Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings 05-03-06, Feast, Sts. Philip and James, Apostles

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 05-03-06 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

May 3, 2006

Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles

Psalm: Wednesday 19

Reading 1
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
Ps 19:2-3, 4-5

R. (5) 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. Their message goes out through all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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. Their message goes out through all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

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.”

[Salvation]

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

[Salvation]

Alleluia Ping!

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[Salvation]

HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON THE FEAST OF SAINTS PHILIP AND JAMES.

St. James the Lesser, Apostle

Burial Box of St. James (A Catholic Perspective)

[Salvation]

HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON THE FEAST OF SAINTS PHILIP AND JAMES.

St. Philip, Apostle

[MILESJESU]

Dear Freepers in Christ,

Check out Father Altier's Homilies for the Feast of Saints Philip and James.

These are the only Homilies that I was able to locate and post at FR. It seems that Father Altier till recently never really used to preach specifically and periodically regarding Saints Philip and James on the 3rd of May.

HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON THE FEAST OF SAINTS PHILIP AND JAMES

[MILESJESU]

Dear Salvation,

I did not realize it that today, both of us are blessing Folks on this Thread Three times with the Homilies of Father Altier.

I apologize for posting again after you.

IN THE RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST,

[Salvation]

No apologies needed. I wondered myself about posting it two times. LOL!

[Salvation]

From: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8


Christ's Resurrection and His Appearances

---

[1] Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you
the Gospel, which you received, in which you stand, [2] by which you
are saved, if you hold it fast--unless you believed in vain.


[3] For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received,
that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4]
that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance
with the Scriptures, [5] and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the
Twelve. [6] Then He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one
time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
[7] Then He appeared to James, then to all the Apostles. [8] Last of
all, as to one untimely born, He also appeared to me.

---

Commentary:


1-58. Some of the Corinthian Christians were objecting to the doctrine
of the resurrection of the dead, because this was a belief with which
the Greeks were unfamiliar, even those Greeks who held that the soul
was immortal. Given the great importance of this doctrine, St. Paul
replies at length, pointing first to the historical fact of Christ's
resurrection (verses 1-11) and how it necessarily connects up with the
resurrection of the dead in general (verses 12-34). He then goes on to
discuss what form this resurrection will take (verses 35-58). This
Epistle, which began with an exposition on Jesus Christ crucified, the
power and wisdom of God (cf. 1:18-2:5), ends with a development of
doctrine on the resurrection of Christ and the consequent resurrection
of the members of His Mystical Body.


To understand what St. Paul is saying it is useful to bear in mind that
here he is referring only to the glorious resurrection of the just.
Elsewhere in Sacred Scripture it is clearly stated that all men will
rise from the dead (cf., e.g., John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15).


1-11. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the essential
doctrines of the Catholic faith, explicitly stated in the first creeds
or symbols of the faith. It is in fact the supreme argument in favor
of the divinity of Jesus and His divine mission: our Lord proclaimed it
many times (cf., e.g., Matthew 16:21-28; 17:22-27; 20:17-19), and by
rising from the dead He provided the sign which He had promised those
who did not believe Him (cf. Matthew 12:38-40).


This point is so important that the primary role of the Apostles is to
bear witness to Christ's resurrection (cf. Acts 1:22; 2:32; 3:15;
etc.); the proclamation of the resurrection of the Lord is the very
core of apostolic catechesis (cf., e.g., the discourses of St. Peter
and St. Paul reported in the Acts of the Apostles).


3-8. On the verbs "deliver" and "receive" see the note on 1 Corinthians
11:23-26.


St. Paul reminds the Corinthians of certain basic points in his
preaching--that Jesus Christ died for our sins; "that He was buried,
that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures"
(a statement which has passed directly into the Creed) and was seen by
many people.


It should be pointed out that the Greek verb translated as "appeared"
refers to being seen by the eye. This is relevant to studying the
nature of the appearances of the risen Jesus: St. Paul is speaking of
true, ocular sight; there seems to be no way this can be identified
with imagination or intellectual vision.


The appearances of the risen Christ are a direct proof of the
historical fact of His resurrection. This argument gains special force
when one remembers that at the time this Letter was written many people
who had seen the risen Lord were still alive (verse 6). Some of the
appearances referred to by St. Paul are also mentioned in the Gospels
and in Acts--that to Peter (cf. Luke 24:34), those to the Apostles
(cf., e.g., Luke 24:36-49; John 20:19-29), that to St. Paul himself
(cf. Acts 9:1-6); others--that to James and to the five hundred
brethren--are mentioned only here.


