Official feasts used to be an important part of the human community. People would gather together to remember something sacred, express their faith and hope for the future, and / or just be together formally, recognizing each other as being part of a shared community. Few things express a desire for shared companionship and social intimacy more than dining together. Sadly, the gathering together for feasting is increasingly a relic of the past – at least here in the West.
It need not be so! Today we will remember the ancient feasts.
The Feast of St. Philip and St. James the Less
This is a Christian religious feast day celebrating the lives and works of Philp and James (the Less), two of the original Apostles of Jesus Christ. Tradition describes Philip as the apostle who preached in Greece, Syria, and Asia-Minor. Tradition is less clear as to the work of James – with confusion and speculation into the present about his identity overall (there are lots of men named James mentioned in the New Testament.)
The two Apostles share a feast day due to the anniversary of a Church in Rome, dedicated to them both, today called “the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles.” For centuries, their feast day was observed on 1 May, but it has been celebrated on 3 May since 1969 by Roman Catholics.
In the Roman Rite, the feast day of Philip, along with that of James the Less, is traditionally observed on 1 May, the anniversary of the dedication of the church dedicated to them in Rome (now called the Church of the Twelve Apostles). In the short-lived calendar reform of 1960, it was transferred to 11 May, but since 1969 it has been assigned to 3 May. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Philip’s feast day on 14 November.
All three Synoptic Gospels and the Book of Acts list Philip as one of the apostles; he is always listed on the fifth place. The Gospel of John recounts Philip’s calling as a disciple of Jesus. Philip is described as a disciple from the city of Bethsaida, and the evangelist connects him with Andrew and Peter, who were from the same town. He also was among those surrounding John the Baptist when the latter first pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God. It was Philip who first introduced Nathanael (sometimes identified with Bartholomew) to Jesus. According to Butler, Philip was among those attending the wedding at Cana.
Of the four Gospels, Philip figures most prominently in the Gospel of John. Jesus tests Philip (John 6:6) when he asks him how to feed the 5,000 people. Later he appears as a link to the Greek community. Philip bore a Greek name, could likely speak Greek, and may have been known to the Greek pilgrims in Jerusalem. He advises Andrew that certain Greeks wish to meet Jesus, and together they inform Jesus of this (John 12:21). During the Last Supper, when Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, he provides Jesus the opportunity to teach his disciples about the unity of the Father and the Son.
Distinct from Philip the Evangelist
Philip the Apostle should not be confused with Philip the Evangelist, who was appointed with Stephen and five others to oversee charitable distributions (Acts 6:5).
Apocryphal accounts
Nag Hammadi texts
One of the Gnosticcodices discovered in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945 bears Philip’s name in its title, on the bottom line. An early extra-biblical story about St. Philip is preserved in the apocryphal Letter from Peter to Philip, also one of the texts in the Nag Hammadi Library, and dated to the end of the 2nd century or early 3rd. This text begins with a letter from St. Peter to St. Philip, asking him to rejoin the other apostles who had gathered at the Mount of Olives. Fred Lapham believes that this letter indicates an early tradition that “at some point between the Resurrection of Jesus and the final parting of his risen presence from the disciples, Philip had undertaken a sole missionary enterprise, and was, for some reason, reluctant to return to the rest of the Apostles.”
Acts: miracles and martyrdom
Later stories about Philip’s life can be found in the anonymous Acts of Philip, probably written by a contemporary of Eusebius. This non-canonical book recounts the preaching and miracles of Philip. According to these accounts, following the resurrection of Jesus, Philip was sent with his sister Mariamne and Bartholomew to preach in Greece, Phrygia, and Syria. Included in the Acts of Philip is an appendix, entitled “Of the Journey of Philip the Apostle: From the Fifteenth Act Until the End, and Among Them the Martyrdom.” This appendix gives an embellished account of Philip’s martyrdom in the city of Hierapolis. According to this account, through a miraculous healing and his preaching Philip converted the wife of the proconsul of the city. This enraged the proconsul, and he had Philip, Bartholomew, and Mariamne all tortured. Philip and Bartholomew were then crucified upside-down, and Philip preached from his cross. As a result of Philip’s preaching the crowd released Bartholomew from his cross, but Philip insisted that they not release him, and Philip died on the cross. Philip is also said to have been martyred by beheading, rather than crucifixion, in the city of Hierapolis.
