Feast of Sts. Philip and James, Apostles
St. Philip and St. James the Less, Apostles. St. Philip was from Bethsaida, Galilee and had been a disciple of St. John the Baptist. According to tradition, he went on to preach in Greece and was crucified in Hierapolis, Phrygia (present-day Turkey). St. James, son of Alphaeus of Cleophas, a relative of Our Lord, became the first bishop of Jerusalem and was killed there in the year 62 by order of the priest Ananias.
Mass Readings
First Reading – 1 Cor 15:1-8
I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the Apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.
Responsorial Psalm – 19:2-3, 4-5 (R.5)
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day;
and night to night imparts knowledge. R.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message. R.
Gospel – Jn 14:6-14
Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
Featured Saints
St. Peter of Argos, bishop (†circa 922). Cared for poor persons and slaves, and tirelessly opposed discord in the Diocese of Argos, Greece.
St. Stanislaus Kazimierczyk, priest (†1489). Belonged to the Order of Canons Regular of the Lateran; he died in Kazimierz, Poland. He was a wise preacher,confessor and spiritual master.
St. Theodosius, abbot (†1074). Introduced cenobitic monasticism to Kiev, Ukraine. by founding the Monastery of the Caves there.
Blessed Edward Joseph Rosaz, bishop (†1903). Born in Susa, Italy, he was a friend of St. Joseph Cafasso, St. John Bosco and the Holy Curé d’Ars. He founded the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of Susa.
Blessed Thomas of Olera, religious (†1631). Franciscan Capuchin and master of the spiritual life; he died in Innsbruck, Austria, and was beatified in 2013 in Bergamo, Italy.
Blessed Emilia Bicchieri, virgin (†1314). Born to an illustrius patrician family, she embraced the religious life and founded, in Vercelli, Italy a dominican abbey which received girls as students, giving rise to a new form of apostolate in the Order.
Blessed Marie-Leonie Paradis, virgin (†1912). Founded the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family in Canada, to serve the clergy through the domestic care of rectories, seminaries and colleges. (In Canada: Celebrated as an Optional Memorial on May 4. )
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