St. Philip Neri
But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
We are nearing the end of the Easter season. But the joy is still with us! The joy that the disciples experienced on the day of the Resurrection lives on. To me joy is something that permeates one’s whole being. It is not something that comes and goes. Rather it is always with us. Sometimes the joy may be tempered by a problem or a sorrow, but underneath it all is joy. In his encyclical, The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis tells us that “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.” (#1) In paragraph 5 he reminds us, “The Gospel, radiant with the glory of Christ’s cross, constantly invites us to rejoice.”
Today is also the feast of St. Philip Neri. As I went online to find out more about the life of Philip, I found this as the opening line on his page on Catholic Online. “If one had to choose one saint who showed the humorous side of holiness that would be Philip Neri.” Sort of fits the theme of the day! He sounds like a joyful, holy man. He seemed like someone who was fun to be with and who shared the joy that he knew by knowing Christ.
I would hope that the joy of knowing Jesus would be as evident in me as it was in Philip Neri, I would hope that the redeeming love of Jesus would permeate my whole being.
Sr. Ann Clark, C.PP.S.
Dayton
