Read the story of Saints Philip and James the Less, Apostles
Summary
There are many things that unite these two saints, who met each other in life as both among the Twelve who Jesus chiamava apostoli, cioè i discepoli a Lui più vicini.
Together they lived with Christ and followed him, both will undertake the activity of evangelization and die as martyrs for it. Still together, they are buried in the Basilica of SS. XII Apostles a Rome, initially dedicated only to the two of them.
Saints Philip and James the Less, Apostles 3
“Philip, come and follow me”
So he says Jesus to Philip when he meets him, and that is enough for him to change his life. Originally from Bethsaida and former disciple of John the Baptist, Filippo da tempo aspetta il Messia.
So when he starts his preaching, Jesus rewards him: he is among the first to receive the call. And with Jesus è nel deserto poco prima del miracolo della moltiplicazione dei pani e dei pesci, a chiedergli dove avrebbero trovato il pane necessario a sfamare tutta la gente che era intervenuta.
And with Jesus it is also at the end, in the Last Supper, when he asks a Christ to show them the Father dei cieli. Dopo la Pentecoste attraversa l’Asia Minore per evangelizzare i popoli degli Sciti e dei Parti, dai quali ottiene molte conversioni.
Finally arriving in Phrygia, in Hierapolis, he is nailed upside down on an X-shaped cross on which he dies as a martyr.
James, the "brother" of Jesus
St. Paul calls him "brother" of Jesus, an epithet that designated the closest relatives of the family. According to some sources, in fact, Giacomo would have been the cousin of Christ, son di Alfeo che era fratello di San Giuseppe.
James also has a brother, also a disciple of Jesus: St. Jude Thaddeus. Known as the Minor to distinguish him from Giacomo il Maggiore, he succeeds him at the helm of the Church di Gerusalemme, dove nel 50 presiede un importante Concilio in cui si parla di questioni assai importanti per l’epoca, come la circoncisione.
Before these facts, however, we find it next to Christ che gli appare dopo la Resurrezione. Giacomo segue sempre una condotta esemplare: non mangia carne, non beve vino e osserva i voti, perciò non stupisce che sia soprannominato “il Giusto”.
Author of the first "Catholic" Letters of the New Testament, he particularly remembers the one in which he observes that "faith is dead without works". He dies from martyr, probably by stoning, between 62 and 66.
