Philip the Apostle

Drawing of Philip by Lorenzo Ferri Salton the indications of Maria Valtorta. Source: documentary collection of the Maria Valtorta Heritage Foundation.

Philip is a Galilean from Bethsaida. He is in his fifties, his face already marked by the years, yet still in his prime. At school, he was a classmate of Peter, a turbulent student, under the discipline of "that grumpy Elisha", their teacher. He is the 5th apostle of Jesus. Andrew the Apostle introduces him to the Christ saying:

"The one you longed for has come." He believes spontaneously: "My Master and my God!" he exclaims when Jesus welcomes him as a disciple.

At Jesus' request, he in turn introduces his friend: Bartholomew (Nathaniel) the Apostle called Bartholomew.

Philip is married to Mary. He has two daughters, including Marianne.
They successively take vows of virginity. It is heartbreaking for Philip, who thus sees his dreams of offspring fly away.

Philip is of comfortable means: without doubt a wealthy owner, well balanced and faithful.        

Apostolic journey

At the time of the first multiplication of the loaves, it is to him that Jesus asks how many loaves are needed to feed the crowd.        

During Holy Week, while the crowd presses around Jesus, some Gentiles (Goyim or pagans) want to see Jesus and call Philip, probably attracted by his Greek-sounding name.        

At the Last Supper, like many Apostles, Philip has not understood the true nature of Jesus: he asks Him to show them His Father. Jesus is surprised by this lack of understanding: "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father," He replies. 

Witness of the Last Supper, of the Resurrection, of the Ascension and of Pentecost.

At the time of the Passion, Philip flees during the arrest of Jesus, like most of the Apostles, so he does not witness it.  

He and Bartholomew (Nathaniel) the Apostle are traditionalists as confirmed by the Virgin Mary.

His name

Philip (פפילי) means in Greek "lover of horses" - Historical reference: the father of Alexander the Great.

Where is he mentioned in the work?

