Every May 25, the universal Church celebrates Saint Philip Neri, a 16th century Italian saint who promoted a movement of spiritual renewal at a time when Italian society was going through a deep crisis, gradually distancing itself from God.
In response to this situation, Saint Philip Neri founded the famous “Oratory” of Rome and later the Congregation of the Oratory, made up of secular priests (clerics) and laymen, united in the practice of charity.
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Today as yesterday, Felipe Neri is a source of inspiration for all those who wish to live authentic joy, that which springs from the teachings of the Gospel and which translates into love for God and brothers. What was the “secret” of San Felipe to know and live that joy? Here is his response:
“Whoever wants something other than Christ does not know what he wants; Whoever asks for something other than Christ, he does not know what he asks for; “Whoever does not work for Christ, he does not know what he does.”
San Felipe Neri is the patron saint of educators and comedians.
The road that leads to Rome
Felipe Neri was born in Florence (Italy) in 1515. He would soon be orphaned by his mother; However, he and his brothers would find a real mother in his father’s second wife.
At the age of 17 he was sent to the commune of San Germano to learn about business and other worldly matters. Paradoxically, it was there that Felipe carried out another type of learning: the one that comes from the deep and constant encounter with God, the one that changes life. So important was this experience for Philip that, in years to come, he would refer to it as ‘the moment of my conversion’: God did indeed want Philip to take care of certain “businesses,” although these were not, in the end, those of the earth. but those of heaven.
Thus, the young Florentine left San Germano and went to Rome in search of his destiny, without money and without a clear project, although trusting in Divine Providence.
Settled in the Eternal City, he got a job as a tutor for the children of a Florentine customs officer like him. The boys felt very comfortable under Felipe’s direction, and for that he was well rewarded. Thanks to the money he earned he was able to begin his studies in philosophy and theology. Until that moment everything pointed towards a promising future and a brilliant career, but Felipe began to discover a different calling that led him to leave the classrooms and dedicate himself fully to the apostolate.
Felipe and his “big heart”
On the eve of Pentecost in 1544, while the saint remained in prayer and asked the Holy Spirit to grant him his gifts, a ball of fire descended from heaven and landed on his chest. Saint Philip fell to the ground and begged God to stop. Suddenly he lost consciousness.
When he recovered it, he sat up immediately, and felt something strange on his chest: he had a lump the size of a fist. God had “enlarged his heart” as a sign that her Spirit would always remain with him. The miraculous “deformation” remained with him for the rest of his life, never causing him any pain.
That greatness of heart – physical and spiritual – was poured into service to the city of Rome, afflicted by moral decadence and indifference. In that effort, his testimony of holiness was decisive in spiritually renewing the Church itself, whose representatives had given ground, in some cases seriously, to worldly interests.
The good Philip spiritually accompanied the Florentines who lived in the city, his countrymen, but, as is known, he put himself at the service of everyone, especially abandoned children, the poor and the needy. It is not for nothing that history remembers Saint Philip with the title of “The Apostle of Rome.”
Grazing the sheep
Over time, the first organization founded on the initiative of Felipe Neri would come: the Brotherhood of the Holy Trinity, known as the Brotherhood of the Poor.
The saint, embarked on a fertile and increasingly solid apostolate, prepared for the priestly order. Once consecrated, he became a model of service to souls through confession, to which he dedicated long hours of the day. He frequently fell into ecstasy while celebrating Mass, and there are many testimonies from those who saw him levitate while he held Christ the Eucharist in his hands.
Father Felipe used to organize spiritual conversations with young people and children, generally of a catechetical nature, which always concluded with the visit and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament by the attendees. The saint had a special charisma with the little ones, whom he gathered and protected from abandonment and the dangers of big cities.
Those meetings began to become well known among the Romans, who began to call the attendees ‘oratorians’, since Saint Philip, after summoning the attendees by ringing a bell, gathered them all in an ‘oratory’. The oratory was the place to pray together, to sing, to talk about holiness and the Christian life. That would be the seed from which the Oratory Congregation later sprouted.
Between the ordinary and the extraordinary: from the hand of María
Once, the Virgin Mary appeared to him to console him in the midst of an illness that afflicted him; probably a gallbladder disease.
The Mother of God granted him the miracle of being definitively cured and, being an upright and simple man, he unexpectedly received the gift of healing others, of reading their thoughts on certain occasions and of prophesying. The saint never boasted of those graces and rather tried to hide them, unless forced by necessity. Felipe’s mark was always his humility, and his serene and contagious joy.
The crown for those who loved with joy
On May 25, 1595, the day of Body of Christ, San Felipe Neri seemed especially happy. He sat in the confessional, administered the sacrament of reconciliation throughout the day, and received several visitors. That was, surprisingly, the day of his death. Towards midnight, now more rested, he suffered a heart attack and left to meet the Father.
“Oh Lord, you are so adorable and you have commanded me to love you! Why did you only give me one heart and it is so small?” said Saint Philip, recognizing himself as limited and poor before God, before Him who makes all greatness. Little thing. Father Felipe had died, yes, but he left a treasure to his children: reliable proof that “the last will be first and the first will be last” (Mt 20, 16).
Years later, when the remains of Felipe Neri were exhumed, it was discovered that the saint had two broken ribs, and that these had previously arched to leave more room for the heart, a symbol of the love he gave throughout his life.
His body rests today in the New Churchthe New Church, today called the Church of Santa María de Vallicella, in Rome.
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If you want to know more about Saint Philip Neri, we recommend this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Felipe_Neri.
More information in the San Felipe Neri special.
Central Editorial
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