St Philip Neri and St Ignatius Loyola 

At the west of the Holy Name, facing each other across the breadth of the church, are the statues of St Philip Neri and St Ignatius Loyola. These images that answer each other in the architectural space show not only great saints of the Counter Reformation, the founders of great Religious Congregations, but more importantly they show friends. The Holy Name was built and staffed for many years by the Society of Jesus, before being entrusted to the care of St Philip’s family nearly 20 years ago.

Next to the statue of Ignatius is a picture of the meeting of these friends outside the church of San Girolamo della Carita where Philip lived and ministered, near the English College in Rome. Here Ignatius saw a globe of fire sitting over the church, showing the work of the Holy Spirit of Love residing in the beginnings of the Congregation of the Oratory. Philip saw around Ignatius the bright aureole of holiness.

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They were very different characters, but saw in each other the work of God; the one to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth, defend Christendom from the Protestant heresy in the north and establish great centers of learning and teaching; the other to stay in Rome and there assist souls to God in gentle and attractive ways. Philip sent many of his disciples to pursue their vocations in the Society, as well as various dioceses and Orders, so that Ignatius said of him that he was like a bell calling people into the Society’s church, but not going in himself.

They were canonised on the same day, 13th March 1622, together with Ss Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila and Isidore the Farmer (it was said jokingly by the Romans that it was the canonisation of four Spaniards and a saint). In these saints; Francis Xavier the intrepid missionary to the Indies, Teresa the reformer of contemplative life, Isidore the faithful husband and workman, we see that God’s grace does not destroy our individual characters, personalities, likes and dislikes, but rather brings all these varied human traits to glory, in serving the people of God’s world according to the various temperaments we possess. There is no model of sanctity except that offered in the Gospels; the life of Jesus, and the infinitely adaptable Spirit can work on any material it is given to restore the likeness of the Lord in us.

Here is an episode from the Italian film San Filippo Neri, which shows in a somewhat naive and romantic way, but still rather charming, the sort of personalities which God uses to build his Kingdom; the holy soldier Ignatius and the holy fool Philip. So, there is hope for us all to do good now, as we are, not waiting until we achieve some notional form of what we consider to be holiness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8YURYMbRCI&feature=related

God isn’t proud - He’ll take anyone, even me and you, even as we are!

And when we feel that we are not doing very well at being His faithful servants, or that we are half hearted about it all, then Philip will help us. This is Philip’s genius; to see good in everything and everybody, and to allow the breath of the Holy Spirit gently to move through his personality, blowing away the dead dust and bringing into a living flame whatever is good.

It was with senitments such as these that John Henry Newman could write about his Father in 1857:

This is the Saint of gentleness and kindness,
Cheerful in penance, and in precept winning:
Patiently healing of their pride and blindness,
Souls that are sinning.

This is the Saint, who, when the world allures us,
Cries her false wares, and opes her magic coffers,
Points to a better city, and secures us
With richer offers.

Love is his bond, he knows no other fetter,
Asks not our all, but takes whate’er we spare him,
Willing to draw us on from good to better,
As we can bear him.

When he comes near to teach us and to bless us,
Prayer is so sweet, that hours are but a minute;
Mirth is so pure, though freely it possess us,
Sin is not in it.

Thus he conducts, by holy paths and pleasant,
Innocent souls, an sinful souls forgiven,
Towards the bright palace, where our God is present,
Throned in high heaven.

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