Today, May 26, is the memorial of Saint Philip Neri.
Founder of the Congregation of the Oratory or the Oratorians.
The world welcomed Philip Neri in 1515. He gave up becoming a businessman and chose to devote his life entirely to God. Although he took up Theology and Philosophy, he decided on what was unthinkable at the time: a layman with a prayer life and ministry.
As Philip proved to be a famously capable layman, his confessor convinced him to become a priest. Soon he was ordained and himself became a respected confessor. Although he would call out people for being pretentious and hypocrites, his approach was charitable and humorous. He would lead people on field trips to churches, accompanied with music and held with a picnic.
In 1548, he co-founded with his confessor Persiano Rossa, the Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity of Pilgrims and Convalescents
He was guided by mystical visions in his life and the ability to read hearts during confessions. It is said that his own heart would pound so strongly out of love of God that the mere sound in his chest would cause furniture to move.
On the eve of Pentecost in 1544, he saw in a vision a ball of fire enter through his mouth and proceed to his heart. Philip was filled with so much divine love that he fell to the floor and said, “Enough, enough, Lord, I can bear no more!”
In 1575, he founded the Congregation of the Oratory, popularly known as the Oratorians, a community of priests devoted to preaching and teaching.
At age 79, Philip died in 1595 of natural causes; before that he was able to bless the community. He was beatified in 1615 by Pope Paul V. In 1622, he was canonized by Pope Gregory XV.