3 May 2018
Feast of Sts. Philip and James, Apostles and Martyrs
We want to see the ones we love. From The Odyssey to The Last Jedi,we have so many stories about a loved one who has been gone for years that we are excited to see once more. We cannot stand for our loved ones to be hidden from us. We want to share experiences and moments with those we love, for them to be near when we are excited, and for us to be near when they are excited. God is no exception.
Philip asks Jesus the most natural question in the world: “show us the Father” (Jn. 14:7). And Jesus’ response is truly wonderful, that “whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9). John Paul II said that Jesus “is the human face of God.” To see Jesus is to see God. To be friends with Jesus is to be friends with God—and Jesus wants to be friends with us. Today we can rejoice: the God we love is with us, is seen by us, and spends time with us, because to be with Jesus is to be with God.