Lectio et Oratio

Episode 120 -- Life of St Philip X.120 -- Living Christianity is Still Possible

We read about the invisible help that St Philip gave to a very sick woman. She did not see him until dawn. But he assured her that he had been supporting her all through the night. The Lord gives some saints this gift of being in two places at once (either in body or in spirit) to show us the power of the Lord's own presence. The Lord himself stands at our side to give us strength.

Episode 119 -- Life of St Philip X.119 -- Directing to Heaven by the Spirit

We read about the unique power of St Philip's own heart to dispel temptations to unchastity. Thirty years earlier, St Philip had received that unique grace of seeing the Holy Spirit as a ball of fire enter into his mouth and lodge in his heart. God gave St Philip the special ability to help people drive away very difficult temptations. The point is that we need the Holy Spirit to be saved. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are necessary for our salvation. The devil is too cunning and our fallen human nature is so weak that the Holy Spirit must directly intervene at times.

Episode 118 -- Life of St Philip X.118 -- Dealing with Most Troubling Temptations

We read about one particularly difficult temptation that a man was facing regarding a teenager who had to stay with him. The man was doing all he could for the boy, but he experienced very strong feelings of attraction. He could not understand why this was happening when St Philip himself had asked him to help this young man. In the midst of his trials, St Philip appeared and blessed him and the feelings disappeared. The heart of fallen man is an abyss. Who can understand it at times? Only by the grace of the Lord and the help of spiritual friends can we avoid sin. Temptations, unwanted desires, these are not sins. May the Lord keep us from sin. May our strange desires keep us humble and prayerful and vigilant.

Episode 117 -- Life of St Philip X.117 -- Reminders of the Eucharist

We read about St Philip's power to encourage people in times of distress. Various people overcame huge obstacles by remembering his words: be of good heart. Others were delivered from their difficulties at the very moment St Philip spoke to them. Such stories should encourage us to go on. We all need to be encouraged. We all need, above all, the encouragement of the Eucharist!

Episode 116 -- Life of St Philip X.116 -- Devotion and Love can Always increase

We read about the solemn opening of the new church, the Chiesa Nuova, in Rome. The pope encouraged many people to go there on the day the Oratorians finally opened their church. Let us pray that St Philip's sons will always help people to pray through reverent liturgies and heavenly sacred music.

Episode 115 -- Life of St Philip X.115 -- Fulfilling All Desires

We read about St Philip being unable to sleep during an illness. He begged that Holy Communion be brought to him. Fr Tarugi did not want this to be done. He thought St Philip would be even more unable to sleep. Even saints need proper and sufficient sleep. Our Lord himself slept. But in the end St Philip knew what he was talking about. Our Lord can help us get the rest we need. Let us ask him to show us when to sleep and when to rise.

Episode 114 -- Life of St Philip IX.114 -- Spiritual Fathers and Inspiration

Did St Philip have any trouble building the Chiesa Nuova?

Yes! We will read about the strange miracle of the roof not colasping at the Chiesa Nuova. St Philip was given a vision of Our Lady holding up an unsupported beam! The workmen went to inspect. And they found the beam in mid-air!

Episode 113 -- Life of St Philip IX.113 -- Young Men Can Follow the Lord

Did St Philip have any trouble building the Chiesa Nuova?

Yes! We will read about the strange miracle of the roof not colasping at the Chiesa Nuova. St Philip was given a vision of Our Lady holding up an unsupported beam! The workmen went to inspect. And they found the beam in mid-air!

Episode 112 -- Life of St Philip IX.112 -- Mary Upholds our Lives

Did St Philip have any trouble building the Chiesa Nuova?

Yes! We will read about the strange miracle of the roof not colasping at the Chiesa Nuova. St Philip was given a vision of Our Lady holding up an unsupported beam! The workmen went to inspect. And they found the beam in mid-air!

Episode 111 -- Life of St Philip IX.111 -- Lay Holiness is Possible

We read about one of St Philip's holiest female penitents. He was convinced that she went straight to heaven when she died. Lavinia Massimi was married. She was a mother. Holiness is possible in the world. "Let us be saints in our own homes," St Philip used to say.

Episode 110 -- Life of St Philip IX.110 -- Human Malice and Divine Providence

We read about the opposition St Philip faced from some of the neighbours as he was building the new church. People even physically attacked those working on it. But the money and workers kept coming. St Philip was convinced that "all things work for the good of those who love God" (Romans 8:28). The malice of men, their evil intentions, can be turned by God to good!

Episode 109 -- Life of St Philip IX.109 -- Greatsouledness and God‘s Providence

We read about St Philip's holy ambition to build a large church. Even without the money raised, he ordered the old church to be demolished. One day at Mass, God revealed to him the size of the new church. When he told the workmen where to dig, they found a huge ancient wall. The wall became the foundation of that side of the church. May the Lord Himself be the foundation of our spiritual lives!

