3 May
Fri 		Ss Philip & James, Apostles
1 Cor. 15:1-8
Ps. 18:2-3,4-5
Jn. 14:6-14
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In contrast to Philip, who is mentioned several times playing an active part in the Gospel, James the son of Alphaeus (not of Zebedee, John's brother) hardly features at all. Still he is mentioned by St Paul as having been privileged with a special appearance of Jesus to him after the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:1-8) that is, if this is the James in question. Maybe this shows a special affection of Jesus for this quiet, unassuming man working away in the background. At any rate, James must have had a special attachment to his Master.

Philip, for his part, appears in the Gospel as someone who brings other people to Jesus, as he brought Nathaniel (Jn. 1:5) and some Greeks (Jn. 12:21). Jesus' question to Philip about the feeding of the crowd that came to hear Him (Jn. 6:5) suggests that He recognized this concern of Philip for other people. His answer to Philip's question in Jn. 14:6-14, however, sums up the heart of our Christian faith: God is in Jesus and Jesus is in God. Through Him we therefore have great power to continue His mission of healing in this world.


Lord, increase our love for Jesus as Philip and James did, so that we may continue Your mission to the end.

DAILY OFFERING
Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
INTENTION
That Christians may live their faith coherently and so be credible witnesses of the hope of the Gospel
Elaboration

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P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H    

INTENTION : That Christians may live their faith coherently and so be credible witnesses of the hope of the Gospel

That we may live a "coherent faith" that is a faith which produces the testimony of good works is the ecumenical intention of the Holy Father. In the Joint Declaration on the doctrine of justification signed between the Catholic Church and the World Lutheran Federation in 1999 it is stated that "only through grace, by means of faith in Christ and his salvific work, and not through any merit of ours, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit which renews our hearts, enabling us to perform and leading us to good works".

It has to be understood that no human effort is capable of buying salvation. It is fundamentally a gift of God for which we have a duty to respond and co-operate through "faith-in-action" or "practised faith".

Hence, the strengthening of one's inner faith through prayer and the sacraments will assist in the growth of charity which leads us to live the new commandment of love more fervently. Now is the time to look at charity in a new way. It is not a matter of doing the same thing in the same way. It is a time to seek and find new expressions of love for every human being. Then we become "credible witnesses of evangelical hope"



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