invites us to participate in his own mission of revealing the heavenly Father through the transformation of self we need to undergo every day.
Paul insists that we are saved through the proclamation of the Gospel, provided we hold firmly to it. He reiterates the fundamental truth of our faith; that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day. Therefore, working out our salvation, as we are called to do, does not mean earning redemption through our own merits. Rather, it means building our spiritual lives on this foundational truth of the sacrifice of Christ for the salvation of the world. Recognizing Jesus’ sacrifice inspires gratitude and motivates us to live in a way that honours Him. Furthermore, it compels us to share the Gospel with others, inviting them as well to respond to the divine call.
Response: Their sound goes forth through all the earth.
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