Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest, May 26, 2025

Gospel

John 15:26—16:4a

Jesus said to his disciples:

"When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,

the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,

he will testify to me.

And you also testify,

because you have been with me from the beginning.

"I have told you this so that you may not fall away.

They will expel you from the synagogues;

in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you

will think he is offering worship to God.

They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.

I have told you this so that when their hour comes

you may remember that I told you."

Reflection

Today is the feast of St. Philip Neri, often called the Smiling Saint or the Laughing Saint because of his ever cheerful demeanor and lighthearted spirit. He once said, “Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere,” and “A joyful heart is more easily made perfect than a downcast one.” These quotes capture the way he lived out his faith with joy and humor that was contagious and lifted those around him.

In our world today, where nearly every news headline seems to bring more discouragement or distress, that kind of joyful faith is both rare and deeply needed. It’s all too easy to be overwhelmed by negativity and fall into a downward spiral of worry, fear, and sadness. But St. Philip shows us a different way, a way of choosing joy, of finding reasons to smile even when life is far from easy. Certainly his life couldn’t have been a cakewalk, but he had the remarkable ability to draw joy from even difficult situations. He looked for things to be grateful for, found humor in the mundane or absurd, and shared that joy generously with others. I think it is important to be able to laugh like St. Philip Neri and not take things so seriously. Our faith should be joyful; there is beauty in our struggles when we let the Spirit guide us through them.

In today’s Gospel the first time I read it, admittedly it seemed quite bleak. However, then I thought to read it again but through St. Philip Neri’s eyes trying to channel how he might have seen or read it and I laughed...because it still seemed quite bleak to me. I mean Jesus is saying WHEN not if theses things happen. He is speaking bluntly to His disciples about the suffering they will face how they’ll be rejected, cast out, even killed by those who believe they’re doing God’s will. But I kept going back to the lines “the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me” and “I have told you this so that you may not fall away”. Yes, He is telling them these harsh truths of the path that lies ahead, but He does so to prepare them and He does not leave them alone. He sends them with the Holy Spirit. The Advocate will dwell in them and remind them of His words, guiding them and giving them strength to face their adversaries. That same Spirit dwells within us too, and that is something to smile about.