Monday, May 3, 2004
Philip & James

1st Reading: 1 Cor 15:1-8
Gospel: Jn 14:6-14

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me. If you know me, you will know the Father also; indeed you know him and you have seen him."

Philip asked him,"Lord, show us the Father and that is enough." Jesus said to him, "What! I have been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever sees me sees the Father; how can you say: 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

"All that I say to you, I do not say of myself. The Father who dwells in me is doing his own work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; at least believe it on the evidence of these works that I do.

"Truly, I say to you, the one who believes in me will do the same works that I do; and he will even do greater than these, for I am going to the Father. Everything you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. And everything you ask in calling upon my Name, I will do."

Commentary

PHILIP was the first person to whom Jesus said, "Follow me!" (Jn 1:45). James was "brother of the Lord," understood to mean cousin.
From today's reading, four words to dwell on-spoken by Jesus to Philip-four words that are almost like icons, to come back to again and again.

o "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father."
o "I am in the Father and the Father is in me."
o "The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own."
o "The Father who dwells in me does his works."

Don't forget that these words are not only about Jesus; they are about us too.

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