The Festival of St. Philip and St. James, Apostles
Posted on May 1, 2025 by under
Scripture: Ephesians 2:19-22 (NKJV)
2:19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Devotion
Today the Church honors Sts. Philip and James. What makes them so special? They, along with the other Apostles and Prophets, form the very foundation of the Church with “Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” As with any building, there needs to be a solid foundation upon which it is built. When Christ builds His Church He starts with Himself as the perfect “cornerstone.” The rest of the foundation is comprised of His Apostles—who received the Word of God directly from Christ—along with the Prophets, who “spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21).
What can the Church learn from Sts. Philip and James? To be true to Christ, His Church must be true to His Word. There are many preachers today who claim to get a word or a vision from God. They insist that what they proclaim is true, even when it is found to be contrary to God’s Word.
So how are you to know what to believe? A helpful tool to understanding the Christian faith is Luther’s Small Catechism. In the Small Catechism you are taken through the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Holy Baptism, Confession, and the Lord’s Supper, in order for you to understand the basics of the Christian faith.
Collect: O Almighty God, Whom to know is everlasting life: Grant us perfectly to know Thy Son Jesus Christ to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life, that following His steps we may steadfastly walk in the way that leadeth to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for Quasi modo geniti Sunday
Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we who have celebrated the solemnities of the Lord’s Resurrection, may, by the help of Thy grace, bring forth the fruits thereof in our life and conversation; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
