Philip was married and had daughters, but his natural humanity remained. He enthusiastically accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow. After the Holy Spirit was sent, he preached in Asia Minor, and his life ended with his stoning on the cross in Hieropolis.
James Jr., son of Alpheus (Cleophas) and relative of the Lord Jesus, represents life by grace, a man of prayer and asceticism. He became the first bishop of Jerusalem. He was thrown from the battlements and stoned with prayer on his lips. Likewise, he teaches us through life, and in his letter, he states that faith without works is dead.
Their common holiday, listed in the old calendar on 1 5., is related to the transfer of their remains, mainly to the consecration of the Roman Basilica of the Twelve Apostles on 1 5. 570.
In the new liturgical calendar, the holiday was moved by two days, apparently in memory of Joseph the Worker and Athanasius, UC. Church. (For similar reasons, previous moves were Np. Vol.. Sigismund. )
LEAVE EVERYTHING AND FOLLOW JESUS
Apostle Philip was born in Bethsaida by the Lake of Gennesaret, like the apostles Peter and Andrew. He married and had daughters. He was called among the first apostles (. John 1:43n). The first three synoptic gospels mention him only in the list of apostles, always in fifth place. John writes of him:
“Jesus decided to go on a journey to Galilee. He sought out Philip and said to him: Follow me! – Philip again sought out Nathanael and said to him: We have found him about whom Moses wrote in the Law and the prophets, Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth”(Jan 43-45)..
Philip was pleased with Jesus’ invitation; he could not keep it inside him, he had to communicate with his friend ( later, apparently, Bartolomeo) and invite him to follow. P. Šuránek wrote in today’s memory of the apostles: “They could leave everything and follow Jesus. That’s the lovely love the world lives.” Jesus’ presence, in which the heart of God’s kingdom is also hidden, is the excellent and precious pearl worth selling the wise merchant absolutely everything he has, and bought it (cf. Mt 13,46).
“Follow me!” This is how Jesus invites each of us. And it only depends on whether we take the “pearl of his friendship. ” Like Philip and James, we will believe that the ‘pearl’ for which we must give everything will eventually lead us to captivating infinite happiness?
In the Gospel of John, Jesus turned to Philip before the miraculous feeding of the crowd (Jan 6.5n). We also read there that Greek pilgrims, wanting to meet Jesus, asked Philip to mediate (Jan 12,21). And later Philip asks about the Father. Christ answers him with a gentle reproach of incomprehension: “…I’ve been with you so long, Philip, and you don’t know me? Whoever sees me sees the Father too…” (Jan 14,8-11).
After sending the Holy Spirit, he preached in Asia Minor. In the last years of his life, he preached the gospel in Phrygia. He died stoned on a cross in Hieropolis.
Apostle James the younger, or Alphaeus (chi Cleophas’), is listed in ninth place in the Synoptic Gospels. Although he was a cousin, he is called Jesus’ brother (Mt 13.55; Mk 6.3; Gal 1:19). In Hebrew speech, close blood relatives and even friends were called brothers.
His mother, Mary, is featured with women on Calvary, between Mary of Mandala and Salome. Together, they are remembered as having cared for Jesus when he was in Galilee (viz Mk 15.40n). She is also remembered among those who heralded the resurrection (Lk 24,10).
In the East, it happened more often that two different names belonged to the same man. This also applies to Jacob’s mother’s husband, Cleophas Alpheus.
From some data, e.g. Acts 12:17, where Peter, after being freed from prison, asks them to inform James and his brothers, the vital place of James Jr., who became bishop of Jerusalem, is revealed. At the Jerusalem Diet in 49-50, James proposed some norms for the coexistence of Christians with Judaism and paganism (Acts 15, 13-21). Him ap. Paul reported (Acts 21,17-26) after returning from the third mission trip. Paul also writes in the Epistle to the Galatians: “James and Peter and John, who were recognized as pillars of the Church..” The critical position of Jakub (Acts 21,18) is also evident from other places.
Therefore, the leaders of Judaism urged this influential apostle to stop preaching about Christ, and when he did not comply, they decided to silence him by force. Nevertheless, some Jews held him in high regard for his qualities, and many accepted Christianity. The historian Eusebius wrote about his impartial justice, respect for the Old Testament tradition, and piety.
The apostle James also wrote a letter addressed to the circle of Christian communities, in which he calls for a life of faith, demands justice for his neighbors and good deeds, and points to the evil of abusing language for sin. It also condemns pride. Finally, it recalls the administration of the sacrament of the sick: “Are any of you sick? Let the elders of the church call, let them pray over him and rub him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, the Lord will lift him up, and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other to be healed. The fervent prayer of the righteous has great power”(Jak 5,14-16).
In 62, after the death of the procurator Festus, i.e., during the absence of the Roman ruler, the high priest Hanan II. ordered James to be thrown from the temple wall. However, he is said to have risen to pray for his enemies after the fall. They stoned him for it, and one man dealt him a fatal blow with a wooden club. He was buried at the place of torture. The tombstone located there has survived to the time of Emperor Hadrian, who ruled in 117-138. Then until IV. century, his grave was not precisely known, but ignorance ended with the discovery of his remains and the burial in the church built on the site. Part of the relics were transferred to Rome in the 6th century, and with the relics of the apostle Philip, were placed in the basilica of the “Twelve Apostles.”
RESOLUTION, PRAYER