ST. PHILIP AND JAMES DISCIPLES OF JESUS / FIRST MASS DAY SAINTS.............

The liturgical feast day of this May 3rd, is of St. Philip and James, who were called by Jesus to follow him as primary disciples of His circle of followers.  James, the son of Alphaeus, is known as James the Lesser, so as not to be confused with the son of Zebedee, James the Greater, Apostle and author of the Book of James in the Christian Scriptures.  Philip called personally by Jesus, and a companion of Nathanael, to whom Phillip went directly and told him about, according to John 1:45, as "the one whom Moses wrote".  Their feast day as Christian saints has since 1987, been my First Mass Day Anniversary, which I presided at and concelebrated at 12 noon on that Sunday in my baptismal church, St. Rose on Franklin Boulevard in South Sacramento.  Today, as I do every year since I pray for all those who were present that day living and deceased who were an integral part of the Mass and the Luncheon Reception that followed in the now named, Kavanagh Hall.  May the fruits of, "Faith, Fellowship, Collegiality, Collaboration" that I have striven to make the focus of my priestly ministry these past twenty six years, be an ongoing reflection of the commitment and dedication Sts. Philip and James communicated as Disciples and Apostles of Jesus the Risen Christ.............Fr.  Troy