The importance of this passage is enhanced by the fact that it is the
earliest documentary record--earlier than the Gospels--of our Lord's
resurrection, which had taken place scarcely twenty years earlier.


4. "Was buried": in recounting the death of Christ, all four
Evangelists expressly mention that His body was buried (cf. Matthew
27:57-61 and paragraph). St. Paul also confirms the fact in this
Letter, written very soon after the time, thereby confirming a
tradition which had come down from the beginning (verse 3). The fact
that Christ's body was buried eliminates any doubt about His death, and
underlines the miracle of the Resurrection: Jesus Christ rose by His
own power, rejoining His soul with His body, and leaving the tomb with
the same human body (not merely the appearance of a body) as died and
was buried, although now that body was glorified and had certain
special properties (cf. note on 15:42-44). The Resurrection, therefore
is an objective, physical event, witnessed to by the empty tomb (cf.
Matthew 28:1ff and paragraph) and by Christ's appearances.


"He was raised on the third day": Jesus died and was buried on the
evening of Good Friday; His body lay in the tomb the entire Sabbath,
and rose on Sunday. It is correct to say that He rose on the third day
after His death, even though it was not a full seventy-two hours
later.


"According to the Scriptures": St. Paul may be referring to certain
passages of the Old Testament which--AFTER the event--were seen to
foreshadow the Resurrection--for example, the episode of Jonah
(Chapters 1-2), which Jesus in fact applied to Himself (cf. Matthew
12:39-40; cf. also Hosea 6:1-2 and Psalm 16:9-10).

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[MILESJESU]

Dear Freeper Ciexyz,

I hope you are well. I have not seen any posts by you in the recent past on FR on Catholic Caucus Daily Mass Readings or even for Sunday Mass Readings.

IN THE RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST,

[Salvation]

From: John 14:6-14


Jesus Reveals the Father (Continuation)

---

(Jesus said to Thomas), [6] "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the
Life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me." [7] "If you had known
Me, you would have known My Father also; henceforth you know Him and
have seen Him.


[8] Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be
satisfied." [9] Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and
yet you do not know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the
Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father?' [10] Do you not believe
that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I say to
you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me
does His works. [11] Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father
in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the words themselves.


[12] "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me will also do
the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I
go to the Father. [13] Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it, that
the Father may be glorified in the Son; [14] if you ask anything in My
name, I will do it."

---

Commentary:


4-7. The Apostles did not really understand what Jesus was telling
them: hence Thomas' question. The Lord explains that He is the way to
the Father. "It was necessary for Him to say `I am the Way' to show
them that they really knew what they thought they were ignorant of,
because they knew Him" (St. Augustine, "In. Ioann. Evang.", 66, 2).


Jesus is the way to the Father--through what He teaches, for by keeping
to His teaching we will reach Heaven; through faith, which He inspires,
because He came to this world so "that whoever believes in Him may have
eternal life" (John 3:15); through His example, since no one can go to
the Father without imitating the Son; through His merits, which make it
possible for us to enter our Heavenly home; and above all He is the way
because He reveals the Father, with whom He is one because of His
divine nature.


"Just as children by listening to their mothers, and prattling with
them, learn to speak their language, so we, by keeping close to the
Savior in meditation, and observing His words, His actions, and His
affections, shall learn, with the help of His grace, to speak, to act,
and to will like Him.


"We must pause here...; we can reach God the Father by no other
route...; the Divinity could not be well contemplated by us in this
world below if it were not united to the sacred humanity of the Savior,
whose life and death are the most appropriate, sweet, delicious and
profitable subjects which we can choose for our ordinary meditations"
(St. Francis de Sales, "Introduction to the Devout Life", Part II,
Chapter 1, 2).


"I am the way": He is the only path linking Heaven and Earth. "He is
speaking to all men, but in a special way He is thinking of people who,
like you and me, are determined to take our Christian vocation
seriously: He wants God to be forever in our thoughts, on our lips and
in everything we do, including our most ordinary and routine actions.