Episode 108 -- Life of St Philip IX.108 -- Valuing Relics of Saints

We read about St Philip's help to Olimpia Troiani. She was dying in labour. St Philip came to visit. He prayed. And she not only gave birth to a lovely young girl, but the mother survived. Philip often prayed for such women. He often brought relics for saints to their homes. As God worked marvels through the bodies of saints while they lived, so he continues to work marvels through their holy remains.

Episode 107 -- Life of St Philip IX.107 -- Papal Foundation of the Oratory

Is it hard, even in the Church, when sharing a building?

Yes! We will read about the difficulties with the new space the Florentines built for St Philip and his men. St Philip realized that borrowing this church and house left them less free to do the work the Lord wanted.

Episode 106 -- Life of St Philip IX.106 -- Victory Through the Rosary

We read about two women who nearly died during childbirth. Both were of the highest nobility in Rome. They were women of great wealth and learning and responsibilities. St Philip was a spiritual father for the rich and the poor.

Episode 105 -- Life of St Philip IX.105 -- Staying in One Place like SPN

We read about the offer by the Florentines to build a new space for St Philip's growing Congregation. This new space allowed for greater numbers of men to hear the sermons and music at the Oratory.

Episode 104 -- Life of St Philip IX.104 -- Healing Through Confession

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Should one intentionally hold back confessing a serious sin just because one is embarrassed?

No. We will read about a young man who was so ashamed of a sin against the sixth commandment that he tried to go to confession without confessing it. St Philip, with his gift of reading souls, recognized what he was doing. He told him that far from being forgiven he was actually committing more sins. But would the young man listen?

Last episode we read about the election of Pope Gregory XIII on May 13. May 13 is the same day that Fr Robinson was ordained a priest. Fr Robinson is the Founder of the Toronto Oratory, the one who introduced St Philip's way of life to Canada. Pope Gregory XIII is the Pope who approved the Oratorian Constitutions.

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Episode 103 -- Life of St Philip IX.103 -- Helping Others Across Time and Space

Are all St Philip's spiritual children famous?

No. We read about the healing of a young man named Ambrogio. Only his first name has come down to us. But around the same time as he was healed, Gregory XIII was elected Pope. Small and great men, famous and unknown men and women are called by the Lord.

Last episode we read about four well known Oratorians who all joined in 1571. There are special years in the life of the Church, in the life of a Congregation, and in each human life. The Lord has special timing for each event in our life. All he asks is that we trust Him. He calls us to His service at certain times and places for reasons that one only grasps much later on (and possibly only in heaven!).

Episode 102 -- Life of St Philip IX.102 -- Praying for Vocations

How important is prayer for priestly vocations?

Very important. We will read about a remarkable year in terms of Oratorian vocations, the year 1571. Four new men joined this young community, most of whom would play significant roles later on. But also 1571 was the year that Cesare Baronius almost died of a fever. He was the one St Philip had foreseen would do so much work to combat the false versions of Church history produced in Protestant countries. We will read about the way in which St Philip prayed for and obtained his recovery.

Last episode we read about St Philip's spiritual direction of Giovani and Lucrezia Animuccia. For the last five years of their marriage they lived under a vow of total abstinence from marital relations. For fifteen years prior to this, they had lived voluntarily in the same way. St Philip reluctantly agreed to their plans. Giovani Animuccia, a famous Church musician, died in 1571. Three years later he appeared at the Oratory asking for prayers. In other words, he died in God's friendship. He died in the state of grace, but without being perfectly purified. To be a friend of Christ, chastity, self-control in matters of sexual pleasure, is necessary. But chastity alone will not make us saints. To be a saint we need to love God perfectly. We have to follow lovingly whatever means He suggests for us to follow.

Episode 101 -- Life of St Philip IX.101 -- Musicians and Spirituality

Did St Philip understand musicians?

Yes. We read about the final years of one of St Philip's most famous penitents: Giovanni Animuccia (1514-71). Like St Philip, Animuccia was from Florence. They were almost the exact same age. But Animuccia came to Rome much later than St Philip, around 1550. He became the director of the Capella Giulia, the 24 member member (12 men 12 boys) choir that sang at all Solemn Liturgies at St Peter's, unless the Pope himself was celebrating the Mass. The choir had been refunded by Pope Julius II. Over time Animuccia divided his time between this choir and the music at the Oratory. "He is noted," Fr Bertram writes, "as a leading exponent of the Roman polyphonic school, second only to Palestrina." Under St Philip's direction Animuccia lived a devout and balanced spiritual life. Philip prudently moderated his strong desires for holiness.