Lectio et Oratio

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.

Episode 40 -- Life of St. Philip Bk IV.40 -- Prophecy and Other Charisms

Do troubles arise for holy souls?

We will hear about one of the first very serious illnesses that St Philip endured after her was ordained. In his childhood, St Philip suffered from a terrible fever. In 1555, he again experienced a fever that almost took his life. In the same year, St Philip warned one of his friends not to run from the cross that God allowed him to carry. The friend made a mistake in his living arrangements. Difficulties began. He tried to change the situation. But St Philip warned him to accept the situation or he would forever be restless. He did not listen.

Last episode we read about St Philip's special sense of smell. He could smell virtue and vice at certain special times. St Paul says that we are supposed to be the "the good odour of Christ unto God, in them that are saved, and in them that perish." (2 Corinthians 2:15). This gift of St Philip's was known to exist among some of the early desert Fathers in the 4-5th centuries. St Philip was like a desert Father set down in 16th century Rome!

Episode 39 -- Life of St. Philip Bk IV.39 -- Smell of Virtue and Vice

Do sins give off bad odours?

We will read about a gift that St Philip had for identifying sins. Like various ancient desert Fathers, St Philip detected a stench emanating from someone who had committed a sexual sin. The smell had nothing to do with a recently committed act. People would be astonished that he knew what they had done. "It is your bad smell," he would say. St Philip had a similar experience with a woman possessed by a devil.

Last episode we read about St Philip's fascination with purity. He loved that virtue and loved to tell others about it. He would encourage others to pursue it and to pray for it. People who listened to St Philip and spent time with him often experienced a desire to practice purity. By purity, we keep our bodies for the Lord. We use our bodies for good and holy purposes. St Philip was zealous to help those who were tempted to lust. He helped them by his advice, his prayers, and by his encouraging words. He loved to help those who were not tainted by this vice to remain pure. How we need to keep St Philip in mind in our struggle for purity of heart. He can help us too!

Episode 38 -- Life of St. Philip Bk IV.38 -- Love for Chastity

Did St Philip's chastity have an effect on others?

We will read about some of the effects that St Philip's purity of heart, his chastity, had on others. Chastity means the successful integration of one's sexuality within the whole of one's life. Sexual desire is part of life. According to our mission and vocation, chastity helps us to control our desires. Chastity helps us to be free of the slavery of our sexual desires. St Philip had a special grace to help other people achieve this freedom.

Last episode we read about the special grace St Philip was given. His power for sexual desire was completely transformed and made subject to his mind enlightened by faith. He was delivered from the smallest urges and movements of disordered desire. It was as if he was given the chastity of Adam before the Fall or rather the chastity of Christ Himself. There was in St Philip, at least in this area, a return to the grace of Original Justice.

Original Justice = the inner and outer harmony that our first parents experienced as a result of their intimate friendship with God.

Original JUSTICE was the result of original HOLINESS, original intimacy. The grace, the original holiness, that united our first parents to God overflowed into their whole lives.

• As they were in harmony with God in their mind and heart, so all their powers (emotions, imagination, memory, etc) were in harmony with the mind and heart.

• The body was in harmony with the soul.

• The man and woman were in harmony.

• The rest of creation was in harmony with humanity.

Justice is giving what is due or owed to another. Everything in creation gave to the man and woman what was "due" to them, what belonged to them as friends of God. The first human beings had a kind of mastery over themselves and creation. Work was not a burden. The man and woman were naked without shame.

The sign of their friendship with God (original holiness) was his creating them in a garden, a place of life and fruitfulness, in which they cooperated with God to bring forth new life. The state of original holiness and its consequence, original justice (harmonious ordering of their whole life), was lost by the sin of our first parents. To read more about this state of original justice, look at

Episode 37 -- Life of St. Philip Bk IV.37 -- Grace of Original Justice and Chastity

How unusual was St Philp's degree of chastity?

We will read about some of the remarkable effects of the gift of chastity that St Philip received. Gallonio compares his condition to our first parents before they fell. St Philip's desires were radically transformed. Some of the details may seem hard to believe!

Last episode we read about the remarkable victory St Philip was given over a sexual temptation. Like St Thomas Aquinas, he was forced into a room with a prostitute. Like St Thomas, his cooperation with the grace of God brought as a reward a extraordinary degree of chastity.

Episode 36 -- Life of St. Philip Bk IV.36 -- Demonic Disturbances by Means of a Prostitute

What kinds of attacks did the devil carry out on St Philip in 1555?

As St Philip made greater progress in the spiritual life and drawing people to the Lord, the devil tried to both scare him and lead him to sin. We will read about how the devil tried to scare him while spending time with others and while spending time in prayer. "The devil hates nothing more than prayer," St Philip would later say. But the devil also inspired one of the most beautiful woman of Rome to try and seduce St Philip. But the Lord gave him the grace to escape!

Last episode we read about a connection St Philip has with Pope Paul IV. He became Pope on the same day in May when St Philip was ordained a priest. St Philip knew his life was especially connected to other people in the Mystical Body of Christ. St Philip was the eventual confessor of the lowliest labourer in Rome and the Pope himself. St Philip often helped his penitents in spiritual and physical ailments. In 1554 he obtained the healing of a young medical student suffering from heart disease.

Episode 35 -- Life of St. Philip Bk III.35 -- Healing of Heart Disease and Living in the Heart of the Church

Did St Philip perform any other miracles early in his priesthood?

In this episode we will look at another miracle obtained by St Philip's prayers. A man with a heart disease was freed of his illness by St Philip's prayers. We will also see a connection between St Philip and Pope Paul IV.

Last episode we read about St Philip's prayers for his spiritual son, Prospero Crivelli. St Philip was made heir to his will. To avoid this St Philip offered his own life for the recovery of Prospero.

Episode 34 -- Life of St. Philip Bk III.34 -- Being Heir and Praying for a Miracle

Did St Philip ever work miracles?

We look at a miracle of healing that God did through St Philip. Usually people are happy when they are heirs in a will. St Philip was not. He prayed for the man to get better. And he did.

Last episode we read about two accounts of St Philip’s prophetic knowledge of future conversions. St Philip was on fire for people to know Christ Jesus and His love. But he was also full of discretion. He knew that he could not rush God’s time table.