May 26 | Saint Philip Neri

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine you're deep underground, surrounded by the ancient, dark, and silent catacombs of Rome. Suddenly, a blinding globe of blazing fire appears in the darkness. But it doesn't just float there. It shoots directly toward you, enters your mouth, and rushes straight down into your heart.

The feeling of intense, divine love. is so powerful, so immense, that it literally expands your physical heart. The pain and overwhelming power of this moment are so intense that you cry out into the dark, Enough! Enough, Lord! I can bear no more!

Today, we're looking at the life of Saint Philip Neri, who proved that being holy doesn't mean you have to be boring. In fact, he is actually the patron saint of Rome, the U.S. Special Forces, humor, and joy. Let's dive into how a funny kid from Italy became one of the greatest heroes of the 16th century.

Philip was born on July 21, 1515, in Florence, Italy. Growing up, he was such a cheerful and good-natured kid that his friends and neighbors literally called him Good Little Phil. When he turned 18, his family sent him off to live with a super wealthy uncle in San Germano. The plan was simple. Philip would help out, inherit his uncle's massive business, get rich, and raise a family. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right? But God had a different plan. While living there, Philip experienced a powerful vision and a radical religious conversion.

Just like that, he completely lost interest in all the money and the business. He walked away from a guaranteed fortune because he wanted to radically serve the Lord. Philip decided the best place to do this was Rome. But Rome at that time wasn't exactly a holy place. It was actually becoming incredibly corrupt and secularized. At first, Philip lived as a layman. He spent his days supporting himself by tutoring two boys, and lived a solitary, intense life of fasting and prayer. He studied theology, and was known as a brilliant scholar.

But he actually gave up. the idea of becoming a priest because he felt God calling him to help the poor as a regular, everyday guy. He sold all his books and hit the streets to change the city. And his method was completely different from anyone else at the time. Philip didn't stand on a stage and yell at people. Instead, he just hung out on street corners and in public squares. He used his awesome sense of humor and his super-friendly personality to spark up conversations with people.

Totally random strangers. He would meet people right where they were, joke around with them, and then drop his famous catchphrase, well, brothers, when shall we begin to do good? He'd gather these new friends and take them to hospitals to care for the sick, or into churches to pray. He was giving people a real, living example of Christian brotherhood.

Remember that crazy story from the intro? That actually happened to Philip in 1544, on the eve of Pentecost. After that blazing globe of fire entered his chest, the area over his heart was permanently swollen. It was a physical sign of his enlarged heart, but incredibly, it never caused him any pain. Eventually, Philip's confessor convinced him that he could do even more good if he became a priest, so he was ordained in 1551 at the age of 36. As a priest, he was the same joyful guy.

He spent his days hanging out with massive crowds of people. Hearing their confessions from dawn until dusk, and starting an organization called the Oratorians. He was so highly respected that the Pope even wanted to make him a cardinal, but Philip refused the fancy title so he could keep serving the regular people.

He wept with people who were crying, and he laughed out loud with people who were joking. People loved him so much, they simply called him the Apostle of Rome. On the Feast of Corpus Christi in 1595, a doctor told him he was in bad health, but Philip just kept seeing visitors and listening to confessions anyway.

He passed away that very night. Today, take a page out of Philip's playbook. Try using humor to brighten someone's day. Tell a joke, invite someone who looks lonely to sit with your friend group, and ask yourself that same awesome question. When shall we begin to do good? Make today the day you start. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.