Lectio et Oratio

We read about the invisible help that St Philip gave to a very sick woman. She did not see him until dawn. But he assured her that he had been supporting her all through the night. The Lord gives some saints this gift of being in two places at once (either in body or in spirit) to show us the power of the Lord's own presence. The Lord himself stands at our side to give us strength.

We read about the unique power of St Philip's own heart to dispel temptations to unchastity. Thirty years earlier, St Philip had received that unique grace of seeing the Holy Spirit as a ball of fire enter into his mouth and lodge in his heart. God gave St Philip the special ability to help people drive away very difficult temptations. The point is that we need the Holy Spirit to be saved. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are necessary for our salvation. The devil is too cunning and our fallen human nature is so weak that the Holy Spirit must directly intervene at times.

We read about one particularly difficult temptation that a man was facing regarding a teenager who had to stay with him. The man was doing all he could for the boy, but he experienced very strong feelings of attraction. He could not understand why this was happening when St Philip himself had asked him to help this young man. In the midst of his trials, St Philip appeared and blessed him and the feelings disappeared. The heart of fallen man is an abyss. Who can understand it at times? Only by the grace of the Lord and the help of spiritual friends can we avoid sin. Temptations, unwanted desires, these are not sins. May the Lord keep us from sin. May our strange desires keep us humble and prayerful and vigilant.

We read about St Philip's power to encourage people in times of distress. Various people overcame huge obstacles by remembering his words: be of good heart. Others were delivered from their difficulties at the very moment St Philip spoke to them. Such stories should encourage us to go on. We all need to be encouraged. We all need, above all, the encouragement of the Eucharist!

We read about the solemn opening of the new church, the Chiesa Nuova, in Rome. The pope encouraged many people to go there on the day the Oratorians finally opened their church. Let us pray that St Philip's sons will always help people to pray through reverent liturgies and heavenly sacred music.

We read about St Philip being unable to sleep during an illness. He begged that Holy Communion be brought to him. Fr Tarugi did not want this to be done. He thought St Philip would be even more unable to sleep. Even saints need proper and sufficient sleep. Our Lord himself slept. But in the end St Philip knew what he was talking about. Our Lord can help us get the rest we need. Let us ask him to show us when to sleep and when to rise.