GRM 50 GRM 53 GRM 54 GRM 55 GRM 57 GRM 70 GRM 91 GRM 92 GRM 93 GRM 94 GRM 95 GRM 96 GRM 97 GRM 98 GRM 99 GRM 100 GRM 102 GRM 103 GRM 104 GRM 105 GRM 108 GRM 109 GRM 110 GRM 111 GRM 112 GRM 115 GRM 116 GRM 117
Beginning of the Apostles' communal life: GRM 119 GRM 120 GRM 121 GRM 122 GRM 123 GRM 124 GRM 125 GRM 126 GRM 127 GRM 128 GRM 129 GRM 130 GRM 131 GRM 132 GRM 133 GRM 134 GRM 135 GRM 136 GRM 137 GRM 138 GRM 139 GRM 140 GRM 141 GRM 142 GRM 143 GRM 144 GRM 145 GRM 146 GRM 147 GRM 148 GRM 149 GRM 153 GRM 154 GRM 155 GRM 157 GRM 158
The election of the Apostles: GRM 160 GRM 162 GRM 164 GRM 165 GRM 166
The Sermon on the Mount: GRM 169 GRM 170 GRM 171 GRM 172 GRM 173 GRM 174 GRM 176
Apostolate in Galilee: GRM 177 GRM 178 GRM 179 GRM 180 GRM 181 GRM 182 GRM 183 GRM 184 GRM 185 GRM 186
The second paschal journey: GRM 187 GRM 188 GRM 189 GRM 190 GRM 191 GRM 192 GRM 193 GRM 194 GRM 195 GRM 196 GRM 197 GRM 198 GRM 199 GRM 201 GRM 202 GRM 203
Apostolate in Judea: GRM 205 GRM 206 GRM 206 GRM 207 GRM 208 GRM 210 GRM 211 GRM 212 GRM 212 GRM 214 GRM 215
Apostolate in Philistia: GRM 216 GRM 217 GRM 218 GRM 219 GRM 220 GRM 221 GRM 222 GRM 223 GRM 224 GRM 225 GRM 228 GRM 229 GRM 230 GRM 232 GRM 233 GRM 235 GRM 237 GRM 238 GRM 239 GRM 240 GRM 241 GRM 242 GRM 243 GRM 244 GRM 247 GRM 248 GRM 249 GRM 250 GRM 251 GRM 252 GRM 253 GRM 254 GRM 255
Sending of the Apostles and Disciples on Mission: GRM 256 GRM 257 GRM 260 GRM 261 GRM 262 GRM 265 GRM 269 GRM 271 GRM 272 GRM 273 GRM 274 GRM 275 GRM 276 GRM 277 GRM 278 GRM 279 GRM 280
Perea, Gilead, and Trachonitis: GRM 281 GRM 284 GRM 296 GRM 297 GRM 298 GRM 299 GRM 300 GRM 301 GRM 302 GRM 306 GRM 310
The journey of the Disciples to Antioch: GRM 326
Phoenicia and Upper Galilee: GRM 332 GRM 333 GRM 334 GRM 335 GRM 336 GRM 337 GRM 338 GRM 339 GRM 340 GRM 341 GRM 342 GRM 343 GRM 344 GRM 345 GRM 346 GRM 347
The Transfiguration and the Bread of Heaven: GRM 348 GRM 349 GRM 350 GRM 351 GRM 352 GRM 353 GRM 354 GRM 355 GRM 356 GRM 357 GRM 358 GRM 359 GRM 360 GRM 361 GRM 362 GRM 363
The penultimate Passover: GRM 364 GRM 365 GRM 366 GRM 367 GRM 368 GRM 369 GRM 370 GRM 371 GRM 372 GRM 374 GRM 375 GRM 376 GRM 377 GRM 378
In Judea: GRM 379 GRM 380 GRM 381 GRM 382 GRM 383 GRM 384 GRM 385 GRM 386 GRM 387 GRM 388 GRM 389 GRM 390 GRM 391 GRM 392 GRM 393 GRM 394 GRM 398 GRM 399 GRM 402 GRM 403 GRM 404 GRM 405 GRM 406 GRM 407 GRM 408 GRM 410 GRM 411 GRM 412 GRM 413 GRM 414 GRM 415 GRM 416 GRM 417 GRM 418 GRM 419 GRM 420 GRM 421 GRM 422 GRM 423 GRM 424 GRM 425 GRM 426 GRM 427 GRM 428 GRM 429 GRM 430 GRM 431 GRM 432
Summer in Nazareth: GRM 435 GRM 436 GRM 440 GRM 441 GRM 443 GRM 444 GRM 445 GRM 446 GRM 447 GRM 448 GRM 449 GRM 450 GRM 451 GRM 452 GRM 453 GRM 454 GRM 456 GRM 457 GRM 458 GRM 459 GRM 460 GRM 461 GRM 462 GRM 463 GRM 465
In Syro-Phoenicia: GRM 466 GRM 467 GRM 469 GRM 470 GRM 471 GRM 475 GRM 473 GRM 474 GRM 475 GRM 476 GRM 477 GRM 481 GRM 482
In Moab and Judea: GRM 499 GRM 502 GRM 505 GRM 511 GRM 514 GRM 517 GRM 520 GRM 521
The Feast of the Dedication: GRM 527 GRM 529 GRM 532 GRM 535 GRM 536 GRM 538
Exile in Samaria: GRM 551 GRM 552 GRM 553 GRM 554 GRM 556 GRM 566 GRM 567 GRM 571 GRM 575
The return to Jerusalem: GRM 577 GRM 582 GRM 586
Holy Week: GRM 590 GRM 593 GRM 594 GRM 596 GRM 597 GRM 598 GRM 600
Resurrection Sunday: GRM 621 GRM 626
From Resurrection to Ascension: GRM 628 GRM 629 GRM 630 GRM 634 GRM 635 GRM 636 GRM 638 GRM 639 GRM 640 GRM 649

Learn more about this character

Excerpts from the Dictionary of Gospel characters, According to Maria Valtorta (Monsignor René Laurentin, François-Michel Debroise, Jean-François Lavère, Editions Salvator, 2012):

Saint Philip is celebrated on May 3rd along with James the Less. In the East, he is celebrated on November 14th. Some historical sources sometimes confuse him with deacon Philip, father of four daughters.

Philip the Apostle is attributed with an apocryphal gospel of the 2nd century and the Acts of Philip, an apocryphal work of the 4th century. According to this source, he would have evangelized Greece, Scythia north of the Black Sea, then Phrygia (in present-day Turkey), as retained by the Roman Breviary.

Isidore of Seville (9th century) attributes to him the evangelization of Gaul, a hypothesis little followed.

According to Polycarp (2nd century), "he had three daughters, two of whom remained virgins all their lives and the third lived in the Holy Spirit." According to Jacques de Voragine (13th century), he had only two daughters. Abbé Maistre (19th century) confirms three daughters and names them: Eutychia, Hermione, and Marianne. The latter name is mentioned in Maria Valtorta, who does not mention any others.

Philip is said to have died a martyr at 87 years old, crucified upside down under Domitian. He was buried with his daughters in Hierapolis, city of Phrygia, which later built him the Martyrium.

Pope Pelagius I built in the 6th century the Church of the Twelve Holy Apostles in Rome. He transferred the Relics of Saint Philip and of James the Less (James son of Alphaeus) there.

Notes and references

Note: Quotations from the work of Maria Valtorta on this page currently use machine-translated text and will gradually be replaced by the official English translation. Until then, the official translation may be consulted through the reference link provided with each quotation.