St James is known as a relative of Jesus, 'the brother of the Lord,' and today we read that the Risen Lord appeared to him personally. James became an important leader for early Christians in Jerusalem. St Paul refers to him as a 'pillar of the Church.' Tradition also considers him to be the author of the Bible's Epistle of James, a book filled with practical wisdom.

Much of what we know about St. Philip comes from the Gospel of John. Philip was a native of Bethsaida, present at the miraculous feeding of the 5000, and attended Jesus' discourse at the Last Supper. Scripture also portrays Philip as someone who leads people to Jesus; first he brings Nathaniel and later he introduces certain Gentiles to Christ.

In today's Gospel, Philip asks Jesus to "show us the Father." This request is reminiscent of the Old Testament episode in which Moses asks to see the face of God - a request that is not granted him (Ex. 33:18-20). In contrast, today Jesus proclaims, "whoever has seen me has seen the Father." In fact, the very purpose of Jesus' works is to make known the power and character of God. As he prepares to return to the Father, Jesus invites his disciples to share in this ministry of revealing God to the world.