In 2011, Italian archaeologist Francesco D’Andria claimed to have discovered the tomb of Philip during excavations in ancient Hierapolis, close to the modern Turkish city of Denizli. The 1st-century tomb, found to be empty of relics, stood at the centre of a 4th- or 5th-century three-naved basilica, the Church of the Sepulchre, which was one of the focal points of an ancient pilgrimage hill complex dedicated to Philip. Ancient Greek prayers are carved into the walls of the tomb and church venerating Philip the Apostle, and a 6th-century bread stamp (signum pistoris [es]) shows Philip holding bread (John 6) with a three-naved church on his left side, and the previously identified nearby martyrion church to his right, supporting the assertion that the basilica contains the original tomb of the apostle. The church built on his tomb and the martyrion church some 40 yards away were places of intense veneration for centuries: In Philip’s Church of the Sepulchre the marble floors were worn down by thousands of people.
In 2012, Bartholomew, the patriarch of Constantinople and primate of the Orthodox church, celebrated the liturgy of St. Philip in the Church of the Sepulchre and in the martyrion church of the apostle.
Iconography
Cross of Philip
Philip is commonly associated with the symbol of the Latin cross. Other symbols assigned to Philip include: the cross with the two loaves (because of his answer to the Lord in John 6:7), a basket filled with bread, a spear with the patriarchal cross, and a cross with a carpenter’s square.
James the Less (Ancient Greek: Ἰάκωβος ὁ μικρός Iakōbos ho mikros) is a figure of early Christianity. He is also called “the Minor”, “the Little”, “the Lesser”, or “the Younger”, according to translation, James is styled “the Less” to distinguish him from the Apostle James the Great (also called “James the Elder”) with “Less” meaning younger or shorter, rather than less important. James the Great was the brother of John the Apostle.
James the Less has traditionally been commemorated along with St. Philip in the Western Christian calendars. In the Roman Catholic Church their feast day was observed on 1 May until 1955, when it was moved to 11 May to accommodate the Feast of St Joseph the Worker on 1 May. A later revision of the calendar moved the feast back to 3 May. In many other churches (for example, the Church of England) the feast has never moved from 1 May.
In the New Testament, the name “James” identifies multiple men. James the Less is named only in connection with his mother “Mary“, who is also the mother of Joseph, who is called Joses by Mark (Joseph and Joses are variants of the same name). There are four mentions:
“Mary, the mother of James and Joseph” (Matthew 27:56);
“Mary, the mother of James the younger and of Joses” (Mark 15:40) (“James the younger” here has also been translated “James the less”);
This “Mary” may have been Mary of Clopas, mentioned only in John 19:25. It is unlikely to be Mary the mother of Jesus since she is not identified as Jesus’ mother but only called the mother of James the Less and Joseph/Joses. In Matthew 27:56, she is clearly distinguished from the mother of James, son of Zebedee.
Jerome first tells that James the Less must be identified with James, the son of Alphaeus.
No one doubts that there were two apostles called by the name James, James the son of Zebedee, and James the son of Alphaeus. The only conclusion is that the Mary who is described as the mother of James the Less was the wife of Alphaeus and sister of Mary the Lord’s mother, the one who is called by John the Evangelist Mary of Clopas, whether after her father, or kindred, or for some other reason.
After that, James the Less being the same as James, the son of Alphaeus, Jerome describes in his work called De Viris Illustribus that James “the brother of the Lord” is the same as James, son of Alphaeus:
James, who is called the brother of the Lord, surnamed the Just, the son of Joseph by another wife, as some think, but, as appears to me, the son of Mary, sister of the mother of our Lord “Mary of Cleophas” of whom John makes mention in his book. [John 19:25]
Thus, Jerome concludes that James the Less, James, son of Alphaeus and James the brother of Jesus are one and the same person.
James the Apostle is said the Less, how well that he was elder of age than was St. James the More. He was called also the brother of our Lord, because he resembled much well our Lord in body, in visage, and of manner. He was called James the Just for his right great holiness. He was also called James the son of Alphaeus. He sang in Jerusalem the first mass that ever was sung therein, and he was first bishop of Jerusalem.
Statue of Saint James the Minor, Apostle, at the church of the Palace of Mafra, Portugal
The title, “the Less”, is used to differentiate James from other people named James. Since it means that he is either the younger or shorter of two, he seems to be compared to one other James. In the lists of the twelve apostles in the synoptic Gospels, there are two apostles called James, who are differentiated there by their fathers: James, son of Zebedee, and James, son of Alphaeus. Long-standing tradition identifies James, the son of Alphaeus, as James the Less. James, son of Zebedee, is then called “James the Great” (although that designation does not appear in the New Testament). Some propose that Alphaeus was the same man as Cleophas or at least the husband of Mary Clopas.
