Philip seems to have been an enthusiastic person.
He was the one who brought his friend Nathanael to Jesus,

James was the son of Alphaeus and seems to have been born in Caesarea.
After Jesus’ death James continued to preach the Gospel and is believed to have become the first bishop of Jerusalem.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

１Corinthians 15:1-8

 Let me remind you,

Brothers and sisters, of the Good News that I preached to you and which you received and on which you stand firm.   By that Gospel you are saved, provided that you hold to it as I preached it. Otherwise, you will have believed in vain.

In the first place, I have passed on to you what I myself received: that Christ died for our sins, as Scripture says;  that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures;   that he appeared to Ce­phas and then to the Twelve.   Afterwards he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters together; most of them are still alive, although some have already gone to rest.  

 Then he appeared to James and after that to all the apostles.  And last of all, he appeared to the most despicable of them, this is to me.

 

Ps 19:2-3, 4-5

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

 

 ＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊     

John 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 it.

 

 Gospel Reflection：

Q & A with Jesus

We must really thank Philip for asking a seemingly foolish question, because his question led to some most profound insights into the intimacy between Jesus and his Father, an intimacy that is offered to us as well; and icing on the cake, a blanket promise from Jesus that anything that we ask, calling upon his name, he would do for us!

We other instances in the Gospel as well, wherein the disciples ask some seemingly absurd things, only to receive some precious words or act of Jesus. Sample, for example, Thomas insisting on wanting to see Jesus’ wounds and put his hand on his side (cf. Jn 20:25); or, the disciples asking about whose sins were responsible for the man to be born blind (cf. Jn 9:2); or, Peter asking if forgiving one’s brother seven times would be good enough (cf. Mt. 18:21). What would be the one (foolish) question you want to ask Jesus today?