“Philip sought out Nathanael…” —John 1:45
In the world of social media, the word “friend” has taken on a nebulous meaning. St. Philip shows the power of a true friend. Jesus calls Philip to follow Him (Jn 1:43). The first thing Philip does is seek out his good friend Nathanael (also called Bartholomew) (Jn 1:45). Philip tells Nathanael about Jesus, ignores his friend’s sarcastic response, and invites Nathanael to come and see for himself (Jn 1:45-46). Then Philip gets out of the way and allows Jesus to take over (see Jn 3:30). Nathanael’s friendship with Philip overcame any of his prejudices, and so Nathanael had a profound, life-changing encounter with Jesus. Nathanael became one of the twelve apostles and a cornerstone of the Church (Eph 2:20; Rv 21:14).