May
26Saints of the Day
May
26
Saints of the Day
He is the "Patron of Rome", not St. Peter nor St. Paul but St. Philip Neri, because he revolutionized the city with many social institutions... and he is called "Apostle of Rome"
The first time I went to Rome, the tour guide show us
hospitals, houses for women, children, aged and more started by Philip... so I
said, I have to read his life, I want to do like him. When I read his book, two
things stroke me:
1- He was very humble and gaiety, I laughed all the way.
2- He wasted every morning 5 hours with Jesus: He said the
Mass at 8, and at the time when the priest says "This is the Lamb of God",
Philip will get in ecstasy. The altar-boys new it, so they went to school. When
they finished school, at 1 PM, went to the church again and there was my friend
Philip still in ecstasies, they pulled his robs, Philip came put of the ecstasy,
and in 5 minutes the Mass was over... but this activist wasted 5 hours per day
doing nothing, just with the Lamb of God... and, yes, that was the main reason
of his activism.
Friend of Saint Ignatius.
During
Easter season of
1544, while praying in the catecomb of San Sebastiano, he received a vision
of a globe of fire that entered his chest, and he experienced an
ecstasy that physically enlarged his heart.
With Persiano Rose, he founded the Confraternity of the
Most Holy Trinity.
Entered the
priesthood in
1551. Heard
confessions by the hour. Could tell penitents their sins before they
confessed, and had the gift of conferring visions. He began working with youth,
finding safe places for them to play, becoming involved in their lives.
Pope
Gregory XIV tried to make him a
cardinal, but Philip declined, he went to the Vatican as a beggar! His
popularity was such that he was accused of forming his own sect, but was cleared
of this baseless charge. Founded the Congregation of the Oratory,
a group of
priests dedicated to preaching and teaching, but which suffered from
accusations of heresy because of the involvement of
laymen as
preachers.
In later years he was beset by several illnesses, each of
which was in turn cured through prayer.
"Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere
in a good life. Therefore the servant of God ought always to be in good
spirits." -Saint Philip Neri
![[photograph of Saint Ursula]](saintu13.jpg "8kb jpg photograph of Saint Ursula, date unknown, photographer unknown; swiped off the Vatican web site; please do not write to ask about the image")
Saints of May 26:
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0526.htm
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