Homily: Feast of St. Philip Neri
Feast of St. Philip Neri (Clowning for God)
My deacon supervisor was a wonderful priest. He hardly ever wore clerics. He would go to a rummage sale and pick out his wardrobe. I think he was especially humble. He said to me once, “Priests always look too nice.” He had a delightful and disarming sense of humor. His theories were not appreciated by some. I think he might have been influenced by the saint we remember today (Philip Neri).
St. Philip lived from 1515 to 1595. He is best known for founding a Congregation called the Oratorians. St. Philip was born in Florence and left there at the age of seventeen to live in Rome. He lived in extreme poverty, studying Philosophy and Theology. Eventually he was ordained. He lived with group of diocesan priests and spent long hours in the confessional. His reputation grew and he was sought out by many who admired his wisdom.
He lived at the time of the Reformation and the Council of Trent. The church needed reform. Many clerics were taking advantage of their status and were proud and corrupt. Philip was a friend of people like Ignatius Loyola and Francis De Sales who tried, in their own way, to reform the church. St. Philip was attacked by some in the hierarchy who accused him of being unorthodox and proud.
Philip reacted by using humor to disarm his opponents. He had a sign over his office door that read “House of Christian Mirth.” He also had a joke book that he kept on his desk. He would often go to meetings with half his beard or head shaved. He did all this to poke fun at himself and at those who were so full of themselves.
Philip Neri had great faith in the laity, and he encouraged them to do ministry. In that way he had a vision of what Vatican II would eventually bring. St. Philip was known as the Apostle of Rome for he revived the Christian spirit of the eternal city.
Reflection Questions:
- Can we take life too seriously? Does Philip Neri remind me of Jesus in any way?
- Is pride a problem for me? What might I do to be humbler?
Dear Parishioners,
Remember that we will be having an outdoor Mass this Sunday, May 30, in front of Culemans Hall at 9 a.m. This Mass will be like the Masses we had last year only this time we can be a little more relaxed. Hopefully, we can even sing out our praise for the first time in a long time. We will also have our May Crowning during the 9am Mass. All children of the Parish are invited to participate. Please bring flowers from your garden and gather at the Memorial Garden by 8:40am.
I would ask everyone to bring their own lawn chair as we did last year. Please encourage those to come who may still be wary of entering the church. There are no limits to how many people can be at Mass at this special service.
Let us pray for good weather and a good spirit. Masks will be optional at this Mass. Hopefully, we can offer each other a smile. We will try to keep social distance.
We will be Livestreaming the 11am Mass instead of at the 9am Mass on this day.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark