Catechesis of Benedict XVI on St. philip

Real Christians Stir Contact With Christ, Says Pope

Presents the Example of the Apostle Philip

VATICAN CITY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2007 (ZENIT.org).-

Benedict XVI says that an authentic Christian is one who enables others to enter into contact with Christ and to live with him.

The Pope made that point in his address at today's general audience, held in St. Peter's Square, which he dedicated to the figure of Philip, one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles.

The Holy Father's reflection, which continued with the series of profiles of the apostles, reviewed the moments in which Philip appears in the four Gospels, pausing on the dialogue with Nathanael, in which he presents Jesus as the Messiah announced by the prophets.

In the face of Nathanael's skeptical response, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip answers: "Come and see."

"With this response, dry but clear, Philip demonstrates the characteristics of the authentic witness," the Pope told the 25,000 people on hand. "He is not content with presenting the announcement as a theory, but questions the interlocutor directly, suggesting that he himself have the personal experience of what was proclaimed."

According to Benedict XVI, St. Philip "questions us with those two verbs which imply a personal participation. He also tells us what he said to Nathanael: 'Come and see.'"

"Be with him"

"The apostle commits us to know Jesus up close," the Pope continued. "In fact, friendship, to truly know the other, requires closeness, what is more, in part lives from it.

"In fact, we must not forget that, according to what Mark writes, Jesus chose the Twelve with the primary objective that they 'be with him,' that is, that they share his life and learn directly from him not only the style of his behavior, but above all who he really was.

"Only thus, participating in his life, could they know and proclaim him."

For the Christian, the Holy Father said, "what is important is not only or above all to listen to his teachings, his words, but to know him personally, that is, his humanity and divinity, the mystery of his beauty."

"He is not only a Teacher, but a Friend, more than that, a Brother. How can we know him if we are far from him? Intimacy, familiarity, custom, make us discover the true identity of Jesus Christ."

		Martyrdom of St. Philip

An invitation

Benedict XVI continued: "This is precisely what the Apostle Philip reminds us. That is why, he invites us to 'come' and 'see,' that is, to enter into a contact of listening, of response and communion of life with Jesus, day after day. …

"We can say that God assumed a human face, that of Jesus, and consequently, from now on, if we really want to know the face of God, we have only to contemplate Jesus' face! In his face we really see who God is and how he is!"

The Holy Father concluded his reflection "recalling the objective toward which our life should be directed: to find Jesus, as Philip found him, trying to see in him God himself, the heavenly Father."

"If this commitment is lacking, we find ourselves alone with ourselves, as in a mirror, and we are ever more alone!" the Pope said. "Instead, Philip invites us to let ourselves be conquered by Jesus, to be with him and to share this indispensable company.

"In this way, seeing, finding God, we can find true life."

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