Lectio et Oratio

Episode 160 -- Life of St Philip XIV.160 -- Family and Following Christ

We read about two young women who were sick. One was a nine year old girl with a strange disease on her nose. The other was a consecrated virgin who died suddenly when she was only 21. St Philip was asked by the nine year old girl's mother to help. He did so. When the sister of the consecrated virgin came to St Philip for confession, he told her to go visit her sister at once. No one knew she was even sick. But St Philip wanted her sister to help her at the end. It is true that God often makes his followers to sacrifice being in regular contact with their families. It is true that St Philip himself left his father and mother and gave up having a family of his own to serve the Lord. On the other hand, God called James and John to his service. They were brothers. Peter and Andrew were also brothers. Elizabeth and Mary, Jesus and John the Baptist were relatives. God sometimes calls close relatives to an even higher friendship. What matters in Christ. Our bond with him is primary!

Episode 159 -- Life of St Philip XIV.159 -- Death and Nature and Christmas Hope

What should one do if seriously tempted to murder?

Go speak to St Philip! On this anniversary of the death of St Stephen, we will read about someone who was planning to murder another person. The potential murdered was actually a priest. He was so set on his plan that he stopped praying his office and saying Mass. But then he had an encounter with St Philip!

Episode 158 -- Life of St Philip XIII.158 -- Purity and Preparing for Christmas

We read about a man who was offended, scandalized, by the way St Philip was light hearted. To be scandalized is to be "tripped up" in one's spiritual life. In this case, however, the person should not have been scandalized. He had a very narrow view of what holiness is. He judged St Philip as not being spiritual because he did not conform to his own inexperienced view of the life of grace. St Philip read his soul when he came to confession. He encouraged him to confess all his sins in confession. Come, Holy Spirit, help us be pure in heart to celebrate Christmas!

Episode 157 -- Life of St Philip XIII.157 -- What is Magnanimity?

We read about St Philip's closeness to Pope Gregory XIV and many leading Cardinals. But we saw how magnanimous St Philip was. He was "great (magna) spirited (anima), great-souled." He wanted to do great things for the Lord. He did not consider the favour or men, even Popes, to be truly great. His heart was set on heaven. His heart was set on loving God and living for his glory. Let us pray for the same grace!

Episode 156 -- Life of St Philip XIII.156 -- True Mercy at the End of Life

Did St Philip ever ask God to allow someone to die?

Yes. So far we have heard about St Philip praying for people who are sick and their getting better. But in this episode we read of a different scenario. There was a woman who was suffering so much that God inspired St Philip to ask for God's mercy. After he prayed, St Philip later had an inspiration. He went back to the woman. And he asked God to allow her soul to leave her body.

Last episode we read about two different priests who were suffering. We read about St Philip's gift of prophecy and healing. These are charismatic graces that are meant for the common good of the Church and to bring people into a living relationship with God. There are special charismatic graces for helping to persuade people of the faith (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, word of faith). There are special charismatic graces for confirming the proclamation of the Gospel (prophecy, miracles, healing, discernment of spirits). And there are charismatic graces for being able to clearly express the faith (tongues, and interpretation of tongues). St Paul mentions these in 1 Corinthians 12. These gifts of the Spirit help the Church to spread faith in Christ. We need to ask God to give his Church these graces. But what are all these gifts without being a friend of God by charity?

Episode 155 -- Life of St Philip XIII.155 -- Praying for Charisms and Charity

Do priests all get treated in the same way by the Lord?

No. We read about two sick priests. One of them was very sick. The doctors had given up on him. The other was not very sick at all and the doctors did not even suspect that his illness was fatal. St Philip was going to visit both. But he made a prediction that surprised everyone. He said that the very sick priest would recover and the barely sick priest would die. His prophecy came true. God's ways are not always our ways. God does not promise his priests that they will avoid sudden deaths. No two souls are led to God in exactly the same way.

Last episode we read about another priest, an Oratorian, a very hard working priest. God allowed him to know the date of his death. Such graces are given through prayer to some. But when Fr Gigli was getting close to death the devil tried to trick him. St Philip became aware and not only prayed for him, but offered Mass for him. During that Mass, the assaults of the devil were dramatically overcome. Great graces and demonic attacks can go hand in hand. Whenever he received a special favour in prayer, a special consolation, St Philip began praying for protection. He knew that some cross was just around the corner.

Episode 154 -- Life of St Philip XIII.154 -- Being Unknown and the Power of Prayer

Are priests who are faithful to their vocation free from attacks from the devil?

No. We read about one of the most faithful of St Philip's original Oratorian priests, Fr Niccolo Gigli. The Lord even let him know the day of his death. But as that day approached, the devil tried various tactics to discourage and dishearten Fr Gigli. St Philip went to pray for him during Mass. While he prayed, loud noises were heard as if boulders were being thrown around. The various Fathers who heard all these things were able to piece together that those sounds were connected with a massive victory over satan in the life of Fr Gigli. We do not know the details of the story. But what we know is this: prayers and the Mass are crucial to our salvation.

Last episode we read about the reaction of the doctors to Manzoli's recovery. We read about Manzoli's own reaction. God willed that Manzoli not die before St Philip. But we know that God therefore allowed Manzoli to witness St Philip's death and to live without him. God knows what is best for each of us. He may take away our loved ones and friends. He may throw us among strangers. Still, in the words of St John Henry, "He knows what he is about."

Episode 153 -- Life of St Philip XIII.153 -- Union With Each Other in Life and Death

Did the seeming death of Giovanni Manzoli cause confusion?

Yes. We read about some of the events that occurred while Manzoli was "dying." We read about a whole chain of conversations and communications. People were telling other people that Manzoli had died. Rumours were spreading. But then against all those rumours, St Philip was saying the opposite! Now people were really confused. The whole scene reminds one of the Resurrection accounts in the Gospels!

Last episode we read about just how close Manzoli was to dying. All his doctors and family thought he was dying. People in the room even thought he had died, so quiet and unresponsive was Manzoli. The priest in the room took the word of his family. But, years before, St Philip had been told by God that Manzoli would outlive him. St Philip had told this to Manzoli himself. And so, when words reached St Philip about how imminent death was, St Philip went before the Lord to remind him of his promise. He spent the whole night in prayer. God did as He said, but through the prayers of St Philip. God wills to do certain things precisely through our prayers, our instrumentality.

Episode 152 -- Life of St Philip XIII.152 -- Hope In Desperate Times

Yes. We hear about what St Philip did one night in June in the year 1591. A friend of his was very close to death. Everyone thought in fact he had died. But St Philip prayed all night. The Lord himself also prayed all night sometimes. The Lord who loves when we pray heard the prayers of St Philip.

Episode 151 -- Life of St Philip XIII.151 -- Supernatural Love and Fortitude Are Necessary

Did St Philip face any opposition in his last years?

Yes. St Philip had a penitent who was very sick. He would visit her everyday and hear her confession and possibly bring her communion. This lady, Lavinia delta Rovere Orsini, was very wealthy. Her pugnacious nephew, Giulio Cesare Colonna, was convinced that St Philip only visited her to be made the heir of her fortune. Giulio was one of the great military families of Rome. And he threatened St Philip and told him to stop visiting. Even St Philip's friends begged him to stop lest he be hurt or even killed. But St Philip went on as he always did. He knew what he was doing was good for Lavinia. He knew he did not want one dime from her. He knew that if he got killed, it would be a blessing!

Episode 150 -- Life of St Philip XIII.150 -- High Priest Prays for Us

We read about the beginning of those remarkable Masses that St Philip said in the last years of his life. From the beginning of his priesthood, St Philip had incredible devotion at Mass. The Holy Spirit filled him with spiritual awareness of the depths and power of the Mass. But in the final years of his life, the Holy Spirit seems to have led him even farther into the mystery of the Mass and the mystery of the Mystical Body, the Church. As the time for Holy Communion approached, St Philip would get lost in prayer for 2 hours. The servers eventually got permission to leave and come back later to finish the Mass! And so the Pope gave him permission to have a chapel built next to his bedroom, lest these Masses cause a stir or disruption in the church. Only in heaven will we know what passed in those times of prayer between St Philip and the Lord. Perhaps, like Our Lord himself, St Philip was made aware of all those who would be drawn to heaven through his priesthood. Perhaps he prayed for you and me!

Episode 149 -- Life of St Philip XII.149 -- Listening From the Heart

Did St Philip help people not only with physical afflictions but also mental afflictions?

Yes. We will read about how St Philip helped a lady with great anxiety and depression. In a miraculous way, he healed her for the rest of her life. We will also read about how he helped a man with scruples. Scruples is a spiritual affliction that makes us see evil where there is no evil. Scruples makes us very worried about how everything we do is a sin. If St Philip helped people in his own day, he can continue to help people today!

Episode 148 -- Life of St Philip XII.148 -- Fighting Anxiety about Good Projects

We read about a woman who had some great plans in mind for doing good. But she did not tell anyone. Possibly, she was ashamed of them. Possibly she was afraid of what people would think. She did not want to claim her own desires before others. One day, St Philip surprised her by telling her what she had in mind. How we need to open our hearts to a spiritual friend, both about our struggles and our holy desires.

Episode 147 -- Life of St Philip XII.147 -- Human Touch and Human Trauma

We read about how St Philip could help people by the touch of his hand. He would bless people on the forehead. This great wisdom of the Church, this wisdom that touch and the senses and human contact matters, has recently been emphasized by those who give therapy to victims of trauma. We are a body and soul unity. Trauma and difficult sadnesses can be helped by the right use of our bodies.

Episode 146 -- Life of St Philip XII.146 -- Being Truthful About Chastity

Did St Philip have any unusual saints as friends?

Yes. We will read about what Fr Robinson used to call "closed circuit television" conversations between St Philip and St Catherine de Ricci. We know that they never met in this life; but when she died, St Philip told people all about her. He knew what she looked like. St Philip reminds us of our connection across time and space in the communion of saints, the Church. God has united us to each other as parts of a body are united. Let us not try to live as an island, cut off from each other.

Last episode we read about the procession to the Chiesa Nuova with the relics of St Papias and St. Maurus. Lay people, priests, Cardinals, musicians, servers, artists and many others took part. The Church has great need of many different types of people. What draws us together is Christ and the search for holiness. The really great thing in this world is a saint. A saint takes God seriously and himself or herself not that seriously.

Episode 145 -- Life of St Philip XII.145 -- Being Serious and Being Light

Did St Philip know many of the most powerful people in the Church?

Yes. We will read about the procession of the relics of Saints Papias and Maurus to the new Oratorian church. Gallonio tells us about all the high ranking prelates who were there. We see how much Rome and its leadership had changed since St Philip began his work.

Episode 144 -- Life of St Philip XII.144 -- Willing Good for Others

We read about the decision of a Cardinal to give the Oratorians the bodies of early martyrs whose relics had recently been re-discovered. The Cardinal knew this would be welcomed by St Philip. Let us ask for the grace to want to do good to others.

Episode 143 -- Life of St Philip XII.143 -- Lay Brothers are Welcome

We read about a lay brother who fell from a great height in the church of the Oratorians. He was hanging things for Christmas. Despite the skull fracture, the brother got better without any kind of surgery. The doctors all thought he would die. But they disagreed about how to treat the brother. Good people do not always agree on things. The Church needs many different kinds of people. The Oratory itself needs lay brothers and priests. In the end, this beloved son of St Philip persevered in his vocation to pray, to help with the daily preaching, and the reception of the sacraments.

Episode 142 -- Life of St Philip XII.142 -- Getting Our Attention Before Death Approaches

Did St Philip ever do drastic things to get people's attention?

Yes. We will read about some very drastic, almost violent things St Philip did when he was saving a young girl's life. She was in a coma. God sometimes does drastic things to get our attention too!

Episode 141 -- Life of St Philip XII.141 -- Praying for Patience in Advent

Did St Philip celebrate Advent?

Yes. Gallonio speaks of it as the "holy season of Advent." During this season, St Philip performed a mighty miracle. A miracle that combines both words and physical touch. St Philip even pressed a person's hand very strongly before the healing took place. May the Lord convince us that the Word has become flesh. Let us put our trust in Him.