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St. Philip (Credit : Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) and
Statue of St. James the Less (Credit : Jastrow, CC BY 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons)

On May 3rd, the Church celebrates the Feast of Saints Philip and James to honor two early disciples of Jesus, who were among the original Twelve Apostles.

Why do Saints Philip and James the Less share a feast day?

It is believed that the reason Sts. Philip and James share a feast day is because their relics were brought to Rome together in early May of 560 A.D. They were placed in a Basilica dedicated to them, located near the center of Rome. This Basilica has since been rededicated to the Twelve Holy Apostles.

Their feast day was observed on May 1 until 1955, when it was moved to May 11 to accommodate the Feast of St Joseph the Worker on May 1. A later revision of the General Roman Calendar moved the feast back to May 3.

St Philip :

Philip came from the same town as Peter and Andrew, Bethsaida in Galilee. Jesus called him directly, whereupon he sought out Nathanael and told him of the “one about whom Moses wrote” (Jn 1:45).

While Matthew, Mark, and Luke merely list Philip as one of the twelve apostles, John’s Gospel gives some more intriguing insights. According to John’s Gospel, Philip was one of the first apostles to be called. He seemed to have no feeling of doubt; following Jesus was the right thing to do. He even sought out his friend Nathanael right away to share the news with him.

Although Philip initially accepted Jesus as the Messiah with ease, a few hints later on in John’s Gospel illustrate a lack of spiritual understanding. For example, just before the miracle of the loaves and fish, Jesus tested Philip’s faith. Jesus asked Philip where they might be able to buy enough food to feed the enormous crowd. Philip, wrapped up in being rational, expressed doubt, fretting that two hundred days of work would not raise enough money to feed such a crowd. He seemed to lack the mystical instinct to trust Jesus in handling the overwhelming situation.

In another instance, Philip again seemed to be pulled toward reason rather than divine trust. During the Last Supper, Jesus was trying to explain his unity with God, the Father, and how they were one. Philip, however, feeling confused, asked Jesus to show them the Father. Philip evidently desired or needed more definite proof in order to understand and accept what Jesus was saying.

The last mention of Philip the Apostle occurs in the Acts of the Apostles as having been in the upper room prior to the descent of the Holy Spirit. Clearly, although he had a difficult time grasping some spiritual matters, his devotion to Jesus still stood firm. 

St. James the Lesser :

St. James, to distinguish him from the other apostle of the same name, the son of Zebedee, was called the Less; which appellation is supposed to have taken its rise, either from his having been called later to the apostleship than the former, or from the lowness of his stature, or from his youth. He is also known by the title of James the Just, a denomination all agree, with Hegesippus and St. Clement of Alexandria, to have been given on account of his eminent sanctity. He was the son of Alpheus and Mary, the sister of the Blessed Virgin and seems to have been born some years before our Lord. Jesus came with his brethren, and probably St. James among the rest, to settle in Capharnaum, at the beginning of his ministry. James and his brother Jude were called to the apostleship in the second year of Christ's preaching, soon after the Pasch, in the year 31.

Tradition holds that James was Bishop of Jerusalem and was martyred after declaring his faith before the Sanhedrin, or great council, of the Jews.

Patron Saints :  

St. Philip is the patron saint of hatters, pastry chefs, bakers, and cooks.
St. James the Lesser is the patron saint of apothecaries, pharmacists, druggists, dying people, fullers, and milliners.

- Article by CT Staff

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