Psalter: Proper
Saints Philip and James, Apostles – Feast
red
Philip was born at Bethsaida and started as a disciple of John the Baptist. After the Baptist’s death he followed Christ. James, a cousin of the Lord, was the son of Alphaeus. He ruled the Church at Jerusalem; wrote an epistle; led an austere life; and converted many Jews to the Faith. He was crowned with martyrdom in the year 62.
Entrance Antiphon
These are the holy men whom the Lord chose in his own perfect love; to them he gave eternal glory, alleluia.
Collect
O God, who gladden us each year with the feast day of the Apostles Philip and James, grant us, through their prayers, a share in the Passion and Resurrection of your Only Begotten Son, so that we may merit to behold you for eternity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything. Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 18(19):2-5
R/Their word goes forth through all the earth.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God, and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands. Day unto day takes up the story and night unto night makes known the message.
No speech, no word, no voice is heard yet their span extends through all the earth, their words to the utmost bounds of the world.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn14:6,9
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, says the Lord. Philip, to have seen me is to have seen the Father. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 14:6-14
Jesus said to Thomas: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.’ Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’ ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him ‘and you still do not know me? ‘To have seen me is to have seen the Father, so how can you say, “Let us see the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; believe it on the evidence of this work, if for no other reason. I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, he will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask for in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, O Lord, the offerings we bring for the feast day of the Apostles Philip and James and bestow on us religion pure and undefiled. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Jn 14: 8-9
Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us. Whoever has seen me, Philip, has seen the Father also, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Purify our minds, we pray, O Lord, by these holy gifts we have received, so that, contemplating you in your Son together with the Apostles Philip and James, we may be worthy to possess eternal life. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
People want to lead. But the question is: where are they leading others to? To lead, one must know the way. It seems that people want power but forget that power always goes with leading. If the world today is so confused, one of the possible reasons is that leaders themselves do not know the way to go and if those leading do not know the way, how can those following know it. In the Gospel text of today, Jesus proclaims himself as the way. He is the way to happiness which is our ultimate goal. Each and every one of us has an opportunity to lead at one time or another and in one capacity or another, let us make Jesus our only way and those whom we are leading will not regret putting us in those positions. Let us pray for the grace to follow Jesus, the right way.