"Jesus is the way. Behind Him on this Earth of ours He has left the
clear outlines of His footprints. They are indelible signs which
neither the erosion of time nor the treachery of the Evil One have been
able to erase" ([St] J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 127).


Jesus' words do much more than provide an answer to Thomas' question;
He tells us: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life". Being the
Truth and the Life is something proper to the Son of God become man,
who St. John says in the prologue of his Gospel is "full of grace and
truth" (1:14). He is the Truth because by coming to this world He
shows that God is faithful to His promises, and because He teaches the
truth about who God is and tells us that true worship must be "in
spirit and truth" (John 4:23). He is Life because from all eternity He
has divine life with His Father (cf. John 1:4), and because He makes
us, through grace, sharers in that divine life. This is why the Gospel
says: "This is eternal life, that they know Thee, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent" (John 17:3).


By His reply Jesus is, "as it were, saying, By which route do you want
to go? I am the Way. To where do you want to go? I am the Truth.
Where do you want to remain? I am the Life. Every man can attain an
understanding of the Truth and the Life; but not all find the Way. The
wise of this world realize that God is eternal life and knowable truth;
but the Word of God, who is Truth and Life joined to the Father, has
become the Way by taking a human nature. Make your way contemplating
His humility and you will reach God" (St. Augustine, "De Verbis Domini
Sermones", 54).


8-11. The Apostles still find our Lord's words very mysterious, because
they cannot understand the oneness of the Father and the Son. Hence
Philip's persistence. Then Jesus "upbraids the Apostle for not yet
knowing Him, even though His works are proper to God--walking on the
water, controlling the wind, forgiving sins, raising the dead. This is
why He reproves him: for not recognizing His divine condition through
His human nature" (St. Augustine, "De Trinitate", Book 7).


Obviously the sight of the Father which Jesus refers to in this passage
is a vision through faith, for no one has ever seen God as He is (cf.
John 1:18; 6:46). All manifestations of God, or "theophanies", have
been through some medium; they are only a reflection of God's
greatness. The highest expression which we have of God our Father is
in Christ Jesus, the Son of God sent among men. "He did this by the
total fact of His presence and self-manifestation--by words and works,
signs and miracles, but above all by His death and glorious
resurrection from the dead, and finally by sending the Spirit of
truth. He revealed that God was with us, to deliver us from the
darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up to eternal life" (Vatican
II, "Dei Verbum", 4).


12-14. Before leaving this world, the Lord promises His Apostles to
make them sharers in His power so that God's salvation may be
manifested through them. These "works" are the miracles they will work
in the name of Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 3:1-10; 5:15-16; etc.), and
especially the conversion of people to the Christian faith and their
sanctification by preaching and the ministry of the sacraments. They
can be considered greater works than Jesus' own insofar as, by the
Apostles' ministry, the Gospel was not only preached in Palestine but
was spread to the ends of the earth; but this extraordinary power of
apostolic preaching proceeds from Christ, who has ascended to the
Father: after undergoing the humiliation of the cross Jesus has been
glorified and from Heaven He manifests His power by acting through His
Apostles.


The Apostles' power, therefore, derives from Christ glorified. Christ
our Lord says as much: "Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it".
"It is not that he who believes in Me will be greater than Me, but that
only that I shall then do greater works than now; greater, by him who
believes in Me, than I now do by myself without Him" (St. Augustine,
"In Ioann. Evang.", 72, 1).


Jesus Christ is our intercessor in Heaven; therefore, He promises us
that everything we ask for in His name, He will do. Asking in His name
(cf. 15:7, 16; 16:23-24) means appealing to the power of the risen
Christ, believing that He is all-powerful and merciful because He is
true God; and it also means asking for what is conducive to our
salvation, for Jesus is our Savior. Thus, by "whatever you ask" we
must understand what is for the good of the asker. When our Lord does
not give what we ask for, the reason is that it would not make for our
salvation. In this way we can see that He is our Savior both when He
refuses us what we ask and when He grants it.

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

Office of Readings -- Awakening Prayer

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

---

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 18 (19)

Praise of God the creator

The skies tell the story of the glory of God,
 the firmament proclaims the work of his hands;
day pours out the news to day,
 night passes to night the knowledge.

Not a speech, not a word,
 not a voice goes unheard.
Their sound is spread throughout the earth,
 their message to all the corners of the world.

