St. Philip Neri Name: St. Philip Neri Date: 26 May
Saint Philip, one of the glories of Florence, was born of an illustrious Christian family inthat city of Tuscany, in 1515. His parents lived in the fear of God and the observance ofHis commandments, and raised their son to be obedient and respectful. Already when hewas five years old, he was called good little Philip. He lost his mother while still veryyoung, and it seemed he should have died himself when he was about eight or nine yearsold. He fell, along with a horse, onto a pavement from a certain height. Though thehorse landed on top of him, he was entirely uninjured. He attributed his preservation to aspecial intervention of God, destined to permit him to dedicate his life to the service ofGod. He fled from a prospective inheritance to Rome, where he desired to study, and thereundertook to tutor the two sons of a nobleman who offered him refuge. He led soedifying a life that word of it reached Florence, and his sister commented that she hadnever doubted he would become a great Saint. He studied philosophy and theology, andafter a short time seemed to need to study no longer, so clear were the truths of God inhis mind. He always kept the Summa Theologica of Saint Thomas Aquinas near him forconsultation; this and the Holy Bible were his only books. Saint Philip seemed surrounded by a celestial splendor, the effect of his angelic purity,which he never lost in spite of the many dangers that surrounded him; he came victoriousfrom every combat, through prayer, tears and confidence in God. He often visited thehospitals to serve the sick and assist the poor. At night he would go to the cemetery ofSaint Callixtus, where he prayed near the tombs of the martyrs. He attracted a number of companions who desired to perform these devotions with him. He loved young boys most of all; he wanted to warn them against the world’s seductionsand conserve their virtue in all its freshness. He would wait for them and talk to themafter their classes; and many whom his examples impressed consecrated themselves toGod. Assisted by his excellent confessor, he founded a Confraternity of the Most HolyTrinity for the relief of the poor, convalescents, and pilgrims who had no place of refuge. He gave lodging to many in the great jubilee year of 1550, even receiving severalcomplete families in the houses he had obtained. At the age of 36 he was not yet a priest, and his confessor commanded him underobedience to receive Holy Orders, which he did in the same year of 1551. He joined asociety of priests and heard many confessions. Saint Ignatius of Loyola called him Philipthe Bell, saying he was like a parish church bell, calling everyone to church, butremaining in his tower — this because he determined so many souls to enter into religion,without doing so himself. He himself was about to follow Saint Francis Xavier’srenowned examples, by going to India with twenty young companions, but was advisedby an interior voice to consult a saintly priest. He was then told that the will of God wasthat he live in the city of Rome as in a desert. The famous Society of Saint Philip, called The Oratory, began when a group of goodpriests joined him in giving instructions and conferences and presiding prayers; for themhe drew up some rules which were soon approved. He became renowned all over Italyfor the instances of bilocation which were duly verified during his lifetime. Many holyservants of God were formed in the Oratory, a society of studious priests, made ready byten years of preparation in the common life for a service founded on sacerdotalperfection. Saint Philip died peacefully in 1595 on the Feast of Corpus Christi at the ageof 80, having been ill for only one day. He bears the noble titles of Patron of Works ofYouth, and Apostle of Rome. |