May 3 2024 - Sts. Philip and James - Calloused Knees

 As Apostles, both Philip and James were both called by the Lord. They were witnesses of the Lord’s ministry—his teaching and miracles—his passion and death. Both were witnesses of the Lord’s resurrection. Both received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Both continued to preach the Gospel—Andrew in in Greece, Phrygia, and Syria—and James in Jerusalem. And both were martyred for the Lord.

I’d like to consider this morning a passage I found from the 4th century bishop Eusebius regarding the Apostle James. Again, James remained in Jerusalem. The Acts of the Apostles relates that it was James, as the head of the Jerusalem Church, who oversaw the First Council of Jerusalem.

But Eusebius relates some powerful details about James spirituality and role. Eusebius records how James spent long hours in the Temple of Jerusalem: “…he was in the habit of entering alone into the temple, and was frequently found upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like those of a camel.” 

How very priestly, no? Falling to one’s knees and begging forgiveness and behalf of others, especially those who reject Jesus and continue in sin and unbelief. Priests pray--they intercede--on behalf of others.

James, known as "James the Just" due to his exceptional virtue and righteousness, embodied a life of priestly prayer and intercession for his people. Not just ordained priests, but all of the baptized are priestly people. James' witness challenges us to consider our own commitment to prayer, especially for those who are lost or have turned away from God.

As Christians, we are called to be a priestly people, following the example of Christ, the great High Priest, and his apostles like James. This means not just praying for our own needs, but continually lifting up to God the needs of the whole world, even those who persecute and reject the Gospel. Like James, we must be willing to spend long hours on our knees, interceding with love and fervor.

James' devotion was so great that his knees became calloused like a camel's from his many hours of prayer in the Temple. What a striking image of persistence and self-sacrifice! It reminds us that prayer is not always easy or comfortable. True intercession requires spiritual endurance— willingness to push through dryness, distractions and discouragement—in order to plead for God's mercy.

And James prayed not in some hidden place, but in the Temple itself, at the very heart of Jewish religious life. In the same way, our prayer must be not a withdrawal from the world, but a priestly entrustment of the world to God. We pray from within the "temples" of our daily circumstances, lifting our families, our communities, our places of work, and our society to God's throne of grace.

Finally, James' martyrdom reminds us that our prayer and baptismal priesthood is to be configured to the Cross. Eusebius also wrote about James’ martyrdom, that “…he was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple, and was beaten to death with a club.” His place of prayer was the place where he was configured to Christ in his loving intercession, in his redemptive suffering, and in his glorious martyrdom. 

As we honor the Apostles we heed their examples that we may participate more fully in Christ's ongoing work of redeeming the world, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

May we join the Holy Apostles in our prayer for the world and the Church.

As the Apostles witnessed to the Resurrection of the Lord, may we be his witnesses to the farthest corners of the world.

For the bishops, the successors of the apostles: That they may be courageous in stirring up the flame of faith and defending the Church from error.

For blessings upon all the former parishioners of old Saint Philip and James here in Cleveland, especially those who have made their home here at St. Ignatius.

For all of the sick and suffering, especially victims of natural disaster, poverty, and addiction, may they be comforted and supported by God’s healing love. 

For all who long to see the face of the Father, for all our departed loved ones and all of the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered. 

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

May 3 2021 - Apostles Philip and James - "Show us the Father"

 

Sometimes one comes across an atheist who makes the claim that they would believe in God if he showed himself to them. Well, Philip makes a similar request in the Gospel. He says, “Master, show us the Father; and that will be enough for us”

Jesus answers with a very gentle rebuke, he says, that’s why I’ve come, that’s what I’ve been doing, that who I am, I show you the Father because the Father and I are one. Everything Jesus does for us is for this purpose: to show us the Father, to reconcile us with the Father, to lead us to the Father, that we may be with him and his Father in paradise forever. 

So, in a very real sense, God has answered the atheist’s request. God appear to me and I’ll believe in you. Show me that you are real. Jesus is the answer to that request. He has appeared in history, and has accomplished the great work of our redemption.

So the atheist might reply, God, appear to me now. St. Paul would no doubt tell the atheist that if he wants to see God at work, now, he has only but to look as far as the Church. If the atheist actually took a moment to look, he would see Jesus in the Church, he would see God in the Church. He would see the evidence of God in the good works being accomplished by the Church, he would see the evidence in the unity that God has brought to the disparate people of the world, he would see the evidence in the patience and joy and understanding he gives to ordinary people like you and me.

He would see evidence particularly in the courage and amazing goodness in the lives of the martyrs and saints, like Philip and James who we honor today.

The Gospel writer doesn’t tell us if Philip immediately grasped the Lord’s teaching in the Gospel today, but we know that after the resurrection Philip dedicated the rest of his life entirely to Christ. It is said that Phillip was first to bring the Gospel to Greece and then to Frisia, the area along the North Sea from the Netherlands to Denmark.  It is there that he was martyred for the faith.

Legend states that James, son of alphaeus, brought the gospel to Persia, where he was martyred as well.

There is enough light and goodness in the Church for any man to see the presence of God if he but really looks. May we assist those without faith see the evidence of God through the integrity of our lives, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

May we join the Holy Apostles in our prayer for the world and the Church.