At the ends of the earth he has set up
 a dwelling place for the sun.
Like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
 it rejoices like an athlete at the race to be run.
It appears at the edge of the sky,
 runs its course to the sky’s furthest edge.
Nothing can hide from its heat.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

---

Psalm 63 (64)

A prayer against enemies

Listen, O God, to my voice;
 keep me safe from fear of the enemy.
Protect me from the alliances of the wicked,
 from the crowd of those who do evil.

They have sharpened their tongues like swords,
 aimed poisonous words like arrows,
 to shoot at the innocent in secret.
They will attack without warning, without fear,
 for they are firm in their evil purpose.
They have set out to hide their snares
 – for they say, “Who will see us?”
They have thought out plans to commit wicked deeds,
 and they carry out what they have planned.
Truly the heart and soul of a man
 are bottomless depths.

And God has shot them with his arrow:
 in a moment, they are wounded –
 their own tongues have brought them low.
All who see them will shake their heads;
 all will behold them with fear
and proclaim the workings of God
 and understand what he has done.

The just will rejoice and hope in the Lord:
 the upright in heart will give him glory.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

---

Psalm 96 (97)

The glory of God in his judgements

The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice,
 let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and dark mist surround him,
 his throne is founded on law and justice.
Fire precedes him,
 burning up his enemies all around.
His lightnings light up the globe;
 the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains flow like wax at the sight of the Lord,
 at the sight of the Lord the earth dissolves.
The heavens proclaim his justice
 and all peoples see his glory.

Let them be dismayed, who worship carved things,
 who take pride in the images they make.
All his angels, worship him.
Sion heard and was glad,
 the daughters of Judah rejoiced
 because of your judgements, O Lord.
For you are the Lord, the Most High over all the earth,
 far above all other gods.

You who love the Lord, hate evil!
The Lord protects the lives of his consecrated ones:
 he will free them from the hands of sinners.
A light has arisen for the just,
 and gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice, you just, in the Lord
 and proclaim his holiness.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

---

Reading

Acts 5:12 - 32 ©

They all used to meet by common consent in the Portico of Solomon. No one else ever dared to join them, but the people were loud in their praise and the numbers of men and women who came to believe in the Lord increased steadily. So many signs and wonders were worked among the people at the hands of the apostles that the sick were even taken out into the streets and laid on beds and sleeping-mats in the hope that at least the shadow of Peter might fall across some of them as he went past. people even came crowding in from the towns round about Jerusalem, bringing with them their sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were cured. Then the high priest intervened with all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees. Prompted by jealousy, they arrested the apostles and had them put in the common gaol. But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and said as he led them out, ‘Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new Life’. They did as they were told; they went into the Temple at dawn and began to preach. When the high priest arrived, he and his supporters convened the Sanhedrin – this was the full Senate of Israel – and sent to the gaol for them to be brought. But when the officials arrived at the prison they found they were not inside, so they went back and reported, ‘We found the gaol securely locked and the warders on duty at the gates, but when we unlocked the door we found no one inside’. When the captain of the Temple and the chief priests heard this news they wondered what this could mean. Then a man arrived with fresh news. ‘At this very moment’ he said ‘the men you imprisoned are in the Temple. They are standing there preaching to the people.’ The captain went with his men and fetched them. They were afraid to use force in case the people stoned them. When they had brought them in to face the Sanhedrin, the high priest demanded an explanation. ‘We gave you a formal warning’ he said ‘not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and seem determined to fix the guilt of this man’s death on us.’ In reply Peter and the apostles said, ‘Obedience to God comes before obedience to men; it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’

