+ St Philip Neri was one of the noble line of saints raised up in the sixteenth
century to console and bless His Church.
After a pious childhood, the Spirit led Philip away from Florence and
showed him the world that he might freely renounce it, led him to Rome, molded
him in mind and heart and will, and then as by a second Pentecost, came down in
visible form and filled his soul with light and peace and joy.
He wanted to go to India, but
God wanted him to stay rather in Rome. There, he went on simply, from day to day, drawing souls to Jesus, showing
them acts of charity, and binding them together by cheerful devotions, and thus
the Oratory he founded grew up and all Rome was pervaded and transformed by its
spirit. His life was a continuous miracle, he was nearly every day in a state
of ecstasy. He read the hearts of men, foretold the future, and knew their
eternal destiny. His touch gave health of body, his very look called souls in
trouble and drove away temptations. He was light-hearted, genial and irresistibly
winning: neither insult nor wrong could dim the brightness of his joy.
Philip died in his eightieth
year, in 1595, and bears the grand title: Apostle of Rome.
The gospel passage today
speaks of Jesus’ desire for his followers to be united in love of him, his Father and one another. He calls each of
us, in some way, to manifest that love, as he did St. Philip Neri. It is easy
when we get out of the way and let the Spirit lead us, wherever he would have
us be, fill us with his essence of joy, and place people in our path to spread
it to. It can’t get easier than that!
Whoever remains in me and I in him will
bear much fruit.
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