John 1:45-51
45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith to him: We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth.
46 And Nathanael said to him: Can any thing of good come from Nazareth? Philip saith to him: Come and see. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him: and he saith of him: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile. 48 Nathanael saith to him: Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered, and said to him: Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. 49 Nathanael answered him, and said: Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel. 50 Jesus answered, and said to him: Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, thou believest: greater things than these shalt thou see.
51 And he saith to him: Amen, amen I say to you, you shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
Saint Phillip is one of the Apostles, along with Saint Andrew especially, who immediately believed that Jesus was the Messiah. Saint Andrew was a disciple of Saint John the Baptist, and when he was told that Jesus was “the Lamb of God”, he believed and followed him. He then told his brother, Saint Peter. Saint Phillip, as we are told in today’s Gospel, quickly goes to tell his brother, Saint Nathaniel.
Jesus taught that that the world will hate us because we show love for our brothers (and sisters). Saints Phillip and Andrew show us what it means to love our brother. It is to share the love of God. Jesus was revealed to them and they came to believe. They immediately began to show love for their brothers, hoping that they, too may come to believe in our Lord. To love our brother is not to show what the world now calls “tolerance,” which means acceptance of every bad behavior, belief and lifestyle that opposes the teachings of Christ and His Church. To love our brother is to tell them the Truth of Catholicism because we love them. We want them to spend eternity with us in Heaven and not to suffer in hell. These saints show us our Christian duty and proper motivation. Saints Phillip and Andrew, pray for us.
Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings July - December, 2026 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GRGY1D15
A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings January - June, 2026 It is also available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GDK16N45
and
Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK
His podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic