Philip was a simple man. He worked hard to make a living and make ends meet. He was nominally religious. If by religious, you mean obediently reading the holy texts daily and keeping up with your sacred obligations. Yes, Philip did all of that and this was pretty typical for the life of your average Jewish man. Then one day, he fell in love and left his town into the unknown. This month’s saint does not really stand out among the twelve apostles, but he did not need to. St. Philip went out to foreign lands to introduce Christianity in response to the love that was demonstrated to him by Jesus. He did not want fame or fortune, just to live life showing gratitude to the God who first loved him.
He is introduced in John 1:43-50 when Jesus arrives in the town of Bethsaida in Galilee which was the same town that Peter and Andrew lived in. In fact, they may have even encountered each other. Philip meets Jesus and accepts the call to follow the promised Messiah. He immediately runs to his friend, Nathanael, who is also called Bartholomew, the savior that was prophesied in the Torah has arrived. Nathanael was hesitant and asked him what good could come from the town of Nazareth. Philip simply answers by telling him to come and see. Jesus sees Nathanael and declares that he is an honest man. When he asks how Jesus knew him, Jesus responds by saying He saw him under the fig tree before Philip called him. Nathanael, shocked by this revelation, immediately believed. Jesus tells them that they will see even greater things if they follow Him.
This was not the first time he saw Jesus though. Before he was called, Philip belonged to a group inspired by John the Baptist. He witnessed when John the Baptist baptizes Jesus and identifies Him as the Lamb of God. He participated in the miracle of the loaves and fishes as accounted in John 6:5–9 which is why some medieval art depicts him with loaves of bread. He was mentioned again in John 12:21-22 where he was revealed to know Greek as he helps to talk to them after they come to see Jesus. Philip was also a curious person which was shown when he asked Jesus about God the Father in John 14:8. Jesus responds by telling him that if they know Jesus then they encounter the Father.
After the Ascension, Philip set off to minister to Greece, Syria, and Turkey. His familiarity with Greek helped a lot with the ministry there because his name was Greek as well so he may have been a convert. However, the most notable mention of the apostle is in Acts 8:26-40 when he came across a eunuch who served in the court of the Ethiopian Queen Candace. The eunuch was reading Isaiah 53:7-8 and was confused as to what he was reading. Philip was tired from all of his travel and chose to follow the Holy Spirit as it guided Philip to this man. The apostle then helped him to understand that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy that the Messiah would be slaughtered like a sacrificial lamb. They discussed the matter until the eunuch was convinced. Inspired by zeal, the eunuch professed his belief in Christ and was baptized right there.
Here are some things we can learn from St. Philip’s life could help us in our faith journey.
Just keep praying! – Doing the same thing over and over again is boring and might seem pointless, but that was what the Jewish people did as they awaited the arrival of the Messiah. They faced periods of uncertainty and persecution, yet they chose to be faithful because they believed in the covenant God made with Abraham. Similarly, when we face times of struggle and stagnation, we can draw our strength from Christ’s promise in John 3:16 which says whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. Having a regular prayer life helps us to prepare for this.
Visit your Father! – Philip had witnessed Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan river and even heard John the Baptist proclaim that Jesus was the Lamb of God. However, he only follows after he encounters Jesus directly. It can be easy for us to identify and profess our faith in Christ, but Philip shows us that our relationship with God truly grows when we encounter Him. The Sacraments help us to do this by nourishing our soul and preparing our hearts to respond to God.
Listen to the Holy Spirit! – From his story, we can see two major instances where Philip evangelizes. The first was right after he became a follower of Christ and his first act was to enthusiastically share the Good News with his dear friend. The second was when he was guided by the Holy Spirit to minister to the Ethiopian and reveal that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Jewish covenant. In the first situation, Philip is on fire after hearing the Word of God and shares it immediately. In the second situation, Philip is tired and a bit reluctant, but he still chooses to share the Good News with someone earnestly trying to understand the truth. Philip’s examples show us the importance of slowing down and being aware of when the Holy Spirit may be pointing us to do Christ’s work.
His life of faith inspires us to listen for the Lord’s call in our lives and to respond with love and faith.
Here is a good short prayer to St. Philip for his intercession:
O heavenly patron, St. Philip,
pray earnestly at all times to God for me;
confirm me in the faith, strengthen me in virtue,
defend me in the battle of life;
so that, conquering the enemy of my soul,
I may deserve to be rewarded
with everlasting glo
Be awesome and blossom 🌱
By: anh Daniel
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