---

Reading	From the treatise On the Prescription of Heretics by Tertullian, priest
The preaching of the Apostles
Our Lord Jesus Christ himself declared what he was, what he had been, how he was carrying out his Father’s will, what obligations he demanded of men. This he did during his earthly life, either publicly to the crowds or privately to his disciples. Twelve of these he picked out to be his special companions, appointed to teach the nations. One of them fell from his place. The remaining eleven were commanded by Christ, as he was leaving the earth to return to the Father after his resurrection, to go and teach the nations and to baptise them into the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The apostles cast lots and added Matthias to their number, in place of Judas, as the twelfth apostle. The authority for this action is to be found in a prophetic psalm of David. After receiving the power of the Holy Spirit which had been promised to them, so that they could work miracles and proclaim the truth, they first bore witness to their faith in Jesus Christ and established churches throughout Judea. They then went out into the whole world and proclaimed to the nations the same doctrinal faith. They set up churches in every city. Other churches received from them a living transplant of faith and the seed of doctrine, and through this daily process of transplanting they became churches. They therefore qualify as apostolic churches by being the offspring of churches that are apostolic. Every family has to be traced back to its origins. That is why we can say that all these great churches constitute that one original Church of the apostles; for it is from them that they all come. They are all primitive, all apostolic, because they are all one. They bear witness to this unity by the peace in which they all live, the brotherhood which is their name, the fellowship to which they are pledged. The principle on which these associations are based is common tradition by which they share the same sacramental bond. The only way in which we can prove what the apostles taught – that is to say, what Christ revealed to them – is through those same churches. They were founded by the apostles themselves, who first preached to them by what is called the living voice and later by means of letters. The Lord had said clearly in former times: I have many more things to tell you, but you cannot endure them now. But he went on to say: When the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into the whole truth. Thus Christ shows us that the apostles had full knowledge of the truth, for he had promised that they would receive the whole truth through the Spirit of truth. His promise was certainly fulfilled, since the Acts of the Apostles prove that the Holy Spirit came down on them.

---

Canticle

Te Deum

God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you! You, the Father, the eternal – all the earth venerates you. All the angels, all the heavens, every power – The cherubim, the seraphim – unceasingly, they cry: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts: heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!” The glorious choir of Apostles – The noble ranks of prophets – The shining army of martyrs – all praise you. Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you. – Father of immeasurable majesty, – True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship, – Holy Spirit, our Advocate. You, Christ: – You are the king of glory. – You are the Father’s eternal Son. – You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb. – You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you. – You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father. – You will come, so we believe, as our Judge. And so we ask of you: give help to your servants, whom you set free at the price of your precious blood. Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory. Bring your people to safety, Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance. Rule them and lift them high for ever. Day by day we bless you, Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever. Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us. Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you. In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,  world without end. Amen.

A concluding prayer may follow here.

[Salvation]

Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Saints Philip and James, Apostles (Feast)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Psalm 19:2-5 John 14:6-14 Let us sing to the Lord: for he is gloriously magnified, the horse and the rider he hath thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my praise, and he is become salvation to me: he is my God, and I will glorify him: the God of my father, and I will exalt him. -- Exodus xv. 1,2

[Salvation]

American Catholic’s Saint of the Day

May 3, 2006

Sts. Philip and James

James, Son of Alphaeus: We know nothing of this man but his name, and of course the fact that Jesus chose him to be one of the 12 pillars of the New Israel, his Church. He is not the James of Acts, son of Clopas, “brother” of Jesus and later bishop of Jerusalem and the traditional author of the Letter of James. James, son of Alphaeus, is also known as James the Lesser to avoid confusing him with James the son of Zebedee, also an apostle and known as James the Greater.

Philip: Philip came from the same town as Peter and Andrew, Bethsaida in Galilee. Jesus called him directly, whereupon he sought out Nathanael and told him of the “one about whom Moses wrote” (John 1:45).

Like the other apostles, Philip took a long time coming to realize who Jesus was. On one occasion, when Jesus saw the great multitude following him and wanted to give them food, he asked Philip where they should buy bread for the people to eat. St. John comments, “[Jesus] said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do” (John 6:6). Philip answered, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little [bit]” (John 6:7).

John’s story is not a put-down of Philip. It was simply necessary for these men who were to be the foundation stones of the Church to see the clear distinction between humanity’s total helplessness apart from God and the human ability to be a bearer of divine power by God’s gift.

On another occasion, we can almost hear the exasperation in Jesus’ voice. After Thomas had complained that they did not know where Jesus was going, Jesus said, “I am the way...If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him” (John 14:6a, 7). Then Philip said, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us” (John 14:8). Enough! Jesus answered, “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” (John 14:9a).

Possibly because Philip bore a Greek name or because he was thought to be close to Jesus, some Gentile proselytes came to him and asked him to introduce them to Jesus. Philip went to Andrew, and Andrew went to Jesus. Jesus’ reply in John’s Gospel is indirect; Jesus says that now his “hour” has come, that in a short time he will give his life for Jew and Gentile alike.

