Given on the patronal feast day of St Philip Neri at the London Oratory School on 21 May 2015.
‘Rejoice in the Lord always.’ These words which St. Paul wrote to the church at Philippi would have been deeply instilled in the heart of St Philip. We can imagine him saying them to those he met in Rome. His magnetic personality, deeply in love with God, communicated itself joyfully; his message was infectious and attracted others to follow him and learn about Jesus. He delighted in the truths that Jesus is true God and true Man, that the Word became Flesh and dwelt amongst us, and that through the Incarnation, Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord we share in a new life as adopted children of the Father sanctified by the Holy Spirit. This is the source of our joy, as it was the source of St Philip’s joy.
St Philip’s deep joy comes from a ‘heart of fire’ which abides in the Lord. Jesus said, ‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you, abide in my love.’ This love leads St Philip to a deeper trust in the Lord. He believes in every situation that, ‘the Lord is at hand’ and so he can trust in Him. St Philip grew in his confidence in the Lord through his life of sincere prayer. We know that he retreated each night to the Catacombs of St Sebastian to pray and to be inspired by the witnesses of faith who had been buried there. In those silent places, he spoke to his Heavenly Father in loving prayer and knew the companionship of the communion of saints in heaven.
Like St Philip, we are invited to assiduous prayer, frequent communion, the celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation, pondering the Word of God, generous charity and a devotion to Our Lady (Cf. St. John Paul II on 400th anniversary of St Philip’s death). St Philip’s generous charity showed itself in his desire to share the message of Christ with others, to educate the poor people in Rome, to serve and nurse the needs of the sick at a time when hospitals were grim and brutal places as well as enter into the human misery which he found both in the noble palaces and the alleyways of Rome. Moving easily between different strata of society, he was able to say to those he met, ‘What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.’
St Philip taught the young people who gathered at his Oratory that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and showed them a path which led to happiness. St John Paul II tells us that St Philip was convinced that ‘beauty leads to goodness’ and that through his passion for arts and sacred music, his educational project ensured that this important aspect of learning was always cultivated. He made his Oratory a place of joyful meeting, a training ground for formation and a centre of artistic enlightenment.
Jesus is the True Vine, and the Father is the Vinedresser who pays loving attention to each branch, leaf, and grape to ensure that the conditions are right for it to ripen and produce fine wine. In the same way, God the Father tends each one of us and moulds us through His grace to become the person He wants us to be, a friend of God. Only when we live in Him do we find true life. We are called to respond freely to this wonderful invitation like St Philip who lived in deep friendship with Jesus and by the grace given in prayer, Holy Communion and the sacraments, produced much fruit in the Lord’s vineyard. His example inspires us to deepen our life within His creation, to excel and bear fruit. This is the calling which He gives to each one of you at St Philip’s School; you are His friends, He calls you to bear the fruit of love in the world, especially the love that is found in reaching out to others in need. Always seek to do what is good. He encourages you to do this with good humour, never taking yourselves too seriously, and having humility, charity, prayer and joy. Model your life on the example of St Philip.
St. Philip Neri, pray for us.