The feast day of St. Philip Neri is celebrated on May 26.
He is known as the Apostle of Joy because of his cheerful nature. St. Philip was born in Florence, Italy in 1515. After having a conversion experience when he was 18, his life changed radically. He went to Rome with no plan, totally trusting in God’s guidance.
For two years, he was a tutor for small boys. Eventually he took courses in philosophy and theology at the Sapienza and at St. Augustine’s Monastery. After three years he quite suddenly sold his books and began a mission to the people of Rome. He engaged in conversations with people on the street corners, often asking, “Well brothers, when shall we begin to do good?” He served the sick in the hospitals and prayed for them in the churches. His favorite place of prayer was at the Catacomb of St. Sebastian.
St. Philip had a special devotion to the third person in the Trinity. He prayed daily to the Holy Spirit. At night he was called to solitude and prayer. Ten years after beginning his ministry, with the help of his confessor, Father Rossa, a confraternity of laymen began meeting to pray together. He encouraged the devotion of the Forty Hours. Father Rossa finally convinced him that he should become a priest. He was ordained in 1551. The Congregation of the Priests of the Oratory was founded several years later by St. Philip. They had simple rules. They shared a common table and performed spiritual exercises together. They were not bound by any vows.
St. Philip died from a hemorrhage on the Feast of Corpus Christi after hearing confessions.
St. Philip Neri Public Domain
Many of the following short sayings of St. Philip Neri are still remembered today.
Do not grieve over temptations you suffer. When the Lord intends to bestow a particular virtue on us, He often permits us first to be tempted by the opposite vice. Therefore, look upon every temptation as an invitation to grow in a particular virtue and promise God that you will be successful, if only you stand fast.
Let us strive for purity of heart for the Holy Spirit dwells in candid and simple minds.
Bear the cross and do not make the cross bear you.
There is no purgatory in this world. Nothing but heaven or hell.
Sufferings are a kind of paradise to him who suffers with patience, while they are a hell to him who has no patience.
Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere in a good life. Therefore the servant of God ought always be in good spirits.
Watch me, O Lord, this day, for abandoned to myself, I shall surely betray thee.
My children, if you desire perseverance, be devout to our Blessed Lady.
It is an old custom with the servants of God always to have some little prayers ready, and to be darting them up to heaven frequently during the day lifting our minds to God out of the filth of this world. He who adopts this plan will get great fruit with little pains.
We are not saints yet, but we too, should beware. Uprightness and virtue do have their rewards in self-respect and in respect from others, and it is easy to find ourselves aiming for result rather than the cause. Let us aim for joy, rather than respectability. Let us make fools of ourselves from time to time, and thus see ourselves, for a moment as the all-wise God sees us.
Never say “What great things the Saints do”, but “What great things God does in His Saints.” Cast yourself in the arms of God and be very sure that if He wants anything of you, He will fit you for the work and give you strength.
Believe me, there is no more powerful means to obtain God’s grace than to employ the intercessions of the Holy Virgin.
The true way to advance in holy virtues is to persevere in a holy cheerfulness.
The cheerful are much easier to guide in the spiritual life than the melancholy.
Excessive sadness seldom springs from any other source than pride.
If a man finds it very hard to forgive injuries, let him look at a crucifix, and think that Christ shed His Blood for him, and not only forgave his enemies, but prayed the Eternal Father forgive them also.
The fruit we ought to get from prayer is to do what is pleasing to the Lord.
He who runs away from one cross, will meet a bigger one on his road.
St. Philip Neri with Cross
The best way to prepare for death is to spend every day of life as though it were the last.
The devil, who is a most haughty spirit, is never more completely mastered than by humility of heart and a simple clear undisguised manifestation of our sins and temptations to our confessor. Christ died for sinners; we must take heart therefore, and hope that paradise will be ours provided only we repent of our sins, and do good.
He who continues in anger, strife, and a bitter spirit, has a taste of hell.
Humility is the true guardian of chastity.
If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in sweetness, patience, humility and charity.
O Jesus, watch over me always, especially today, or I shall betray you like Judas.
The feast day of St. Bede the Venerable is celebrated on May 25.
St. Bede was born in Sunderland, England in 672 or 673 near the Monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul. At an early age he was sent there to be educated. His entire life became a life of study and prayer.
At the age of 19, he ordained a deacon. He became a priest at the age of 30. After declining a request to be abbot of his monastery he chose to instead focus on writing. He wrote over 60 books, which have not survived. He also translated writings of the early church Fathers from Latin and Greek into English.
St. Bede died on Ascension Thursday, May 26, 735 while singing to God. Pope Leo XIII proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1899.
Christ is the morning star, who, when the night of this world is past, brings to His saints the promise of the light of life and opens everlasting day.
The feast day of St. Joanna is celebrated on May 24.
St. Joanna was a devoted follower of Jesus. We learn about her in Luke’s Gospel, Chapter 8. She was the wife of Chuza who was a steward for Herod. She, along with Mary Magdalene, Susanna, and other women, provided for Jesus out of their personal resources as he traveled from town to town preaching and healing.
