I enjoyed the write-up on him at the Universalis website:
St Philip Neri was an enemy of solemnity and conventionality. When some of his more pompous penitents made their confession to him (he was famous as a confessor) he imposed salutary and deflating penances on them, such as walking through the streets of Rome carrying his cat (he was very fond of cats). When a novice showed signs of excessive seriousness, Philip stood on his head in front of him, to make him laugh. When people looked up to him too much, he did something ridiculous so that they should not respect someone who was no wiser – and no less sinful – than they were. In every case there was an excellent point to his pranks: to combat pride, or melancholy, or hero-worship.
Laughter is not much heard in churches: perhaps that is to be expected... but outside church, Christians should laugh more than anyone else – laugh from sheer joy, that God bothered to make us, and that he continues to love us despite the idiots we are. Everyone is a sinner, but Christians are sinners redeemed – an undeserved rescue that we make even less deserved by everything we do. It is too serious a matter to be serious about: all we can reasonably do is rejoice.
Very many of the saints, not just St Philip, have an abiding terror of being looked up to. For they know their imperfections better than anyone else and being revered by other people is doubly bad. It is bad for the others, who should be revering God instead, and for themselves, because they might be tempted to believe their own image and believe themselves to be worthy.
We are not saints yet, but we, too, should beware. Uprightness and virtue do have their rewards, in self-respect and in respect from others, and it is easy to find ourselves aiming for the result rather than the cause. Let us aim for joy, rather than respectability. Let us make fools of ourselves from time to time, and thus see ourselves, for a moment, as the all-wise God sees us.
Lovely hymn. Can't outdo those Wesleys when it comes to hymn writing!
And wonderful stories about St Philip. I did not know he liked cats. If carrying them around is a penance, I've done a hundred lifetimes worth!
"Very many of the saints, not just St Philip, have an abiding terror of being looked up to." Hagiography sometimes erases the real person so entirely that they become perfect little prigs who inspire nobody. It is important to preserve their struggles as well and as their holiness to reassure the faithful that God does't expect perfection to enter Eternity.
I see tomorrow is St Augustine of Canterbury, whom I think if as patron of the foot-draggers and the tactless. Pope St Gregory must have wanted to throttle him at times.
Happy Ascension, everyone. In Chicago, we don't get around to it until Sunday. Ps - I always kind of liked St. Augustine of Canterbury, too. Wheel-spinning is something that any corporate employee can identify with!
St Augustine of Canterbury--not the ideal candidate for the job, but he muddled through with God's help and Pope G's constant encouragement.
Dear St Augustine, you made a thousand excuses for your inaction, you insulted your Christian brethren and set back the cause of unity in the British church, and you were beset by scrupulousity when you most needed generosity and liberality. Yet despite your many faults, your humility and persistence allowed you to become the cornerstone for a people longing for the light of Christ. Let your life remind us that God builds great things with imperfect tools. Help us confront the fears and prejudices we strew in our own path. And bring us strength to fulfill Christ's mission with courage and charity. Amen
This is the Feast of Saint Philip Neri:
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the write-up on him at the Universalis website:
St Philip Neri was an enemy of solemnity and conventionality. When some of his more pompous penitents made their confession to him (he was famous as a confessor) he imposed salutary and deflating penances on them, such as walking through the streets of Rome carrying his cat (he was very fond of cats). When a novice showed signs of excessive seriousness, Philip stood on his head in front of him, to make him laugh. When people looked up to him too much, he did something ridiculous so that they should not respect someone who was no wiser – and no less sinful – than they were. In every case there was an excellent point to his pranks: to combat pride, or melancholy, or hero-worship.
Laughter is not much heard in churches: perhaps that is to be expected... but outside church, Christians should laugh more than anyone else – laugh from sheer joy, that God bothered to make us, and that he continues to love us despite the idiots we are. Everyone is a sinner, but Christians are sinners redeemed – an undeserved rescue that we make even less deserved by everything we do. It is too serious a matter to be serious about: all we can reasonably do is rejoice.
Very many of the saints, not just St Philip, have an abiding terror of being looked up to. For they know their imperfections better than anyone else and being revered by other people is doubly bad. It is bad for the others, who should be revering God instead, and for themselves, because they might be tempted to believe their own image and believe themselves to be worthy.
We are not saints yet, but we, too, should beware. Uprightness and virtue do have their rewards, in self-respect and in respect from others, and it is easy to find ourselves aiming for the result rather than the cause. Let us aim for joy, rather than respectability. Let us make fools of ourselves from time to time, and thus see ourselves, for a moment, as the all-wise God sees us.
Lovely hymn. Can't outdo those Wesleys when it comes to hymn writing!
ReplyDeleteAnd wonderful stories about St Philip. I did not know he liked cats. If carrying them around is a penance, I've done a hundred lifetimes worth!
"Very many of the saints, not just St Philip, have an abiding terror of being looked up to." Hagiography sometimes erases the real person so entirely that they become perfect little prigs who inspire nobody. It is important to preserve their struggles as well and as their holiness to reassure the faithful that God does't expect perfection to enter Eternity.
I see tomorrow is St Augustine of Canterbury, whom I think if as patron of the foot-draggers and the tactless. Pope St Gregory must have wanted to throttle him at times.
DeleteHappy Ascension, everyone. In Chicago, we don't get around to it until Sunday. Ps - I always kind of liked St. Augustine of Canterbury, too. Wheel-spinning is something that any corporate employee can identify with!
ReplyDeleteI see that May 25th was the feast of Bede the Venerable. He was quite a guy, deserves his own post sometime.
DeleteCuthbert, Aidan, Hilda--so many wonderful saints whose examples Bede preserved for us that mercifully survived the Danish incursions.
DeleteSt Augustine of Canterbury--not the ideal candidate for the job, but he muddled through with God's help and Pope G's constant encouragement.
DeleteDear St Augustine, you made a thousand excuses for your inaction, you insulted your Christian brethren and set back the cause of unity in the British church, and you were beset by scrupulousity when you most needed generosity and liberality. Yet despite your many faults, your humility and persistence allowed you to become the cornerstone for a people longing for the light of Christ. Let your life remind us that God builds great things with imperfect tools. Help us confront the fears and prejudices we strew in our own path. And bring us strength to fulfill Christ's mission with courage and charity. Amen