Do you intend the comparatively unknown James the Less, who is called in Scripture the son of Mary, not however of Mary the mother of our Lord, to be an apostle, or not? If he is an apostle, he must be the son of Alphæus and a believer in Jesus, ‘For neither did his brethren believe in him.’ The only conclusion is that the Mary who is described as the mother of James the Less was the wife of Alphæus and sister of Mary the Lord’s mother, the one who is called by John the Evangelist ‘Mary of Clopas‘.
Papias of Hierapolis, who lived circa 70–163 AD, in the surviving fragments of his work Exposition of the Sayings of the Lord relates that Mary, wife of Alphaeus is mother of James the Less:
Mary, mother of James the Less and Joseph, wife of Alphaeus was the sister of Mary the mother of the Lord, whom John names of Cleophas.
Therefore, James, son of Alphaeus would be the same as James the Less.
In Catholic tradition, James’s mother is none other than Mary of Clopas who was among the women at the foot of the Cross of Jesus, weeping. For that reason, and given the fact that the Semitic word for brother is also used for other close relatives, James son of Alpheus is often held as a cousin to Jesus. He is also thought by some to be the brother of Matthew the Apostle, since the father of both was named Alphaeus (compare Mark 2:14 and 3:18).
Modern Biblical scholars are divided on whether this identification is correct. Catholic priest and biblical scholar John Paul Meier finds it unlikely. Amongst evangelicals, the New Bible Dictionary supports the traditional identification, while Don Carson and Darrell L. Bock both regard the identification as possible, but not certain.
For a short video on these two saints, with some additional information on their lives and works, I recommend the link below:
What do you eat for the Feast Day of St. Philip and St. James the Less?
I got the idea for this Ethiopian dish (recipe below) from CatholicCuisine.
African Chicken Stew
I have always love the scripture about St. Philip baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch. It is very vivid and exciting, especially for the kids! I thought it would be fun to try an Ethiopian dinner, especially since it is my 11 year old’s patron saint’s feast day.
Many of the ingredients were specialized, so I read through some Ethiopian menus and used the closest substitutions that we had at home. I did try a new recipe for African chicken stew. The whole family really enjoyed it!
The really neat part, is that in Ethioipia they use the ritual breaking of “Injera”, a pancake made with Teff flour, to symbolize loyalty and friendship. The “Injera” is used for their plate. The food is shared in common in the middle of the table. (I did put food in the middle of the table, but then made individual plates for each person.)
We used “Flatout” bread instead of the authentic “Injera”. We also included salad “salata”, hummus “buticha”, veggies “fasolia”, “avib” is an Ethiopian spiced cottage cheese – we used regular cottage cheese, and the stew resembled Ethiopia’s national dish “doro wot”. It was a big hit, and we will definitely try it again.
Here is the recipe for African Chicken Stew:
1 T vegetable oil 3 lbs. boneless chicken cubed 1 Lg onion chopped 5 medium potatoes peeled and cubed 2 cloves of garlic crushed 1 t coarse ground pepper 1 t salt 1 t coriander 1 t cumin 1 t crushed red pepper ( I used 1/2 t, and it was still a little hot) 1 cup water 1 cup chicken broth 3/4 cup peanut butter 2 cups fresh chopped spinach
Heat oil in large skillet. Brown chicken until cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. Add onion, potatoes, and all spices. Cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in water, broth, and peanut butter. Add chicken, and top with spinach. Cover and simmer until potatoes are cooked through. About 20 minutes. (I stirred often and had to add more broth.) Enjoy!
What is a prayer to say for the Feast Day of St. Philip and St. James the Less?
O God, who gladden us each year with the feast day of the Apostles Philip and James, grant us, through their prayers, a share in the Passion and Resurrection of your Only Begotten Son, so that we may merit to behold you for eternity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(from The Roman Missal)
For a quick tour of the 6th Century Basilica responsible for these two saints sharing a feast day, I recommend the one below:
And another:
When is the Feast Day of St. Philip and St. James the Less celebrated?
They are celebrated together on 3 May by the Roman Catholic Church and they are celebrated on 1 May by Anglican Communion, Old Catholics, ELCA, and LCMS.
Philip’s Feast Day is celebrated individually on 14 November by Eastern Orthodox, 17 November by Armenian Christians, and 18 November by Coptic Christians.
I hope that all who celebrate have a wonderful day!
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That’s a solid stew
The main thing that threw me with that recipe was the peanut butter… but it works.