May 3 – Feast of Sts. Philip and James, Apostles
St. Philip was a disciple of St. John the Baptist, and a convert. He was one of the Twelve Apostles, and brought St. Nathanael to Christ. He was a confidant of Jesus. Little is known about him, but scriptural episodes give the impression of a shy, naive, but practical individual. He preached in Greece and Asia Minor, and died a martyr for the faith.
- Patron Saint Index
St. James the Lesser was the cousin of Jesus, and brother of St. Jude Thaddeus. He was raised in a Jewish home of the time, with all the training in Scripture and Law that was part of that life. He was a convert, and one of the Twelve Apostles. He was one of the first to have visions of the risen Christ.
He was the first bishop of Jerusalem. He met with St. Paul the Apostle to work out Paul’s plans for evangelization. He supported the position that Gentile converts did not have to obey all Jewish religious law, though he continued to observe it himself as part of his heritage. He may have been a vegetarian. He was a just and apostolic man known for his prayer life and devotion to the poor.
He was martyred for his faith in c.62 when he was thrown from a pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem, and then stoned and beaten with clubs while praying for his attackers. Having been beaten to death, a club almost immediately became his symbol, leading to his patronage of fullers and pharmacists, both of whom use clubs in their professions.
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 for James Himself.
- Patron Saint Index
1 Cor 15:1-8
Jn 14:6-14
‘Lord let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’
The transition at work from a paper-based process to a digital process took place as I was growing up. My parents always remarked that a hard-copy version is always better because there is something tangible to refer to and that it is often easier on the eyes compared to staring at the computer screen. I never could see their point of view until I was in the middle of my professional career where I really appreciated the role of paper in helping me to clarify my thoughts and ideas. The idea of seeing God through our senses appears in a very strong way in the Gospel of today where Thomas that he will be satisfied only if Jesus allowed him to see the Father.
I believe that this is the reality of having to evangelise to others. There is a desire for the senses to be satisfied before one believes. Yet the struggle is that matters of the faith do not allow our senses to be satisfied. This is where the Christian comes in to translate articles of faith and belief into the words and actions in the world today. There is a saying that for Christians, we read the Gospel every day (I hope!) but for others, we could be the only Gospel they read.
The way we speak and show love to others suggest to them that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Our lives should radiate with love and empathy for the people around us. One of the interesting nature of St Philip is that he is always directing people to Jesus. He did so in the multiplication of the loaves and again when there were some Greeks looking for Jesus. Perhaps for each one of us, our lives are like a signboard; a constant pillar of direction to the people who are looking for Jesus.
May we continue in our lives today to be like St Philip and show the world what a wonderful Saviour whom Jesus is to us.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
Prayer: We pray for the strength to continue to preach the Gospel fearlessly
Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the people who continue to show us how to live a Christian life.
OXYGEN 
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