As the Apostles witnessed to the Resurrection of the Lord, may we be his witnesses to the farthest corners of the world.

For the bishops, the successors of the apostles: That they may be courageous in stirring up the flame of faith and defending the Church from error.

For all of the sick and suffering, especially victims of natural disaster, poverty, and addiction, may they be comforted and supported by God’s healing love. We pray to the Lord.

For all who long to see the face of the Father, for all our departed loved ones and all of the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered. We pray to the Lord.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

 

May 3 2019 - Sts. Philip and James - Steeds of God

St. Hippolytus, writing in the early third century, called the apostles “steeds of God”—“horses for God”. Hippolytus writes “For these steeds have donned the secret of holiness, carrying the word for the riders and bringing them to the goal of truth”. A horse of God! It’s a rather blunt, almost uncouth title, but a significant one, especially for the two apostles we honor today.

Literally, Philip means “friend of a horse”. And his liturgical companion, St. James, son of Alphaeus, known in the Gospels as the “brother of the Lord” depicts the role of the Christian as a sort of work horse. In the Letter of James, we hear that we must be doers of the word, not just hearers of the word. James says, faith without works is dead, and that Christians must persevere in trial. James even writes about horses: “If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide their whole bodies” so too the Christian must tame his tongue, bridle his body, with purity and wisdom.

I don’t know much about horses, but it makes sense that James highlights the importance of purity and wisdom as bridling and taming our bodies and tongues. For what we do in our bodies matters as Christians, and what we say, matters, our bodies and tongues can lead people to Christ or they can drive people from Him. The Tongue, writes James “is a restless evil, full of poison…From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. This need not be so, my brothers.”

How often do we regret our words because we do not think before we speak, we do not consider the consequences of our words, we use our tongues for gossip rather than gospel, blaming and complaining instead of encouraging and consoling.

The apostles are such great examples for us, because they have allowed the grace of Easter to truly blossom in their lives, they’ve allowed the wisdom of the Lord to order their lives, where spreading the Gospel and concern for souls is truly their first priority, even more important than preserving their own lives. Willingness to spread the Gospel like them, is, as St. Hippolytus writes, “the secret of holiness”.

Steeds for Christ. What a wonderful Easter image of our Gospel Mission. May we like the Apostles, Philip and James, be become spirited steeds of God, with tongues tamed by wisdom, bodies bridled with purity, for the carrying of the Gospel to the ends of the earth for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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May we join the Holy Apostles in our prayer for the world and the Church.

As the Apostles witnessed to the Resurrection of the Lord, may we be his witnesses to the farthest corners of the world.

For the bishops, the successors of the apostles: That they may be courageous in stirring up the flame of faith and defending the Church from error.

For all of the sick and suffering, especially victims of natural disaster, poverty, and addiction, may they be comforted and supported by God’s healing love.

For all who long to see the face of the Father, for all our departed loved ones and all of the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

May 03 2018 - Sts. Philip and James - Faith and Works at Home and Abroad

Meditating upon the lives and virtues of the apostles, their faith and works, is always beneficial and fruitful. Particularly in the Easter season, the apostles teach us and inspire us by their goodness and courage and zeal.

While his companions went off into the world, James had the difficult task of remaining in Jerusalem, as its first bishop. Though many citizens of Jerusalem had been converted to Christ after the apostles burst from the upper room on Pentecost, there lived in Jerusalem many who hated the Gospel and conspired against it.

The first verses of his new testament epistle, the epistle of St. James, speaks of the importance of persevering in times of trial: “Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

Details of James the Less’ martyrdom are found in the writings of Josephus, Eusebius, and Jerome. In 63, the Bishop Apostle was arrested and brought to the wall of the Jerusalem Temple. The Jewish High Priest demanded that James renounce Jesus as the Messiah. After giving a stirring sermon proclaiming Christ as Savior, James was thrown from the Temple wall then clubbed to death.
James foreshadowed his own martyrdom, when he wrote, “Blessed is the man who perseveres in trial, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him.”

We read about Philip’s faith and burning love for the Lord in the Gospel of St. John. At the beginning of the Gospel, Philip joyfully runs to Nathanael to proclaim, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote, Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth.”

Scripture is silent concerning the works and martyrdom of Philip after the Lord’s ascension.  Some ancient legends state that Philip was preaching in a Greek town called Hieropolis, where he miraculously cured people bitten by serpents and then killed a large serpent in a temple dedicated to snake worship. For this the pagan priests and the city governor arrested Philip and had him crucified.  So, in Philip we find two characteristics of Easter evangelization: bold courage in preaching against pagan error and warm joy.

We are reminded by these great Easter saints, that whether we are at home or abroad, by persevering in our trials, and by our preaching with bold courage and warm joy lead unbelievers to Christ, we are faithful to the mission of building up the Church and sowing the seeds of the Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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May we join the Holy Apostles in our prayer for the world and the Church.

As the Apostles witnessed to the Resurrection of the Lord, may we be his witnesses to the farthest corners of the world.

For the bishops, the successors of the apostles: That they may be courageous in stirring up the flame of faith and defending the Church from error.

For all of the sick and suffering, especially victims of natural disaster, poverty, and addiction, may they be comforted and supported by God’s healing love. We pray to the Lord.

For all who long to see the face of the Father, for all our departed loved ones and all of the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered. We pray to the Lord.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord