Saint Philip Neri, Priest
Philip Neri (1515-1595), born in Florence, spent most of his life in Rome, where he founded a society of secular priests called the Congregation of the Oratory. He ministered to people on the margins, orphans, prostitutes, the poor and the sick. He helped to educate the young and came to know St. Ignatius of Loyola well. He is sometimes referred to as the second Apostle of Rome, after St. Peter.
He loved to offer one-line insights as aids to prayer. After his death, his sayings were organized into a collection, one for every day of the year. The reflection for May 26: “Let us strive after purity of heart, for the Holy Spirit dwells in candid and simple minds.”
As we continue to read the Acts of the Apostles, we encounter today one of the most important passages of all: St. Luke describes the journey of St. Paul from Asia Minor to Macedonia in Greece. Christianity reaches Europe for the first time.
Today’s Gospel, like so many on the weekdays of the Easter Season, drawn from the Last Supper Discourse in Saint John’s Gospel, is meant to reassure the disciples, and us, that Our Lord will the send the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth, after he himself ascends to his heavenly Father. The Advocate will help the disciples to testify to the truth that Jesus is God as they encounter expulsion from the synagogues and persecution for their witness to the Lord.
In the USA, we celebrate Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day), one of the federal holidays in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, you never cease to bestow the glory of holiness on the faithful servants you raise up for yourself. Graciously grant that the Holy Spirit may kindle in us that fire with which he wonderfully filled the heart of St. Philip Neri. And may we remember in our prayer on this Memorial Day all those who died for our country in its darkest hours. We pray through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