St. Joanna was one of the three women who arrived at the tomb to prepare the body for burial on the first Easter morning. She is also referred to as the myrrh bearer. The women discovered the stone moved and the body gone. Two men appeared to them in dazzling clothes, telling them He had risen and reminding them that Jesus had said he would be crucified and rise again. The women reported to the Apostles all that they had seen and heard.
It is hard to imagine being such a close friend of Jesus. The disciples who followed and supported Jesus knew Him in a way we can only wish to know him. But St. Joanna shows us what a true disciple is. She supported Jesus and His ministry on a daily basis in any way possible. She heard the words he spoke and saw the miracles he worked. True friendship is what all of us should be seeking from Jesus. True friends are always there for each other. As disciples we should be serving Jesus in any way we can. We should also be turning to Him in all our needs weather they be small or large. We should never be afraid to be honest with Jesus, because He is our friend.
The instruments of God are always humble.
Quote of St. John Chrysostom; Feast day September 13
The feast day of St. John Baptist Rossi is celebrated on May 23.
St. John Baptist Rossi was born in Voltaggio, Italy in 1698. He was one of four children. He studied in Rome. Suffering from epilepsy, he was forced to leave college. However, he eventually finished his studies. He was ordained a priest at the age of 23.
St. John Baptist Rossi worked in Rome for 40 years. He served the sick, homeless and prisoners. He earned a reputation for being a good confessor. He especially supported the hospice of Saint Gala which gave overnight shelter to the poor. It was founded by Pope Celestine III.
In 1764, St. John died from a stroke. The papal choir sang at his choir and 260 priests attended his funeral. He was canonized by Pope Leo XII in 1881.
From silly devotions and sour faced saints, good Lord, deliver us!
The feast day of St. Rita of Cascia is celebrated on May 22. She is the patron saint of impossible causes, abuse victims and widows.
St. Rita was born in 1386 in Cascia, Italy. She was known to be very spiritual even as a young child. She enjoyed visiting shrines and wished to become a nun. Her parents were opposed to the idea and arranged for her to be married. Her husband turned out to have a bad temper and was very difficult for her to live with. She dealt with his abuse with prayer, patience and kindness. They had twin sons. Their difficult marriage lasted 22 years.
One day while returning home from work her husband was ambushed and killed. St. Rita’s sons were now teenagers and began to talk of revenging their father’s death. St. Rita turned to prayer. She prayed that her sons would not be able to go through with the revenge. Her prayer was soon answered. Both her sons died from a deadly illness soon after without taking revenge on their father’s killer.
After the death of her husband and sons, Rita applied to enter the Augustinian Convent. Her first attempt was denied because of the ongoing feud. Rita persisted however. She convinced her husband’s family to put aside their hostility. The two rival families embraced peace. Rita turned to St. John the Baptist, St. Nicholas of Tolentino and St. Augustine, requesting their intercession. The convent changed their decision and allowed her entry. She was 36 when she entered the monastery.
St. Rita had a great devotion for the passion of Christ. She meditated often on the crucifix. On Good Friday, 1442, St. Rita meditated on the suffering of Jesus on the crucifix. She offered to relieve Christ’s suffering by sharing even the smallest part of his pain. As she was meditating, a small wound on her forehead appeared. It appeared to be a thorn from the crown that Jesus wore. St. Rita had this stigmata for 15 years.
St. Rita was confined to bed for the last four years of her life. She ate very little. The Eucharist sustained her and she remained joyful during her suffering. Before her death St. Rita requested a rose be brought to her from her parents’ garden even though it was January. Surprisingly, a rose was discovered to be blooming on the rosebush and it was presented to her. St. Rita gave thanks to God for this sign of God’s love.
Because this impossible request of St. Rita for a rose in January was answered she became the patron of impossible causes. It was also known that her prayers were known to obtain remarkable cures.
St. Rita died on May 29, 1456. Many miracles were recorded after her death . She was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1900.
The feast day of St. Eugene de Mazenod is celebrated on May 21.
St. Eugene Mazenod was born in Aixen Provence, France in 1782 on August 1. He was born into a wealthy family during the French Revolution. Because of the Revolution his family fled France and lived in exile for eleven years. His family life was filled with turmoil and fighting. Although Eugene tried to keep his family together, his parents eventually divorced. At the age of 20, Eugene returned to France. After having a mystical experience at the foot of the cross on Good Friday in 1807 Eugene was led to enter the seminary of Saint Sulpice in Paris in 1808. He was ordained a priest on Dec. 21, 1811 at Amiens, France.
As a priest, Eugene began by serving those in prison and the youth. He founded the Missionaries of Provence, asking the Pope directly that his group be recognized. It was approved by Pope Leo XII in 1826 under the name “Oblates of Mary Immaculate”. As Superior General St. Eugene led and inspired his missionaries for 35 years until his death. They worked with the youth, cared for shrines, worked in the prisons and heard confessions. Because of his zeal he earned the nickname, “the second Paul”.
In 1832, St. Eugene was named Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Marseilles. Five years later he became the Bishop. As Bishop, he sent his missionaries to Canada the United States, Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America. They would preach and baptize.
St. Eugene died at age 79. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1955. There are over 4000 Missionary Oblates in 67 countries today. St. Eugene de Mazenod is the patron saint of dysfunctional families.
In spiritual life, when you cease to climb, you begin to descend.
