Red-Letter Day
Apostles
May 1
also known as Philip and James the Less, Sts. Philip and James
Philip and James the Less are commemorated together on May 1 with martyrs' crowns. This date traditionally coincides with the dedication of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Rome, where their relics were believed to rest. Philip of Bethsaida appears in several vivid episodes in John's Gospel, bringing Nathanael to Christ, and questioning how anyone could feed of the five thousand. He also famously asked Jesus to "show us the Father," to which Jesus replies, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father," clearly asserting his Divinity. In later tradition, Philip was a popular disciple to embellish, with multiple apocryphal acts. The most famous records him blinding & slaying a dragon and her brood with Holy water in one section, and in another negotiating with a dragon to help build a church! Traditionally he was martyred for healing and preaching the gospel in Hierapolis.
James the son of Alphaeus (also called James the Less) is distinguished from James the Elder and from James the Just; little is recorded of his individual ministry beyond his inclusion among the Twelve. Apocryphally he was martyred in Jerusalem after preaching Jesus' divinity faithfully to a group of Jews, who drag him before Emperor Claudius and accused him of hindering obedience to Rome. Consequently, Claudius had James stoned to death.
Traditionally, Philip preached in Asia Minor and Phrygia, and James the Less is said to have led the church in Jerusalem and been martyred by crucifixion or by being beaten to death. The traditions are late and contradictory. Some sources identify James the Less with James the Lord's brother (though these are likely distinct figures). Philip's relics were claimed by various centers, and both apostles were venerated in Rome.
Philip was from Bethsaida (John 1:44), the hometown of Andrew and Peter. He appears prominently in John's Gospel, often in paired episodes. When Jesus called Philip directly ('Follow me'), Philip immediately found Nathanael and urged him to come, saying: 'We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph' (John 1:45). Though Nathanael initially balked—'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?'—Philip persisted in his introduction, and Nathanael became a disciple.
At the feeding of the five thousand, when Jesus asked where bread could be purchased, Philip responded with practical arithmetic: 'Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little' (John 6:7)—a candid assessment of the logistical problem that sets up Jesus's miracle.
Philip's most significant moment occurs in John 14:8, at the Last Supper. Jesus has just said: 'If you know me, you will know my Father also.' Philip asks: 'Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied' (14:8). Jesus's reply—'Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father' (14:9)—reveals both a gentle rebuke and a profound Christological claim. Philip's straightforward request occasions one of the most important statements in John about the relationship between Jesus and God.
James the Less appears in all four apostolic lists, consistently paired with Philip (Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13), often designated 'son of Alphaeus' or 'the less' (mikros, 'the smaller'—perhaps to distinguish him from James the Elder or James the Lord's brother). Beyond his inclusion in the Twelve and his presence in the upper room before Pentecost, the New Testament records nothing of his individual ministry.
Almighty God, you gave to your apostles Philip and James the grace and strength to bear witness to Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life: Grant that we, being mindful of their victory of faith, may glorify in life and death the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.