Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 3, 2023
Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen 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?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
“Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?” Whenever I read these words from today’s gospel, I hear the Lord swapping out Philip’s name for my own. I instinctively get defensive and want to respond, “Of course, I know you, Lord! Why would you even ask that?” Then I sit with this second question and genuinely contemplate, “Why would he even ask that?”
I imagine Christ’s face, tone of voice, and the look in his eyes. I imagine the world buzzing around us and then slowly fading away until it’s just me and the one who died for me. My defensiveness dies down, and I ask, sincerely seeking truth, “Why do you ask that, Lord?”
For me, the past few months have been like a whirlwind. I am constantly going from one thing to another, and it feels like I’m doing too much and not enough at the same time. I have been wrestling with feeling incapable of accomplishing what the Lord has called me to at this moment of my life. My prayer moments are not focused on my trusting relationship with my Savior but, in my anxiety, transform into a to-do list planning session or a self-motivational pep talk. In either case, this party of one does very little to ease my fears.
But the words of Christ cut right through all of my uncertainty. The original question Jesus posed in today’s gospel invites us to contemplate who he is beyond our current circumstances. He reminds us that he is God and we are his beloved ones, regardless of everything else. Can we slow down enough today to embrace this reality and live out the joy of his love?
Prayer
God of all wisdom and grace, fill us with zeal to proclaim the truth of our faith wherever your Spirit leads us. Give us courage and determination to live out our faith in a challenging world. May our lives reflect your radiance as you lead us into your promise of everlasting life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day

James was one of the 12 disciples, and was Jesus’ own cousin—his mother was sister or cousin to Mary. Legend says that he looked so much like Jesus that Mary herself could have confused them, and this is why Judas betrayed Jesus with an identifying kiss for the authorities.
James is called “minor” or “lesser,” meaning younger, to distinguish him from the other James, who was also a disciple and played a more significant role in the Gospel stories.
This James was one of the first witnesses of the resurrection, and received a special appearance from Jesus before he ascended to heaven. He was bishop of the Church in Jerusalem, and was held in high esteem—he spoke for the people, for instance, in some of the important decisions of the early Church. St. Paul consulted with him before starting his missionary journeys and referred to him as a “pillar” of the Church.
He was known in Jerusalem as “The Just One” because of his constancy in prayer and for the devotion with which he practiced his faith. He did not eat meat, he refrained from any ostentation in clothing, he did not drink wine, and he did not cut his hair. He spent so much time in prayer that his knees grew thick callouses and looked like a camel’s.
The leaders in Jerusalem were worried about the growing number of people who were coming to believe that Jesus was the Christ. They asked James to refute this claim, but he refused and was stoned. He was finally killed when he was struck on the head with a club, and his body was cut to pieces with a saw. He is patron saint of pharmacists because they work with a pestle, which resembles a club.
He is frequently portrayed in art with the instruments of his death, a club or saw, or with a book, signifying his authority in the early Church. The relics of St. James the Lesser rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and his image is used here with permission from Catholic.org. He is also portrayed with this symbol in stained glass that stands in the chapel in Morrissey Hall.
St. James the Lesser, cousin of Jesus and the “just one” who led the early Church in Jerusalem—pray for us!