Saint Philip Neri – Patron of Joy
Feast Day is May 26th
Have you ever been in the presence of someone who simply radiates happiness? Their good humor, practical wisdom, innate charity, and courage (happiness does take courage) speak to us of God’s own love, which these people seem to feel in their bones. St. Philip Neri was such a person. He teaches us the joy of life. It is said that saints are the ones who walk among us, showing us the path to follow towards true happiness and fulfillment. People followed St. Philip all around Rome, laughing, singing, and praying, and miracles seemed to follow him too. St. Philip was one such saint, whose life of joyful service and deep spirituality has left an indelible mark on the Catholic Church and the world at large.
In the year 1515, St. Philip Neri was born in Florence, Italy. He traveled to Rome as a young man, where he became a layman and devoted his life to aiding the sick and the impoverished. He quickly earned a reputation for being polite, funny, and good at uniting people. The spiritual teachings of St. Philip Neri, which highlighted the value of pleasure, love, and simplicity, are also well known. He taught his followers to accept the world and find joy in the ordinary since he thought that God could be found in all things. He was a terrific friend to many, including musicians and artists, and he frequently used humor and music to help people grow in their relationship with God.
St. Philip had a phenomenal capacity for love – his heart would hammer so strongly against his chest that it shook furniture. His facility to love so greatly was received on the eve of Pentecost, 1544, when St. Philip saw a vision of a ball of fire enter through his mouth and go to his heart. Straightaway he was filled with an intense divine love and fell to the floor, crying out, “Enough, enough, Lord, I can bear no more!”
The saint’s best-known achievement is that he founded the Roman Congregation of the Oratory. A religious order devoted to prayer, preaching, and the celebration of the sacraments, was one of the primary factors that led to his canonization. The life and teachings of St. Philip Neri served as the model for this community, which was established in Rome in 1575 and has since expanded all over the world.
St. Philip Neri was noted for his many virtues, including as his love for God and his service to others, as well as the countless miracles that were credited to him both during his life and after his death. Pope Gregory XV canonized him as a saint in 1622. St. Philip Neri was renowned for his great impact on Rome’s populace, where he spent a large portion of his life living and working.
St. Philip Neri is the patron saint of Rome, where he lived for a significant portion of his life and is still revered today. Because of his commitment to spreading happiness and joy to everyone around him as well as his own joyous nature, he is also known as the patron saint of joy.
REFLECTION. St. Philip Neri is the perfect saint to pray to when we get too serious or negative about life. He reminds us that, at such times, we may be forgetting God’s great love for us. As we remember that love, we will show it, and others will remember it too. His approach to sanctity was truly Catholic, all-embracing, and accompanied by a good laugh. He always wanted his followers to become not less but more human through their striving for holiness.
PRAYER. Saint Philip Neri, your cheerfulness and its underlying courage came from your vision of our Lord. Help me through your example to see Him clearly, and to reflect Him as joyfully as you did. Amen.
St. Philip Neri (3:14)
Story of Saint Philip Neri | Stories of Saints (24:31)