OXYGEN

26 May – Memorial for St. Philip Neri, Priest

Philip Neri (1515-1595) came from a poor family, though he was related to Italian nobility. His father, Francisco Neri, worked as a notary. Philip’s brother died in childhood, but his two sisters, Caterina and Elisabetta survived. He was a pious youth, and was taught humanities by the Dominicans.

He moved to San Germano in 1533 to help some family with their business, and while there would escape to a local Dominican chapel in the mountains. He received word in a vision that he had an apostolate in Rome. He cut himself off from his family and went there where he was befriended by Galeotto Caccia who took him in and paid him to tutor his two sons. He wrote poetry in Latin and Italian, and studied philosophy and theology. When he tired of learning, he sold all his books and gave the money to the poor.

He began to visit and care for the sick and impoverished pilgrims. He founded a society of like-minded folk to do the same. He was a friend of St. Ignatius. A layman, he lived in the city as a hermit. During Easter season of 1544, while praying in the catacomb of San Sebastiano, he received a vision of a globe of fire that entered his chest, and he experienced an ecstasy that physically enlarged his heart.

With Persiano Rose, he founded the Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity. He began to preach, with many converts. In 1550, he considered retiring to the life of a solitary hermit, but received further visions that told him his mission was in Rome. Later he considered missionary work in India, but further visions convinced him to stay in Rome.

He entered the priesthood in 1551, and heard confessions by the hour. He could tell penitents their sins before they confessed, and had the gift of conferring visions. He began working with youth, finding safe places for them to stay, and becoming involved in their lives.

Pope Gregory XIV tried to make him a cardinal, but Philip declined. His popularity was such that he was accused of forming his own sect, but was cleared of this baseless charge. In 1575 he founded the Congregation of the Oratory, a group of priests dedicated to preaching and teaching, but which suffered from accusations of heresy because of the involvement of laymen as preachers. In later years, he was beset with several illnesses, each of which was in turn cured through prayer.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 20:17-27

From Miletus Paul sent for the elders of the church of Ephesus. When they arrived he addressed these words to them:

‘You know what my way of life has been ever since the first day I set foot among you in Asia, how I have served the Lord in all humility, with all the sorrows and trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I have not hesitated to do anything that would be helpful to you; I have preached to you, and instructed you both in public and in your homes, urging both Jews and Greeks to turn to God and to believe in our Lord Jesus.

‘And now you see me a prisoner already in spirit; I am on my way to Jerusalem, but have no idea what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, in town after town, has made it clear enough that imprisonment and persecuation await me. But life to me is not a thing to waste words on, provided that when I finish my race I have carried out the mission that Lord Jesus gave me – and that was to bear witness to the God News of God’s grace.

‘I not feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will ever see my face again. And so here and now I swear that my conscience is clear as far as all of you are concerned, for I have without faltering put before you the whole of God’s purpose.’
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John 17:1-11

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Father, the hour has come:
glorify your Son
so that your Son may gorify you;
and, through the power over all mankind that you hve given him,
let him give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to him.
And eternal life is this:
to know you,
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
I have glorified you on earth
and finished the work
that you gave me to do.

‘Now, Father, it is time for you to glorify me
with the glory I had with you
before ever the world was.
I have made your name known
to the men you took from the world to give me.
They were yours and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now at last they know
that all you have given me comes indeed from you;
for I have given them
the teaching you gave to me,
and they have truly accepted this, that I came from you,
and have believed that it was you who sent me.
I pray for them;
I am not praying for the world
but for those you have given me,
because they belong to you:
all I have is yours
and all you have is mine
and in them I am glorified.
I am not in the world any longer,
but they are in the world,
and I am coming to you.’
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[A]ll I have us yours and all you have is mine

History has been littered with many stories and episodes where the monarchs and heads of the empire have as many heirs as possible in order to ensure the continuity of the empire for as long as possible. However, human construction and endeavours are often brought down by human fallibility and weakness. In contrast, we observe that Christianity has lasted for such a long period of time because it was instituted by divine mandate and continues to exist because it is an act of God that continues to sustain it.

St. Paul knows that a period of “imprisonment and persecution” awaited him upon his departure from Miletus. This drew a natural response of sadness from the believers of the local community who begged St. Paul not to leave, yet he chose to obey God’s orders to go to Jerusalem. St. Paul could do so because he knew that the Word of God would continue to live on from generation to generation.

The glory of God can never be diminished nor destroyed by human hands because we are His witnesses to this glory. Through our actions and words we bring this glory to the lives of ordinary people whom we meet in the workplace and places of leisure. As we go about our daily activities, let us remember that the glory and joy of the Ascension can only be seen after Jesus’ death on the cross.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Lord, we pray that we bear with our troubles in life patiently as we look forward to the glory of the Ascension.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to those who bring God’s glory to all around them.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 27 May – Acts of the Apostles 20:28-38; John 17:11-19; Memorial for St. Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop
Thu, 28 May – Acts of the Apostless 22:30; 23:6-11; John 17:20-26
Fri, 29 May – Acts of the Apostless 25:13-21; John 21:15-19
Sat, 30 May – Acts of the Apostles 28:16-20.30-31; John 21:20-25
Sun, 31 May – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; Galatians 5:16-25; John 15:26-27; 16:12-15; Pentecost Sunday