THE GIFT OF SPIRITUAL JOY

SAINT PHILIP NERI, PRIEST    

1 Pet 1:10-16; Ps 98; Mk 10:28-31

Leaving Everything to Follow Christ

After the Paschal festivities, we resume the Ordinary Time of the liturgical year. This time has its own importance. Back to our daily activities, with no celebration taking up our interest and time, we have the opportunity to work the mysteries of our salvation we have celebrated through Eastertide into the fabric of our lives, through bringing the light of faith lit in our minds and hearts during the celebrations to bear on our daily works and rests. A deeper understanding of the meaning of the life, passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord gives us a new perspective on the works we do, our rest, and our lives. Indeed, we no longer belong to ourselves, but are now God's through Jesus Christ our Lord. The work we do is no longer for self-satisfaction, but to please the Lord, who has redeemed us with his precious blood. The Holy Spirit he sends into our hearts is to establish a communion with us. As the Psalmist invites us, we are to make our lives into a new song of praise to the Lord who has saved us from a life of futility and sin. “Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation.” For our souls to erupt in new songs of praise and thanksgiving to God, we must immerse ourselves in the mysteries of our Lord. We must be born of the mysteries of Christ to be able to sing from our new spirits and life.

Saint Peter tells us of the greatness of these mysteries, which the prophets and patriarchs tried to comprehend, but could not. “It was this salvation that the prophets were looking and searching so hard for; their prophecies were about the grace which was to come to you. The Spirit of Christ, which was in them foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would come after them, and they tried to find out what time and in what circumstances all this was to be expected.” We are now living in the fullness of these promised blessings. We must not live in ignorance of the full implications of the Good News we have received. The Holy Spirit comes down from heaven to reside in our hearts, to ensure we understand the mysteries of Jesus Christ that have been given to us. According to Peter, the angels strain themselves to understand the mysteries we have received. If we have received something of this importance, we ought to give it our all? This is exactly the Apostle’s admonition. “Free your minds, then, of encumbrances; control them, and put your trust in nothing but the grace that will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Since Christ’s revelation is not solely reserved for the end of time, but every day through our communion with the Holy Spirit, grace is given to us daily for our daily lives and works. We need grace on a daily basis because we can accomplish nothing without God’s grace.

Subsequently, so that we may have grace to do God’s will in abundance, Peter advises that we make a habit of obedience. The foundation of obedience is attentive listening. By listening and obeying the Holy Spirit the Lord sends into us, we take our place beside Peter and the apostles who heard the voice of the Lord physically and left everything to follow him. “At that time, Peter began to tell Jesus, ‘What about us? We have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land—not without persecutions—now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.” Understanding the importance of the Holy Spirit in following Jesus Christ to gain the aforementioned benefits, Saint Philip Neri longed and prayed for the Holy Spirit. He was born in Florence in 1515. He went to Rome at the age of 18, became a tutor, teaching the young to live a moral and charitable life, serving the sick, poor, and pilgrims. To make a wider impact, he opted for the priesthood, ordained in 1551. He built an oratory and invented the service of spiritual reading and hymns, which form the tradition and life of the Congregation of the Oratory he formed. He died in Rome in 1595. Philip Neri is known for his joyful spirit and made his life a new song unto the Lord.

Let us pray: O God, who never cease to bestow the glory of holiness on the faithful servants you raise up for yourself, graciously grant that the Holy Spirit may kindle in us that fire with which he wonderfully filled the heart of Saint Philip Neri. Through our Lord Jesus, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.