Comment:

As in the case of the other apostles, we see in James and Philip human men who became foundation stones of the Church, and we are reminded again that holiness and its consequent apostolate are entirely the gift of God, not a matter of human achieving. All power is God’s power, even the power of human freedom to accept his gifts. “You will be clothed with power from on high,” Jesus told Philip and the others. Their first commission had been to expel unclean spirits, heal diseases, announce the kingdom. They learned, gradually, that these externals were sacraments of an even greater miracle inside their persons—the divine power to love like God.

Quote:

“He sent them...so that as sharers in his power they might make all peoples his disciples, sanctifying and governing them.... They were fully confirmed in this mission on the day of Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:1–26) in accordance with the Lord’s promise: ‘You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses for me...even to the very ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). By everywhere preaching the gospel (cf. Mark 16:20), which was accepted by their hearers under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the apostles gathered together the universal Church, which the Lord established on the apostles and built upon blessed Peter, their chief, Christ Jesus himself remaining the supreme cornerstone...” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 19).

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Collect: God our Father, every year you give us joy on the festival of the apostles Philip and James. By the help of their prayers may we share in the suffering, death, and resurrection of your only Son and come to the eternal vision of your glory. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Activities: » Apostle Cookies » Family and Friends of Jesus Scrapbook Album » Hymn in Honor of St. Philip » Salve Regina more » 'Tis Said of Our Dear Lady » Vexilla Regis Prodeunt » What is a Nameday? less Prayers: » Blessing of Crosses Placed in Fields and Vineyards » Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven) » Roman Ritual Blessing Before and After Meals: Easter Season (2nd Plan) » Prayers for the Easter Season more » Roman Ritual Blessing Before and After Meals: Easter (1st Plan) less

May 03, 2006 Feast of Sts. Philip and James, apostles Old Calendar: Finding of the Holy Cross; Saints Alexander I, pope; Eventius and Theodulus, martyrs and Juvenal, bishop and confessor Today's Mass tells us that the example of the Apostles is the most certain and direct path to heaven. They suffered and were persecuted, but they placed their confidence in God and now they rejoice in heaven. We too must have confidence in God and not be troubled in our adversities. In our Father's house there are many mansions, and if we follow the way indicated by Him, Christ will come at the end of our life and take us to Himself. Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar the Feast of Sts. Philip and James was celebrated on May 11 and the Finding of the Holy Cross and the commemoration of Sts. Alexander I, Eventius and Theodulus and St. Juvenal were celebrated. None of these feasts remain on the calendar in the United States. St. Philip The Apostle Philip was one of Christ's first disciples, called soon after his Master's baptism in the Jordan. The fourth Gospel gives the following detail: "The next day Jesus was about to leave for Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him: Follow Me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him: We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote, Jesus the Son of Joseph of Nazareth. And Nathanael said to him: Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him: Come and see" (John 1:43ff). — The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch Patron: Hatters; Luxembourg; pastry chefs; Uruguay. Symbols: Elderly bearded man holding a basket of loaves and a cross which is often t-shaped; elderly man casting a devil from the idol of Mars; elderly man crucified on a tall cross; elderly man holding loaves and fishes; elderly man with a dragon nearby; elderly man with a loaf and book; elderly man with a snake nearby; loaves of bread; man baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch; man holding a book or scroll reading descendit ad inferna; tall cross; with Saint Andrew. St. James the Less St. James the Less, a brother of the Apostle Jude, was of Cana of Galilee. He is the author of one of the Catholic Epistles in the New Testament. He was favored by an appearance of the Risen Christ (I Cor. 15:7). After the dispersion of the Apostles he was made Bishop of Jerusalem. He was visited by St. Paul (Gal. 1:19). He spoke after Peter at the meeting of the Apostles (Acts 15:13). When he refused to deny the Divinity of Christ, the Jews cast him down from the terrace of the temple and clubbed him to death. The Breviary contains a very moving description of his death. "When he was ninety-six years old and had governed the Church for thirty years in a most holy manner, the Jews sought to stone him, then took him to the pinnacle of the temple and cast him off headlong. As he lay there half dead, with legs broken by the fall, he lifted his hands toward heaven and prayed to God for the salvation of his enemies, saying: Lord, forgive them for they know not what they do! While the apostle was still praying, a fuller struck his head a mortal blow." His relics now rest next to those of St. Philip in the church of the Holy Apostles in Rome, and their names are mentioned in the first list in the Canon of the Mass. — The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch Patron: Apothecaries, druggists, dying people, fullers, hatmakers, hatters, milliners, pharmacists, Uruguay. Symbols: Fuller's club; man holding a book. Things to Do: Read the Epistle of St. James, a book that is devout and edifying as well as highly practical. St. James is referred to as "the brother of Jesus", learn how to prove that Mary did not have any other children but remained ever a virgin. The Finding of the Holy Cross After the victory Constantine gained through the power of the Cross which he had seen in the heavens, and whose sign he reproduced in the Labarum, St. Helena, his mother, went to Jerusalem to try to find the true Cross. At the beginning of the second century, Hadrian had Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre covered over with earth, the top of which became a terrace of 100 feet in length, where were erected a statue of Jupiter and a temple of Venus. The Empress had them razed to the ground, and dug up. The laborers found the nails and three crosses. The miraculous cure of a woman authenticated the sacred tree, to which we owe "life, salvation and resurrection". St. Helena divided the precious wood in three. One part was deposited in Rome in the church of Holy Cross in Jerusalem. The second in Constantinople and the third in Jerusalem. This last relic having been carried off by the Persians and recovered by Heraclius, this emperor solemnly brought it back to Jerusalem on May 3rd, 628. Excerpted from Saint Andrew Daily Missal. Sts. Alexander I , Eventius and Theodulus Alexander governed the Church under the Emperor Hadrian. His name is inscribed in the Canon of the Mass. He was martyred at the same time as the priests Eventius and Theodulus, in 117, and their bodies rest in Rome, in the church of St. Sabina, where the Station is held on Ash Wednesday. — Saint Andrew Daily Missal Symbols: With his chest pierced with nails or spikes. St. Juvenal A priest and physician from the East, he immigrated to Narni, Italy, and was named first bishop of that See by Pope Damasus. Juvenal is reported to have saved Narni from destruction by invading Ligurians and Sarmatians when thousands of the invaders were drowned in a downpour reputedly brought on by his prayers. He was noted for his eloquent preaching, which converted many, and is the patron of Narni. — Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney

[Salvation]

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

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A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 62 (63)

Thirsting for God

O God, you are my God, I wait for you from the dawn.
My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you.
I came to your sanctuary,
 as one in a parched and waterless land,
 so that I could see your might and your glory.
My lips will praise you, for your mercy is better than life itself.

Thus I will bless you throughout my life,
 and raise my hands in prayer to your name;
my soul will be filled as if by rich food,
 and my mouth will sing your praises and rejoice.
I will remember you as I lie in bed,
 I will think of you in the morning,
for you have been my helper,
 and I will take joy in the protection of your wings.

My soul clings to you; your right hand raises me up.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

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Canticle	Daniel 3
All creatures, bless the Lord
Bless the Lord, all his works, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, you heavens; all his angels, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens; all his powers, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, sun and moon; all stars of the sky, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, rain and dew; all you winds, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, fire and heat; cold and warmth, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, dew and frost; ice and cold, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, ice and snow; day and night, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, light and darkness; lightning and storm-clouds, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, all the earth, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; all growing things, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, seas and rivers; springs and fountains, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, whales and fish; birds of the air, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, wild beasts and tame; sons of men, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, O Israel, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, his priests; all his servants, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, spirits of the just; all who are holy and humble, bless the Lord. Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him for ever. Let us bless Father, Son and Holy Spirit, praise and exalt them for ever. Bless the Lord in the firmament of heaven, praise and glorify him for ever.

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Psalm 149

The saints rejoice

Sing a new song to the Lord, his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker, and the sons of Sion delight in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing, sing to him with timbrel and lyre,
for the Lord’s favour is upon his people, and he will honour the humble with victory.

Let the faithful celebrate his glory, rejoice even in their beds,
the praise of God in their throats; and swords ready in their hands,
to exact vengeance upon the nations, impose punishment on the peoples,
to bind their kings in fetters and their nobles in manacles of iron,
to carry out the sentence that has been passed: this is the glory prepared for all his faithful.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

A short Bible reading and responsory may follow here.

Canticle	Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,  world without end. Amen.

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Some short prayers may follow here, to offer up the day's work to God.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
 hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
 thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
 and forgive us our trespasses
 as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
 but deliver us from evil.

