Lectio et Oratio

Episode 60 -- Life of St Philip VI.60 -- Drawing Men to the Seven Churches and the Sacraments

Why did St Philip begin inviting others on the pilgrimage to the seven churches?

In this episode we will read the exciting account of how St Philip began bringing other people on his pilgrimage to seven major churches in Rome. We will hear of how he combined prayer with fellowship, prayer with exercise, spiritual conversation with fun.

Episode 59 -- Life of St Philip V.59 -- Bilocating and Not Giving up on Someone

In this episode we read about the young man who disobeyed St Philip. He went off to Naples. On the way there, Turkish pirates attacked their ship. The man threw himself overboard. As he was dying, St Philip bilocated and saved him. This remarkable story helps us to remember that no one in this life is totally lost. There is always a chance to be brought back.

Episode 58 -- Life of St Philip V.58 -- Final Attack at Hour of Death - Despair

In this episode we read about the holy death of Gabriele Tana. St Philip never abandoned him. Other people stayed with Gabriele in his final illness. By the prayers and advice of St Philip and others, Gabriele persevered to the end.

Last episode we read of the fourth and final attack of the devil on Gabriele Tana. Unable to defeat him by attacking his faith, trying to make him despair, and trying to make him vain, the devil used a vision of scary black dogs to terrify the young man and remind him of his past sins. St Philip helped him gain the victory through Christ Jesus.

Episode 57 -- Life of St Philip V.57 -- Dogs, Devils, Preachers Protecting Us

What is the final tactic the devil tried on Gabriele Tana as he was dying?

Visions. When all else fails, the devil sometimes tries to steal us from God by visions. They can sometimes seem holy. At other times they are clearly scary. He wants to deceive us. We will read about the vision the devil used to try and scare Gabriele. It is a vision that several saints encountered, like St Peter Damian.

Having tried to make Gabriele presumptuous and then to make him despair through distaste for the holy name, the devil tried, in last episode's reading, to make him doubt and lose faith. St Philip seemed to give him four basic pieces of advice when trials of faith come at the end.

1. Use your will not your understanding. Simply say "I believe."
2. Ignore the further attacks of the devil.
3. Make a general act of faith, like the Apostles Creed.
4. Keep your eyes on Christ Crucified.

Episode 56 -- Life of St Philip V.56 -- Resisting Attacks on Our Faith

Will the devil ever try to make us think we have no faith at the time of death?

Yes. We see in this episode how the devil tries to make Gabriele Tana doubt that he believes. The devil tries to create the appearance of a lack of faith. St Philip has some very wise tactics to suggest to Gabriele. But first St Philip prayed fervently for the dying man. How we need to ask for prayers too!

Last night we saw the second kind of attack the devil used with Gabriele. Not being able to make Gabriele fall into vainglory and presumption based on his own holiness, the devil tries to make him despair through forming a distaste in Gabriele's imagination for the Holy Name of Jesus. We know the power of the Holy Name. We know that like a sacrament it makes present the One it calls upon. We know its power to soften the heart of the one praying. Gabriele so longed to use that Holy Name. But the devil tried to make the young man despair through his feeling unable to say it from the heart.

Episode 55 -- Life of St Philip V.55 -- Power of the Name of Jesus and Temptations against Using it

Will the devil try different, even opposed, tactics as we approach death?

Quite possibly. As we will see in this episode, St Philip was right. The devil did try to trick Gabriele Tana on the final day of his life. The first tactic the devil uses is vainglory and presumption. He tries to make Gabriele presume that he is saved no matter what he does. When Gabriele realizes what is happening, the devil tries another tactic, making the Holy Name very distasteful. He seems to want to make Gabriele despair of salvation. In both cases he is blessed to have friends around him. Let us pray for the grace to die a holy death with the help of others.

Last episode, St Philip tried to get Gabriele to re-think his attitude toward dying. Instead of being so eager to go to heaven, Gabriele was invited to live more in union with the will of God. With strong and intense desires, Gabriele showed a certain dullness of mind. Moved so strongly by what he wanted, he had difficulty stepping back and asking whether God also wanted this for him. Let us pray for self-control even in spiritual matters!

Episode 54 -- Life of St Philip V.54 -- Putting God‘s Will over our Desires

Why must we be humble as death approaches?

