Oratory Saint Philip Neri the Spiritual Path
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Oratory of Saint Philip Neri The spiritual Path July 2015 Contents Preface 4 Chapter 1 St. Philip Neri St. Philip Neri 5 Pippo Buono 5 From San Germano to Rome 5 Asceticism of St. Philipp 6 The Virgin Mary in the Life of St. Philip 7 The Mission of St. Philip 8 A. The Mission of Service 8 B. The Mission of Evangelization 9 C. The Secular Mission 9 D. The Mission of bringing Joy 10 Chapter 2 The Oratory The Oratory 10 A. Oratorian Exercises: The Method 11 B. Informal Discourse on the Word of God 12 C. Charitable Works 12 D. Other Exercises 13 Chapter 3 The Congregation of the Oratory Origins 13 Society of Apostolic Life 14 Family Life 14 Community Life without Vows 15 Charity, the only Bond 15 Stability and Responsibility: Specific Vocation 16 Autonomy 17 Originality of the form of Government 18 2 Chapter 4 Philipian Spirituality Philipian Spirituality 19 Charity 19 Humility 20 Mortification 22 Freedom of Spirit 22 Joy 24 Poverty 24 Work 25 Chastity 26 Obedience 26 Chapter 5 Means to spiritual Perfection The Oratory = Place of Prayer 1. Familiar discourse on the Word of God 28 2. Prayer 28 Frequenting the Sacraments: Eucharist and Reconciliation 1. Eucharist 29 2. Reconciliation 30 Devotion of Mary 30 Study of the Sacred Scriptures and Preaching 1. Study 31 2. Preaching 31 Chapter 6 The Oratory, current status of its presence in the world Current Status 32 Conclusion 33 3 Preface Ever since God gave St. Philip Neri to His Church, this saint has had a powerful influence and great appeal. „He exercises a genuine attraction… In him the spirit of modem times is embodied and personified...”1 The lifestyle of Philip and his disciples is original and appealing. St Philip’s charisma is multifaceted and it cannot be summarized in a word or a single phrase. The exercises of the Oratory of St. Philip originate from the experiences and everyday life of St. Philip and of his disciples, and express a rich spirituality and way of life which brings back the spirituality of the early Christians. It is a lifestyle for diocesan priests who are entrusted with the care of souls.2 This short text will attempt to identify the most important phenomena which demonstrate what the Holy Spirit gave to his Church through St. Philip, through the experience of a simple lifestyle, permeated with the love of God and neighbor. It is important to clarify what distinguishes and characterizes the Congregation of the Oratory so that it may be presented to young people who want to devote themselves to God and to their brothers and sisters; young people who choose from among varied ways to work within the Church, where the Holy Spirit is always present in a variety of his gifts and charisms. It is important for the members of the Oratory to learn about the origins and traditions of the Oratory, because better understanding will promote their own spiritual development, as well as their own family life, apostolic works, and guidance of others. We Oratorians want to be a sign of God’s presence in the modem world and the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church, just as St. Philip was for his own time. In the contemporary world, rich with possibilities but also fraught with the temptations of materialism and self-complacency, the Oratory is called to bring the Gospel and offer genuine love, simplicity, joy and prayer. To be aware of one’s own charism as a gift of the Holy Spirit, to value it, strengthen it and proclaim it, is also for the Oratory an indispensable means of making a true contribution to the Church’s mission in the world, and of spreading the Kingdom of God in the variety of his gifts. May the Lord help us to be a living example like St. Philip, and to spread His gospel in a unredeemed World. 1!Faber,!F.!The$Spirit$and$Genius$of$St.$Philip.!Lambert:!London,!1850 2!Presbyterorum!Ordinis. 4 Chapter 1 St. Philip Neri 1. St. Philip worked in the Church in very difficult times. The Holy Spirit worked through him in an extraordinary way for moral reform and for a deep revival of the faith. 