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Saint
Philip the Apostle
Like the brothers, Peter and
Andrew, Philip was a native of Bethsaida on Lake Genesareth (John 1:44).
He also was among those surrounding the Baptist when the latter first
pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God. On the day after Peter's call, when
about to set out for Galilee, Jesus met Philip and called him to the
Apostolate with the words, "Follow me". Philip obeyed the call, and a
little later brought Nathaniel as a new disciple (John 1:43-45). On the
occasion of the selection and sending out of the twelve, Philip is
included among the Apostles proper. His name stands in the fifth place in
the three lists (Matt., x, 2-4; Mark, iii, 14-19; Luke, vi, 13-16) after
the two pairs of brothers, Peter and Andrew, James and John. The Fourth
Gospel records three episodes concerning Philip which occurred during the
epoch of the public teaching of the Saviour:
Before the miraculous feeding of the multitude, Christ turns towards
Philip with the question: "Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"
to which the Apostle answers: "Two hundred penny-worth of bread is not
sufficient for them, that every one may take a little" (vi, 5-7).
When some heathens in Jerusalem came to Philip and expressed their desire
to see Jesus, Philip reported the fact to Andrew and then both brought the
news to the Saviour (xii, 21-23).
When Philip, after Christ had spoken to His Apostles of knowing and seeing
the Father, said to Him: "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for
us", he received the answer: "He that seeth me, seeth the Father also"
(xiv, 8-9).
These three episodes furnish a consistent character-sketch of Philip as a
naïve, somewhat shy, sober-minded man. No additional characteristics are
given in the Gospels or the Acts, although he is mentioned in the latter
work (i, 13) as belonging to the Apostolic College.
Born: at Bethsaida,
Palestine
Died: martyred c.80 at Hierapolis, Phrygia
Patronage: Luxembourg, Uruguay
Representation
elderly bearded man holding a basket of loaves and a cross which is often
t-shaped
Saint
James the Lesser, Apostle
Also known as: Jacobus
Minor, James the Younger, James the Just
Memorial: 3 May
Profile
Apostle. Cousin of Jesus. Brother of Saint Jude Thaddeus. One of the first
to have visions of the risen Christ. First Bishop of Jerusalem.
Having been beaten to death, a club almost immediately became his symbol.
This led to his patronage of fullers and pharmacists, both of whom use
clubs in their professions.
Like all men of renown, large stories grew up around James. He is reported
to have spent so much time in prayer that his knees thickened, and looked
like a camel's. Soon after the Crucifixion, James said he would fast until
Christ returned; the resurrected Jesus appeared to him, and fixed a meal
Himself.
Died
martyred c.62 at Jerusalem by being thrown from a pinnacle of the Temple,
then stoned and beaten with clubs, including fuller's mallets, while
praying for his attackers
Canonized
Pre-Congregation
Patronage
apothecaries, druggists, dying people, fullers, hatmakers, hatters,
milliners, pharmacists, Uruguay
Representation
fuller's club; man holding a book
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