Saint Philip Neri Patron Saint of Joyful Hearts
There is no better way to begin a reflection on Saint Philip Neri than with a joke. Saint Philip was known as humorous and had a witty and warm sense of humor. He was often referred to as a prankster and joker. So, we begin this reflection with a joke that St. Philip Neri would have appreciated.
The Burglar
Late one night, a burglar broke into a house he thought was empty. He tiptoed through the living room, but suddenly he froze in his tracks when he heard a loud voice say: “Jesus is watching you!”
Silence returned to the house, so the burglar crept forward again. “Jesus is watching you,” the voice boomed again. The burglar stopped dead still. He was frightened. Frantically, he looked all around. In a dark corner, he spotted a birdcage, and in the cage was a parrot. He asked the parrot:
“Was that you who said Jesus is watching me?” “Yes,” said the parrot. The burglar breathed a sigh of relief and asked the parrot: “What’s your name?” “Clarence,” said the bird.
“That’s a dumb name for a parrot, “sneered the burglar. “What idiot named you, Clarence?” The parrot said, “The same idiot who named the Doberman Jesus.”
I hope that brought you a smile. Philip Neri was a man of great spirit and humor.
In his young life, at school, Philip might have been considered the class clown. Philip had a mentor in his schooling who saw the compassionate heart beneath Philip’s humor. His mentor encouraged him to use his humor to lift the spirits of people who were burdened rather than making himself the center of attention.
Philip originally had no intention of becoming a priest. Only after years working with an inspirational confessor was, he ordained a priest. He later became known as a compassionate and loving confessor.
Philip used humor and wit to help penitents see beyond their actions to attitudes that drew them to sin.
Philip founded the Oratorians, a group of priests that exclusively served the poor, including building a school and college for them. He was a priest of Rome and was considered a mystic in action. His fervor for people began a resurgence in the priesthood of the necessity of priests being with their people to guide their spiritual life.
Saint Philip Neri is the patron saint of joyful hearts. What an incredible legacy! It makes my heart joyful just to think about it.
All of us have known/know priests who have guided our spiritual life. We know priests who enabled us to see ourselves more clearly and to see the love of God more completely. Perhaps today, we can put some of our other worries aside and pray for the good and holy priests who have guided our faith journey.
Let us today also thank God for the people we know who bring joy to our hearts simply by their presence in our lives.
In God’s Unending Love,
Gwen
Loved it! He was an endearing saint because he was able to Phil-ip everyone’s hearts with joy! Like you, Gwen!