May 3 | Saints Philip and James the Lesser

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine standing on the very edge of the highest pinnacle of a massive ancient temple. The wind is howling, angry crowds are shouting behind you, and there is a terrifying drop to the hard stone far below. Or, picture finding yourself in a foreign land, facing down a furious mob armed with sharp lances, heavy stones, and even terrifying saws.

This was the real, gritty, and incredibly dangerous life of two of Jesus Christ's closest friends, St. Philip and St. James the Lesser. There is actually very little known about these two apostles outside of what is written about them directly in Scripture, but what we do know proves they were absolutely fearless. Let's kick things off with St. Philip. Between the two of them, we know a little bit more about Philip's life. He was most likely from a town called Bethsaida in Galilee.

Philip was the kind of guy you want in your friend group because he shared the amazing things he found. In fact, right after he met Jesus, his very first instinct was to go out and bring his friend Nathanael to meet him too.

Philip was also the highly practical guy of the group. Do you remember the famous story where Jesus feeds thousands of hungry people with just a tiny amount of food? When Jesus asked how they would feed everyone, Philip immediately did the math in his head and stressed out, pointing out that even 200 days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little. He was a realist.

He was also probably fluent in Greek. When a group of Greek-speaking Jews, known as Hellenes, wanted to get an audience with Jesus, they knew they had to approach Philip first. But Philip was still learning, just like us. Once, he impatiently asked Jesus, Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us. Jesus actually had to correct him, saying, Have I been with you for so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

After Jesus' resurrection, Philip didn't just stay home. He traveled far away to Phrygia, which is in modern-day Turkey, and possibly even to Greece. Like almost all the early apostles, his bravery eventually cost him his life, and he was martyred for his faith. While the historical accounts of his death differ, they are all incredibly dramatic.

Some think he was stoned to death. Others believe he was crucified and stabbed through with a lance. And one wild account claims he was sawed in half. Because of this intense history, if you see Philip in art, his symbols often include a walking stick, a book, loaves of bread, a spear, a budded cross, and a pile of stones. Today, Philip is the proud patron saint of the countries of Luxembourg and Uruguay.

Now, let's talk about our second hero, James. He was the son of Alphaeus, and he is famously known as James the Less or the Lesser. Now, if you're thinking, wow, the Lesser is a pretty terrible nickname, don't worry. There are many theories about why he was called that, and none of them mean he was a loser. Some say he was just called the lesser to differentiate him from another famous apostle named James, who was known as James the Greater. Other historians think James the Less simply means he was physically shorter or maybe younger than the other James.

James the Lesser was a massive figure in the early church. Some people believe he was actually one of Jesus' cousins. The Bible hints at this in Matthew 13.55, asking, Are not his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? We also know that Jesus appeared specifically to James after the resurrection.

James is thought to have been the very first bishop of Jerusalem, and his death is the terrifying temple drop mentioned at the beginning. James died a spectacular martyr's death when a group of furious scribes and Pharisees threw him right off the highest pinnacle of the temple. Another tradition holds that, just like Philip, he might have been sawed in half. This is why his symbols include a bat, a fuller's club, stones, an image of the temple, or a saw.

James the Lesser is the patron saint of the dying, of hatters, druggists, and fullers, who were ancient workers that cleaned, shrank, and thickened cloth. So, what can we take away from these epic lives of St. Philip and St. James the Lesser today?

Think back to what Philip did at the very beginning of his journey. When he found something amazing, Jesus, he didn't keep it to himself. He immediately went and brought his friend Nathaniel. Your challenge for today is to be an inviter, just like St. Philip. Today, look around at your friends, teammates, or classmates. Find someone who looks lonely, or someone who hasn't been included in a while, and invite them in. Share a great book with them, invite them to sit at your lunch table, or just introduce them to your friend group.

Be the person who brings others to something good. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.