2. Even today, his spirituality, originality, spontaneity, teaching, lifestyle and the joy that surrounded him inspire both admiration and the motivation to make a serious commitment to face religious issues, as well as making a commitment to love God and to do good to one’s neighbor. Philip’s authentic following of the Gospel is apparent in the way he put virtues and apostolic zeal into practice. The spontaneity of his spirit is still astonishing. He lived the transcendent with total naturalness and turned his faith into a fount of joy and community. In his wisdom and through his teachings, St. Philip successfully communicated his experience to his many disciples and spiritual children. Pippo Buono 3. Philip was born with a very charming nature, and a neutral goodness filled with grace. He was known as Pippo Buono (Good little Phil). Philip was like rich, blessed soil where his family, which was very religious, sowed seeds. For him it was a joy to pray, sing, and recite the psalms with his sister. The attraction to the divine was present in him from early childhood. As he grew older, the Holy Spirit only increased Philip’s capacity to receive spiritual gifts. 4. No doubt, his visits to the Dominican convent of San Maine in Florence contributed greatly to his religious development. The spiritual songs which were performed in the prayers and liturgy of San Marco gave him great joy. These were popular songs using everyday language which lifted up his spirit and filled him with happiness. The sermons on Sundays excited his interest as they enlightened his mind and inflamed his heart with the Word of God The burning and pugnacious spirit of Savonarola wafted through San Marco, as well as the gentle, holy images painted by the Blessed Angelico. From San Germano to Rome 5. Philip may have gone to San Germano at his father’s bidding, due to the family’s economic hardships. He is not a person for half measures, but one for total commitment. Being close to the Benedictines simulates and increases his sense of urgency to make a choice, to give a sense to his life. On the Montagna Spaccata (split mountain), close to Gaeta, there was a chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity. This natural wonder, this crevice in the mountain jutting out over the sea, where the gaze is drawn toward the infinite, fills him with mystery and immerses him in God. His meditation leads him to see the emptiness of what the world offers him. He did not feel that he was born for commerce nor for any other profession that ties the heart to business. 6. With the ardor of his being eighteen, obedient to the call of the Holy Spirit, he decides to enter into the total service of the Lord. He felt a strong attraction for the hermetic life, and saw his own life reflected in that of the Fathers of the Desert, men who, he felt, were like himself. But the 5 Lord did not call him to a solitary life; rather he will be put into the midst of a world full of contradictions, in a city so troubled as to make one’s head spin. God called him to this city to bring peace, serenity, and the spirit of reflection and prayer, for the conversion of the heart. 7. In Gaeta he makes a radical and decisive choice. He leaves for Rome. He does not quite know what he is going to do. He lets the Holy Spirit guide hint. 8. In the home of the Caccia family, while waiting for the Lord to show him what to do, he starts his apostolate by sowing the seeds of God’s love in the uncontaminated hearts of his host’s young sons. Meanwhile, he lives by prayer and penance and continues his academic studies. He begins to comprehend the miseries of Rome: people consumed by all sorts of vices, by poverty and misery, illness and abandonment. This misery was partly a consequence of the sack of Rome in 1527. His heart is full of sadness and compassion. The fire of the Holy Spirit burns inside him. He even sells all his books to help others. Philip becomes a pilgrim visiting the Churches of Rome, and he speaks about God on the streets. At night he retires to the catacombs of St. Sebastian, alone with God. In that quietness, far away from the din of the city, he renews his energy. During the vigil of Pentecost in 1544, the Holy Spirit fills him with fire: Philip’s ribs break when his heart expands to let in the Holy Spirit. He becomes a fire-brand of Divine love. This constitutes the central event of Philip’s life: this is his Pentecost. 9. Philip reflects on the difficult situation in which Christ’s Church struggles. He meditates on the evangelical life of the first Christians „who had but one heart and one soul.” Worried about this, he finds consolation only in the Lord; Philip’s resolve is strengthened to make his humble contribution to revive the evangelical spirit and Christian life. Prayer and limitless faith in God are his sustenance. Philip is constantly in communion with God, who is for him a Father, by whom he feels loved as a son.