May 3rd - Sts. Phillip and James, Apostles.
(James is also known as Giacomo, Jacobo, Jacques)
1st century; feast day formerly on May 1. Philip was born in Bethsaida,
Galilee, and may have been a disciple of Saint John the Baptist. He is
mentioned as one of the Apostles in the lists of Matthew (10:3), Mark
(3:18), Luke (6:14), and in Acts (1:13). Aside from the lists, he is
mentioned only in John in the New Testament, where he has the gift of
raising the questions everyone else is afraid to ask, and appears to be a
careful, level-headed man. Philip was called by Jesus Himself (John
1:43-48)
on the day after Saint Peter and Andrew and began his evangelizing efforts
by bringing Nathaniel (a.k.a. Bartholomew) to Jesus. Philip also shows us
a
bit about how to evangelize: When Nathaniel ask, "Can anything good come
from Nazareth?" He appeals for a personal inquiry: "Come and see."
Philip was present at the miracle of the loaves and fishes (John 6:1-15),
when he engaged in a brief dialogue with the Lord (John 6:5-7), and was
the
Apostle approached by the Hellenistic Jews from Bethsaida to introduce
them
to Jesus (John 12:21ff). Just before the Passion, Jesus answered Philip's
query to show them the Father (John 14:8ff), but no further mention of
Philip is made in the New Testament beyond his listing among the apostles
awaiting the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room (Acts 1:13).
According to tradition, he preached in Greece and was crucified upside
down
at Hierapolis in Phrygia under Emperor Domitian, c. 80 AD. Philip's
alleged
relics were translated to Rome and placed in the Basilica of the Twelve
Apostles, where an ancient inscription records that it was originally
dedicated to Saints Philip and James. The Golden Legend says that Philip
drove away a dragon of the Temple of Mars with the Cross. Some later
traditions develop the role of Philip's supposed daughters in the early
Church, but many of these confuse today's saint with Philip the Deacon
(cf.
Acts 8; 21:8).
James, the son of Alphaeus and Mary, is named in the same lists of
Apostles
in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and in Acts 1:13 is one of the other apostles
in
the Upper Room in Jerusalem after Christ's Ascension. James is mentioned
as
one of the "brothers" (parthenos) of the Lord (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3) with
Joseph, Simon, and Jude and is called the "brother of the Lord" (most
likely
meaning a first cousin) in Galatians 1:19. It was to James that Peter
wanted
the news of his miraculous escape transmitted (Acts 12:17), and James
seems
to have been regarded as the head of the primitive Church of Jerusalem. He
was the one who suggested that only four Jewish practices be imposed on
Gentile Christians (Acts 15:13-21), beginning this statement with the
words,
"It seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us. . . ." Paul re****ted to him
and
sought his approval several times.
This James seems to be the James of the Epistle of James who opens the
letter by calling himself "servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,"
which may indicate it was an official Church title; James uses the tone of
authority of one well known in the Church and accustomed to wielding
authority.
Traditionally, biblical exegetes have considered James, the son of
Alphaeus,
as the same James called "the brother of the Lord," the James who speaks
with the voice of authority in the early Church; many modern scholars,
however, hold that there may have been two men named James, one the son of
Alphaeus and one of the Twelve, and the other "the brother of the Lord"
and
author of the epistle. Among the reasons cited is that James speaks of the
Apostles in the past tense and does not identify himself as an Apostle;
the
apparent distinction between this James and the Apostle James in 1
Corinthians 15:7; and the elegant Greek literary style used that the
author
of the epistle, which is unlikely to be that of a Galilean peasant.
The name "James the Less" is usually applied to James the son of Alphaeus,
because of the reference in Mark 15:40, where he is called "James the
Less"
or "James the Younger." According to the converted Jew Heggesippus, a
2nd-century ecclesiastical historian, James was thrown from the pinnacle
of
the Temple in Jerusalem by the Pharisees and then stoned to death about
the
year 62 AD. The contem****ary Jewish historian Josephus records that the
bishop James was stoned to death. Ancient legendary sources recorded in
the
Golden Legend say that he was killed by the blow of a fuller's club after
his fall from the temple. He lived just long enough to forgive his
killers.
This James is also known as "the Just." Eusebius contended that the
catastrophes that later struck Jerusalem were a punishment for their
treatment of one "who was the most righteous of men" (Appleton, Attwater,
Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Farmer, Tabor, Walsh, White).
In art since the 15th century, Saint Philip is ****trayed as an apostle
holding a long cross, or a staff with a small cross on it (Appleton,
Tabor),
which resembles a ceremonial object rather than the instrument of his
crucifixion. It is like the staves used by Saint Michael and Saint
Margaret
in overcoming dragon-like demons, and likely refers to the incident in the
Temple of Mars. The cross may be seen in images of Philip as (1) a weapon
against the dragon (paganism); (2) his instrument of martyrdom; or (3) a
sign that he was a missionary preacher who stressed the victory of the
Cross
(Appleton).
Philip might also be shown (1) crucified on a tall cross; (2) with loaves
and fishes; (3) with a loaf and book; (4) with a s**** or dragon; (5) with
descendit ad inferna on a book or scroll; (6) baptizing the Ethiopian
eunuch; (7) casting a devil from the idol of Mars; or (8) with his brother
Andrew. Like Andrew, he is often, though not invariably, of venerable
appearance.
Saint James is depicted in art as facially similar to Jesus, whose cousin
he
is said to have been. He may be ****trayed (1) with a club or large mallet
(Tabor); (2) holding his epistle, either as a book or scroll; (3) with the
prophet Haggai and the words credo in Spiritu Sanctu; (4) as a child with
a
toy mill; or (5) flung from the pulpit or a pinnacle of the temple
(Roeder).
A 13th- century sculpture at Chartres shows Saint James with the fuller's
club. In addition to the emblems of their martyrdom, the Apostles were
each
given other distinctive symbols in the 14th-15th centuries (Appleton).
Philip is the patron of hatters, pastry chefs (Roeder), and Uruguay. James
is the patron of the dying due to his deathbed forgiveness of his
murderers
(White).
Early manuscripts of the Martyrology of Saint Jerome place the feast of
Philip on May 1. The feast of James may have been joined to that of Philip
after the joint dedication of the basilica in Rome to their honor. The
traditional date was moved because May Day was dedicated to Saint Joseph
the
Worker in 1955 and the following day honors Saint Athanasius. In 1955, the
Feast of Philip and James was transferred to May 11, but in 1969, it was
again moved to May 3. Eastern Churches celebrate the feast on November 14
(Farmer).
From:
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0503.shtml
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Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth. -Matt. 5:4
"There is nothing which edifies others so much as charity and kindness, by
which, as by the oil in the lamp, the flame of good example is kept alive"
-St. Francis de Sales
We read of St. Francis Xavier that his brother Jesuits often visited him,
only to enjoy his admirable mildness.
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". May - Meekness)
Bible Quote
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion: Behold thy king cometh to thee, meek, and
sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of her that is used to the yoke.
(Matthew 21:5)
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Renewal in Christ
Old age has its many complaints: coughing, shaking, failing eyesight,
anxiety, and weariness. The world is old, and it too is full of pressing
tribulations.
Do not refuse to regain your youth in Christ who says: The world is
passing
away. Do not fear.
Your youth shall be renewed.
-Augustine--Sermon 81, 8
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