Lectio et Oratio

We read about how St Philip could help people by the touch of his hand. He would bless people on the forehead. This great wisdom of the Church, this wisdom that touch and the senses and human contact matters, has recently been emphasized by those who give therapy to victims of trauma. We are a body and soul unity. Trauma and difficult sadnesses can be helped by the right use of our bodies.

Did St Philip have any unusual saints as friends?Yes. We will read about what Fr Robinson used to call "closed circuit television" conversations between St Philip and St Catherine de Ricci. We know that they never met in this life; but when she died, St Philip told people all about her. He knew what she looked like. St Philip reminds us of our connection across time and space in the communion of saints, the Church. God has united us to each other as parts of a body are united. Let us not try to live as an island, cut off from each other.Last episode we read about the procession to the Chiesa Nuova with the relics of St Papias and St. Maurus. Lay people, priests, Cardinals, musicians, servers, artists and many others took part. The Church has great need of many different types of people. What draws us together is Christ and the search for holiness. The really great thing in this world is a saint. A saint takes God seriously and himself or herself not that seriously.

Did St Philip have any unusual saints as friends?Yes. We will read about what Fr Robinson used to call "closed circuit television" conversations between St Philip and St Catherine de Ricci. We know that they never met in this life; but when she died, St Philip told people all about her. He knew what she looked like. St Philip reminds us of our connection across time and space in the communion of saints, the Church. God has united us to each other as parts of a body are united. Let us not try to live as an island, cut off from each other.Last episode we read about the procession to the Chiesa Nuova with the relics of St Papias and St. Maurus. Lay people, priests, Cardinals, musicians, servers, artists and many others took part. The Church has great need of many different types of people. What draws us together is Christ and the search for holiness. The really great thing in this world is a saint. A saint takes God seriously and himself or herself not that seriously.

Did St Philip know many of the most powerful people in the Church?Yes. We will read about the procession of the relics of Saints Papias and Maurus to the new Oratorian church. Gallonio tells us about all the high ranking prelates who were there. We see how much Rome and its leadership had changed since St Philip began his work.

Did St Philip know many of the most powerful people in the Church?Yes. We will read about the procession of the relics of Saints Papias and Maurus to the new Oratorian church. Gallonio tells us about all the high ranking prelates who were there. We see how much Rome and its leadership had changed since St Philip began his work.

We read about the decision of a Cardinal to give the Oratorians the bodies of early martyrs whose relics had recently been re-discovered. The Cardinal knew this would be welcomed by St Philip. Let us ask for the grace to want to do good to others.

We read about a lay brother who fell from a great height in the church of the Oratorians. He was hanging things for Christmas. Despite the skull fracture, the brother got better without any kind of surgery. The doctors all thought he would die. But they disagreed about how to treat the brother. Good people do not always agree on things. The Church needs many different kinds of people. The Oratory itself needs lay brothers and priests. In the end, this beloved son of St Philip persevered in his vocation to pray, to help with the daily preaching, and the reception of the sacraments.

We read about a lay brother who fell from a great height in the church of the Oratorians. He was hanging things for Christmas. Despite the skull fracture, the brother got better without any kind of surgery. The doctors all thought he would die. But they disagreed about how to treat the brother. Good people do not always agree on things. The Church needs many different kinds of people. The Oratory itself needs lay brothers and priests. In the end, this beloved son of St Philip persevered in his vocation to pray, to help with the daily preaching, and the reception of the sacraments.

Did St Philip ever do drastic things to get people's attention?Yes. We will read about some very drastic, almost violent things St Philip did when he was saving a young girl's life. She was in a coma. God sometimes does drastic things to get our attention too!