Category Archives: Sts. Philip and James

In every Christian community, there needs to be a balance of missionary spirit and community life. We cannot ignore one or the other. If we focus only in mission, we may forget our identity as Christians, that is we are Christians not as individuals, but as a community. On the other hand, if we focus too much on the Christian community, we may neglect our mission in bringing the Good News to all. So, we need to be balanced as a Christian community and as Christian missionaries, since both are needed for us Christians to grow and flourish.

Today we celebrate the feast of Saints Philip and James. St. Philip was the one who sincerely and joyfully told Nathanael that he had found the Messiah and encouraged him to come and see for himself. Yet it was also this same Philip, as mentioned in today’s Gospel, who asked Jesus to let him see God the Father so that he will be satisfied. James (the Lesser) was the apostle who, together with St. Peter, settled the issue about accepting non-Jews into the faith without having to be circumcised and taught the Law of Moses.

In St. Philip and St. James, we see the missionary aspect and the community aspect of the Christian community which needs to be addressed and balanced. St. Philip showed us an example the missionary aspect by bringing others to Jesus, Nathanael in this case. St. James showed us an example of the community aspect, by making a decision which affected the growth and well-being of the community, by not imposing non-essential customs and practices on the non-Jews. May we learn, through the example of Saints Philip and James, how to strike a balance between missionary spirit and community life, so that we as a Christian community could grow more like our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is easy for some of us to become influenced by different teachings which appear to sound Christian, but are in fact teachings by self-proclaimed evangelists, who publicise their words and works, but with a hidden ulterior motive. Quite often, such people go about preaching to attract crowds, with the intention of making money and attaining wealth and property. Once such people have gotten what they wanted, they may conveniently make themselves scarce, while some would continue doing such deeds as long as they can. The true message of the Gospel is lost, replaced by teachings which suit or benefit such people.

That is why, in today’s reading, St. Paul reminds us: “Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything.” We need to be cautious not to fall into the trap of other preachers who try to sweeten or cheapen the Gospel message for their own purposes, and be discerning enough to know what is the truth and what is not, with direction and help from competent authorities, and especially with help from God.