The "true" witness "does not just propose the announcement, but directly approaches the counterpart to suggest he should personally experience what has been announced". This was repeated by the Pope, who focussed the catechesis of today’s general audience on the apostle Philip. "The Apostle he began – commits us to get to know Jesus from close up. Friendship needs closeness, actually it partly feeds on it". Jesus Himself chose the twelve Apostles so that they "could share His life and could learn directly from Him not just how He behaved, but above all who He really was". The important thing, summed up the Pope about Jesus’ style in the Gospel as it has been construed by Saint Paul, "is not just, and not so much, to listen to His lessons, bur rather to get to know Him personally, that is, His humanity and His divinity, His mystery, His beauty. He is not just a Master, but a Friend, or better a Brother. How could we ever get to know Him well if we stay far? Intimacy, familiarity, habit makes us discover the true identity of Jesus Christ". That’s it: this is just what the apostle Philip reminds us of". According to Philip’s lesson, "we must always be ready", concluded the Holy Father, to "be an open road" to the Lord.