St Philip was very aware of various tactics the devil likes to use at the end of a human life. Our eternal destiny depends on how we die. As death approaches, satan has one last chance to lead us from God. Otherwise, all is eternally lost, so the devil wickedly thinks. In this episode's reading, St Philip is not over pleased with his young penitent, Gabriele Tana. St Philip is happy that he is now willing to die, but he would rather see more humility, more conformity to God's will and desires. And he warns Gabriele to be on guard.

Last episode, Antonio Gallonio introduced us to the person of Gabriele Tana, an 18 year old young man, very devout and in the service of a Cardinal in Rome. We read about a great change of heart. Gabriele did not want to die as he faced a serious illness. He prayed to recover. But after St Philip prayed for him, Gabriele began to want to die. He began to long for heaven. But this enthusiastic man began to go a little too far in his desire for heaven. He began to boast, it seems. In general, St Philip did not like us to spread abroad too easily the special graces we receive.

Episode 53 -- Life of St Philip V.53 -- Entrusting oneself to the Prayers of St Philip

Can prayers help to change our minds for the better?

Yes. In this episode we read about a young penitent of St Philip's who was close to death. He was only eighteen. He had been asking for prayers to recover. But St Philip knew by a divine revelation that this young man, Gabriele, would not survive. St Philip was very wise. He simply asked Gabriele if he would commit his condition to St Philip's prayers. St Philip then began to pray and a significant change took place in Gabriele's attitude toward death.

Episode 52 -- Life of St Philip V.52 -- Praying for Perseverance in our Vocations

In this episode we read about St Philip's discernment that one of the two friends of his who were going to join the Dominicans would leave. St Philip said that this young man, Francesco, would return to Egypt. In other words, he would return to the land he had been in under the slavery of this world. St Philip thought that the consecrated life of the religious orders, with their vows of poverty, celibacy, and obedience, was one of the greatest graces the Blessed Virgin Mary obtains for those devoted to her. But St Philip did not think the religious life was right for all people. In our big decisions, let us learn to turn to St Philip for advice. Let us keep a picture of him in our rooms.

Episode 51 -- Life of St Philip V.51 -- Confession to Christ through Younger Priests

In this episode we read about the help St Philip gave to his own confessor, Persiano Rosa, as Fr Rosa was dying. The devil was tormenting him in the form of a black dog. It was only by the encouragement of Fr Rosa that St Philip even became a priest. But now as he was dying, Fr Rosa was helped to overcome the devil by his younger protege. Let us never forget it is Christ Himself who acts through his ministerial priests in the sacraments.

Episode 50 -- Life of St Philip V.50 -- Talking from the Book and Aiming at Devotion

Did St Philip always do the same things with his followers?

No. We will see how St Philip continued to adapt his practices to the changing number of people who were coming to him for spiritual help. In this episode we read about the introduction of the practice of talking from the book. St Philip would have someone read from a spiritual book and then discourse on its meaning. Afterwards, he would lead them out to sing the divine office with one of the religious orders.

Episode 49 -- Life of St Philip V.49 -- Encouragement, Mental Prayer, the Love of God

We read about one of the first changes St Philip introduced to his work with laymen in Rome. He built an oratory, a little house of prayer, at his own expense. Until that time, he was receiving a group of men in his room at San Girolamo to explain the Word of God to them. But once they decided to go to India and then changed their minds, new crowds of men were gathering around St Philip. He had to do something. His room was not big enough. He built something simple, but larger.

Episode 48 -- Life of St Philip IV.48 -- Rome is Your India

Did St Philip ever think of leaving Rome?

Yes. We will read in this episode how the letters of St Francis Xavier, the missionary in India and the South Pacific, fired St Philip with a desire to be a missionary. But his spiritual director told him to go see a holy monk outside Rome. After three days of prayer, the monk had a message for St Philip.

St Philip knew that visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary are tremendous graces given to the Church. St Philip himself experienced Our Lady appearing to him and healing him of a deadly fever. But St Philip also knew that people can be so eager for such a vision that the devil can trick them. Last episode we read about one of those incidents. Knowing the vision of Mary was not really Mary, he told his spiritual son to spit in its face. The man did so! And the "vision" of Mary turned into a demon.

