Evangelism & Saint Philip Neri

“But whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.” 

-Mark 10:44

 

The lure of power and prestige that James and John ask for in today’s Gospel reading is one that speaks to a well-worn tendency in the human spirit. Our ego has an insatiable desire to use power and offices of influence to feed itself. The Church is not immune from this human tendency, of course, for the Church is comprised of human beings. That is not intended to make an excuse, it is intended to call out the insidious magnitude of the problem and to re-orient the human desire around the source and purpose of power Jesus taught.

 

Saint Philip Neri who the Church remembers today, is a provocative witness to the Christ-like use of power. From noble estate and very well educated, his conversion led him to Rome in a time similar to our own in that the Church was in a state of seemingly catastrophic decline. As a lay person, his humble desire to teach the Gospel led him to form what has become known as the Congregation of the Oratory. I would suggest his methodology is based around the three transcendentals of truth, beauty and goodness. He emphasized personal conversations with people where specific questions about the faith could be asked and explained so each person was given an opportunity to have a personal encounter with the truth of the faith. Each person was then given an opportunity to serve the poor, where the radical beauty and goodness of the Gospel could be lived out in their own city.

 

Saint Philip Neri emphasized teaching, music and the Sacrament of Reconciliation as the roadmap to lead people to the great feast of the Eucharist.

 

How can the example of Saint Philip Neri help us evangelize our fallen away culture today? 

 

What hymn or song elevates your soul and causes you to consider the majesty of God? I suggest you re-read the Gospel for today, Mark 10:32-45, sit in silence with it for a couple minutes and see what resonates with you. Then, play your favourite hymn or song and see how God may use that time of prayer stir something deep inside you that He wants you to use for the Good. And don't forget the poor!