Fr. Roger J. Landry
Co-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Valetta, Malta
Feast of SS. Philip and James, Apostles
May 3, 2022
1 Cor 15:1-8, Ps 19, Jn 14:6-14
To listen to an audio recording of today’s homily, please click below:
The following points were attempted in the homily:
- Why we celebrate SS. Philip and James together.
- The significance of proclaiming the Gospel together: St. Paul and his companions; the insight of St. Gregory the Great.
- St. Paul on the kerygma: Christ’s passion, death, resurrection, ascension, appearances and living relationship with us.
- Jesus invites us into that living relationship in the Gospel as the way to follow, the truth to believe and the life to enter into.
- We enter into that living relationship most through the celebration of the Mass, in which Christ through the Word of God and as the Word made flesh shows us the way, announces to us the truth and imparts to us eternal life through sacramental communion. SS. Philip and James were present at that first Mass and are praying for us now, so that, like them, we may announce to others two-by-two, one-by-one, and in ecclesial communion, as of the greatest importance, the gift of Christ in such a way that this message will go out to all the earth!
The Readings on which today’s homily was based were:
Reading I
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
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.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way, the truth, and the life, says the Lord;
Philip, whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.”
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