Episode 47 -- Life of St Philip IV.47 -- Spit if you can

Is it ever right to spit at a vision of the Blessed Virgin? Mary?

St Philip thought so. We will read about a young penitent who thought he was having a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He came to tell St Philip about how Our Lady was visiting him. St Philip had a profound grace, a discernment of spirits, for knowing true from false visions. He gave the man some very interesting advice. Our Lady was so happy with the man's obedience that she actually later appeared to him. When she appeared, she said something very humorous!

Last episode we read about St Philip's concern that people not run after visions. St Philip had many visions. But he insisted that the fundamental question is how we receive them. What is our frame of mind towards the vision? Do we think that they are a sign of holiness? Do we think that visions themselves make us holy? St Philip's main concern was for us to seek to "correct our behaviour, extirpate vice, embrace virtue, control our desires and the like." Visions can help us. Visions can help us help others. But there is great danger of delusion.

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Episode 46 -- Life of St Philip IV.46 -- Visions and Seeking Holiness

Should we be keen to have visions?

St Philip did not think so. We will read about some of his advice regarding visions and the dangers they can bring. At the same time, St Philip was given visions by God, especially related to those close to him when they died.

Episode 45 -- Life of St Philip IV.45 -- Providence, Patience, Passing Stones

We will read about St Philip's second healing miracle for Giovan Battista Modio. Before he cured him, he urged him to patience. Patience helps us to endure the sadnesses of this life, especially physical and spiritual suffering. Modio became one of the best preachers at the Little Oratory. He could combine instruction with humour before huge crowds. May our patience in suffering help win souls for God and win for the Church great preachers.

Episode 44 -- Life of St Philip IV.44 -- Moses, Jesus, and Ongoing Healings

Were all St Philip's miracles widely known during his life?

Giovan Battista Modio became well-known in the 1500s for a licentious operetta that he wrote. St Philip saw great potential in Modio, however. Under St Philip's guidance, Modio eventually began visiting the hospitals and put his talents towards other intellectual and spiritual tasks. What no one knew until after St Philip's death was how St Philip saved the life of Modio during a very serious illness. We will read about it in this episode.

Last episode we read about St Philip's knowledge of the future. He not only predicted that a friend of his would not recover, but he also predicted that a another friend would lose all his money unless he withdrew it from a certain banker. Both predictions came true. One thing we can draw from these prophecies is the need to be concerned about our neighbour's temporal welfare. We have to be concerned with the whole person, body and soul.

Episode 43 -- Life of St Philip IV.43 -- Obedience, Material Concerns, and the Last Sacraments

Did St Philip ever predict that bad things would happen?

Yes! We will read about predictions made by St Philip regarding two of his spiritual sons. One of them was sick, and St Philip predicted that he would not recover. Another of his spiritual sons made a large financial investment with a wealthy man. St Philip did not know about the investment until after it happened. Nevertheless, he told his spiritual son to withdraw the money. Despite all his embarrassment, he obeyed. Soon after, he was very glad. The man with whom he had invested lost everything.

Episode 42 -- Life of St Philip IV.42 -- Combining Prayer and Visits to the Sick

We will read about how St Philip sent his spiritual children to the Roman hospitals. He wanted them to do the most humbling and servile work for those who were sick. It did not matter how wealthy they were or how refined had been their upbringing. St Philip urged them to the care of the sick and lonely.

Last episode read about St Philip's longing to form Christ in others. He wanted them to become not just keepers of the commandments and followers of Jesus, but truly devout. He urged them to prayer, frequenting the sacraments, and other works of devotion. Everyday he tried to gather men to explain the Word of God to them.

Episode 41 -- Life of St Philip Bk IV.41 -- Growth of Spiritual Harvest

Did all the troubles St Philip endured begin to bear fruit?

We will hear about two of the biggest "catches" in St Philip"s early work as a priest. In 1555-6, St Philip brought to the Lord's service two very influential and well-connected men. We have to see the fruits of St Philip's apostolate as connected to his sufferings, his special graces, and his dedication to his mission.

Last episode we read about St Philip's gift of prophecy. He knew what would happen to a certain gentlemen if he fled from the cross God had sent him. Besides the charismatic gift of discerning spirits, St Philip was given this gift of knowing things, especially future things, that only God can know.