Saint Philip Neri: a heart dilated by the fire of the Holy Spirit

Summary:

Philip Neri was born in Florence, Italy, in 1515. He was very cheerful, loved singing and reciting poetry. In 1533, he went to San Germano, near Monte Cassino, to learn business from an uncle whose estate he was to inherit. The world of commerce, focused on profit and profitability, did not satisfy Philip. He renounced his inheritance and set off on foot for Rome.

There, he took courses in philosophy and theology, studying in particular Saint Augustine and his treatises De Trinitate, De Angelis and De Incarnatione. During this period, Philip lived a life centered on study, prayer and good works, without being institutionally attached to a religious community.

Philip served as a nurse in Rome's hospitals and set up an institute for the mentally ill (one of the first of its kind). He realized that beyond physical suffering, the real evil is forgetting God. The religious and social context in 16th-century Rome was marked by the Renaissance and a weakening of spirituality. 

Philip therefore began a street apostolate, an approach that became his signature style, reminiscent of Socrates. He approached passers-by, especially young people, and would say: "When does one start doing good?" He had no well-traced plan: friendliness was his only method.

"You can't live with him for any length of time without becoming a different person than you were. You impose on yourself the changes he didn't even suggest. This unusual apostolate - which begins as a simple friendship and ends the same way, and where in between all the life of one soul is communicated to another - is already the most consistent feature of Oratorian methods, if there ever was one" (Louis Bouyer, Saint Philippe Néri : un Socrate romain, 2015, Ad Solem, p. 24-25).

Philip encouraged regular communion and confession, something uncommon at the time. He was an ardent defender of the sacraments, which the Council of Trent put back at the center of Christian life in 1542. He was a zealous servant of the Church, regarding obedience as one of the keys to spiritual life: "It is not enough to consider whether God wills the good we think we should do, but we must also consider whether He wills it in His own way, that is, in such and such a way and at such and such a time. Recognizing the difference is what constitutes true obedience."

In 1544, Philip experienced an extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which left both physical traces (broken ribs and a growth in his heart) and spiritual ones: a tremendous fervor and a missionary zeal that never left him. He recounts how a globe of fire entered his mouth and expanded his chest. The inner joy resulting from this personal Pentecost is unheard-of, and Philip experienced it again every time he celebrated mass (those who attended it said he had to be brought back from his state of ecstasy, which lasted for two hours after communion!) Philip wanted to remain discreet about these mystical outbursts, and tried to conceal them with a thousand well-known antics.

He was ordained a priest at the age of 36, in May 1551, and moved to the church of San-Girolamo-della-Carità (St. Jerome of Charity), where his reputation grew. His tireless pastoral commitment and constant joy were fueled by an intense prayer life. He developed his vocation as a spiritual director, and his confessional was never empty.

It was at this time that the Oratory was spontaneously born. These were informal gatherings, in a joyful, fervent atmosphere, where people discussed Scripture texts and prayed in songs. Philip said that "to avoid getting tired, you have to raise your heart to God often, throughout the day. The Mystery of God is not revealed to our intelligence. We learn more of the wisdom of Sacred Scripture through prayer than through study." Given the scope and success of this community of life, the Congregation of the Oratory was officially recognized by Gregory XIII in 1575. In this congregation of priests and secular clerics, Philip's apostolic method (prayer, preaching and song) is central.

In 1593, feeling that he was growing old, Philip gave up his duties as superior. In his last years, he continued to hear confessions all morning, lying in bed. He became accustomed to celebrating mass alone, as his ecstasies had become so public and unstoppable.

Philip Neri returned to God on May 26, 1595. His reputation for holiness was such that his canonization process began extremely quickly, just two months after his death. He was beatified in 1615 by Pope Paul V and canonized in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV. Philip Neri is known as the "Saint of Joy".

To extract relics, the Oratorian fathers opened St. Philip Neri's coffin in 1639, 44 years after his death, and found his body incorrupt. The relics are preserved in an urn beneath the altar of the San-Filippo-Neri chapel in Rome's Chiesa Nuova.

Beyond reasons to believe:

Philip Neri is an exceptional missionary figure. He attracted people to Christ through a variety of inventive means: confession, pilgrimages, care of the sick, street apostolate, singing, music, and humor.

Going further:

Saint Philip Neri: Apostle of Rome and Founder of the Congregation of the Oratory, byV. J. Matthews, 

Published by TAN Books (1984)

More information:

• The Roman Socrates; a Portrait of St. Philip Neri, by Louis Bouyer  (Hassell Street Press, September 9, 2021)
• Movie: Saint Philip Neri: I prefer Heaven (2010)