Homily for the Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles

In today's Gospel, we hear Philip say to Jesus, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." This request may resonate with us, as we may feel that we will only be satisfied when we see God in heaven. However, Jesus responds to Philip by saying that God the Father, whom he longs to see, he already sees in Jesus: "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." Jesus reminds us that he has already begun to satisfy our deepest longing for God.

Through his life, death, and Resurrection, Jesus has shown us the face of God Himself. As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, we will begin to see the face of God, and heaven will become a present reality to some degree. Jesus wants us to appreciate and experience the presence of God in His person, who is with us always until the end of time. He is with us in his word, in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and in each other.