Every now and then as the Lord permits, he brings into existence men and women who embody joy not only beneath the surface, but as the essence of their being and their defining trait. When we think of these men and women, we cannot distinguish that joy as separate from who they are. Joy, nourished by the wellspring of Christian love, is their embodiment, their modus operandi, the indelible sign that the spirit of the Lord is upon them.
Philip Neri was one of these men.
Love and joy were as much an inextricable part of his being as hydrogen and oxygen are to water.
These words from
Coached by Philip Neri
capture the essence of this patron saint of joy. St. Philip’ s infectious spirit, says Rob Marco, is the “ prescriptive balm” that we are in most dire need of today.
Follow the lessons of St. Philip Neri as he coaches us, through example, to be imbued with Christian joy, a most attractive and desirable attribute, that draws us, and those around us, nearer to Christ.