Lectio et Oratio

What did some people say about St Philip as these pilgrimages to the seven churches grew?

St Philip began to be verbally attacked in 1559 for his pilgrimages. We will read about the envy and hatred of some and what they said about St Philip and his motivation for organizing these pilgrimages. People had never seen such popular religious events. On these pilgrimages, St Philip had hundreds and hundreds of men walking all day, praying, singing, and listening to sermons. The rumours began that he was ambitious and trying to make himself famous. They said he was greedy, a glutton, and a revolutionary. We will read about St Philip's basic response.

Last episode we read about all the good that St Philip was doing through sharing his pilgrimage to the seven churches with other people. From small beginnings (15-30 people), they grew into huge gatherings with 800 men going to communion. At times there may have even been 2,000 men making the journey. St Philip was drawing men away from sinful amusements. He was bonding them together. He was drawing others to a more serious Christian life. He wanted men to frequent the sacraments (confession and communion).

Why did St Philip begin inviting others on the pilgrimage to the seven churches?

In this episode we will read the exciting account of how St Philip began bringing other people on his pilgrimage to seven major churches in Rome. We will hear of how he combined prayer with fellowship, prayer with exercise, spiritual conversation with fun.

In this episode we read about the young man who disobeyed St Philip. He went off to Naples. On the way there, Turkish pirates attacked their ship. The man threw himself overboard. As he was dying, St Philip bilocated and saved him. This remarkable story helps us to remember that no one in this life is totally lost. There is always a chance to be brought back.

In this episode we read about the holy death of Gabriele Tana. St Philip never abandoned him. Other people stayed with Gabriele in his final illness. By the prayers and advice of St Philip and others, Gabriele persevered to the end.

Last episode we read of the fourth and final attack of the devil on Gabriele Tana. Unable to defeat him by attacking his faith, trying to make him despair, and trying to make him vain, the devil used a vision of scary black dogs to terrify the young man and remind him of his past sins. St Philip helped him gain the victory through Christ Jesus.

What is the final tactic the devil tried on Gabriele Tana as he was dying?

Visions. When all else fails, the devil sometimes tries to steal us from God by visions. They can sometimes seem holy. At other times they are clearly scary. He wants to deceive us. We will read about the vision the devil used to try and scare Gabriele. It is a vision that several saints encountered, like St Peter Damian.

Having tried to make Gabriele presumptuous and then to make him despair through distaste for the holy name, the devil tried, in last episode's reading, to make him doubt and lose faith. St Philip seemed to give him four basic pieces of advice when trials of faith come at the end.

1. Use your will not your understanding. Simply say "I believe."