A concluding prayer may follow here.

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May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Doing Great Things for God
May 3, 2006

Jesus is the one mediator between the Father and us.

Saints Phillip and James, apostles
Father Paul Campbell, LC

John 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."

Introductory Prayer: Jesus I believe that you are the way – my way to heaven, peace and happiness in this life and the next. I believe that you are the truth. Help me to always live the truth in my life and speak the truth in every conversation. I believe that you are my life, the life of my soul. Help me to remain with you, telling you the things that are on my heart, and help me to be open to what you wish to say to me today.

Petition: Lord, increase my faith in your presence in the Eucharist and in my life. 

1. Coming to the Father. “No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the one mediator between the Father and us. By sin we become deprived of life: of the privilege of living with God in heaven, of our happiness in this life and in the next. Only Jesus can atone for our sins, “for who alone but God can forgive sins.” It was his sacrifice on Calvary that made peace with God the Father, and that sacrifice is made present in each and every Eucharistic celebration. Mass is a sacrifice, the continuation in time of Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary. It presents again to the Father that moment of Christ’s self-immolation. Christ becomes present on the altar that we might have a worthy offering to give to the Father for the forgiveness of our sins. The Father sent his son to draw us to himself. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.”

2. Show Us the Father. “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” Philip speaks for all disciples of the Lord: “Show us the Father.” We want to see God. It is a deep longing in our heart, even though at times it seems to grow faint and distant as we rush about our daily life or become increasingly immersed in sin. Jesus is an icon of the Father. The Word-made-flesh reveals an invisible God. “[T]he Church has always acknowledged that in the body of Jesus ‘we see our God made visible and so are caught up in love of the God we cannot see’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 477). Jesus reveals the Father’s love above all in the Eucharist. It is the Father’s gift to us. Jesus is present in our churches and adoration chapels around the world. He remains with us and shows us that the Father’s love is present, always working for the good of our salvation. The Father is near. He longs to bring us to heaven to live within him forever. He wants to bring us into the communion of life and love that is the Holy Trinity. He longs to love us with the same love he has for his son.

3. Greater Ones Than These. “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these.” Jesus expects us to continue his work of redemption. He includes us in his plan of salvation and entrusts to us the souls he loves dearly. God can save others without us but he dignifies us by letting us participate in such a tremendous mission. He expects from us big things, greater things than even he accomplished during his earthly life. We need to think big. The problem is that we too often limit ourselves. We say we can’t, when nothing is impossible for God. We say it can’t be done, and so we don’t put in the effort. When we study the lives of the saints we see what is possible for someone who puts themselves entirely into God’s hands. 

Dialogue with Christ: Jesus help me to stop doubting myself and limiting what you can do through me. Help me to stop focusing so much on my limitations and my own resources, but rather look to you, to the Father, to your glory and power. Let me not ask what I can do, but what you want done.

Resolution: I will throw aside those mental reservations and limitations and ask myself what God wants done today for the salvation of my brothers and sisters.

[Salvation]

The Divine Liturgy of St. James

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	Are You a Policeman or a Liberator?
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Wednesday, May 3, 2006

1 Cor 15:1-8 / Jn 14:6-14

There's something of the policeman in most of us. Perhaps it comes from being given so many rules as children — and so many little "talks" from parents, teachers, and others about the importance of keeping those rules. The fact is, of course, that laws and rules can be liberating. They can make life more safe and more secure, and they can free us from having to think much about lots of ordinary things. But they can also be spirit-killers.

That was the case in the first generation of Christians, when converts from paganism to Christianity were also required to observe all the religious rules and regulations of orthodox Jews as well. It was a huge burden, under which most of Jesus' contemporaries had been spiritually crushed or had simply given up. And it was so unnecessary, so utterly beside the point of Jesus' teaching, which was to bond to the Lord and to one's neighbors in self-giving love — to love as one wants to be loved.

But old habits die hard, whether they make any sense or not, and it took the Apostles a while to see the truth. When they did see, they set out to set the people free. Isn't that what we really want to do for one another — set one another free from the things that don't matter, the things that can't give us life?

Be like Jesus and His Apostles. Be a liberator, not a policeman!

 

[Salvation]

[Salvation]

Thinking of you. Haven't seen you around lately.