Saints Philip & James

"After the profound pain of Jesus' suffering and death, and of their own failure, the Apostles were impelled by the joy of Easter to proclaim with exuberant conviction the amazing news: Jesus lives! Death has died" (Magnificat, 45)! We have two examples today of apostles who went out and proclaimed this amazing news, Saint Philip and Saint James. As the psalmist says, "Their message goes out through all the earth" (Ps 19). We continue to build upon the foundation that was laid by those early apostles. The amazing news is still the same, Jesus Christ has truly broken the bonds of sin and death by his own death and resurrection. Even the gospel for today, John 14:6-14, gives us a message that we can preach as well. Jesus said to Thomas, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Our faith and belief needs to be strong because we know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. If we believe and follow him, he will lead us to his Father's eternal kingdom. This is the hope and faith that sustained the early Church and the early Apostles. Now it is our great task to continue the mission entrusted to us. May we be strengthened in our efforts to build up the Kingdom of God in our midst and keep proclaiming with our words and our lives the amazing news that "Death has died!" "Jesus lives!!!" Saints Philip and James, pray for us!!!