Daily Sayings of St. Philip Neri

Editor’s note: the following is not a sponsored post or advertisement. When William Bloomfield told us about this project, we thought it would be of potential benefit to our readers and asked him to share it with you. 

In recent months, I’ve been editing The Life of St. Philip Neri by Fr. Bacci for republication as inexpensive Kindle and paperback editions. (The first two of three volumes are complete and available here.) During this project, I’ve enjoyed learning more about this great 16th century saint.

The Apostle of Rome

St. Philip Neri, the Apostle of Rome, was known for many things. He founded the Congregation of the Oratory. He was devoted to prayer and the liturgy. He was generous to the poor, was friends with Cardinals and Popes, and was a confessor and spiritual director to many of all classes. He was humble and lived a life of poverty and mortification. He was a mystic; he was a prophet; he was a miracle-worker. St. Philip was even known as a joker and prankster, sometimes requiring penitents to carry his cat about Rome–a penance meant to rid one of pride.

A Saying for Every Day of the Year

But my favorite discovery about St. Philip is his daily sayings, or maxims. St. Philip would recommend these short sayings to his spiritual children, encouraging them to meditate on one saying throughout the day. Eventually, St. Philip’s followers collected and published these sayings, listing a unique saying for every day of the year and giving this instruction:

The method of using these sayings and doings, is to read only one of them each day, and that the one set apart for the current day, (for to read more would not be food but curiosity,) and then to regulate the actions of the day by that maxim or example.

To promote this excellent spiritual practice, I’ve started a new project: sharing these Daily Sayings every day via email, Facebook, and Twitter.

To whet your appetite for these excellent sayings, here are a few:

Jan. 1: “Well! When shall we have a mind to begin to do good?”

Jan. 9: “God has no need of men.”

Jan. 15: “Obedience is a short cut to perfection.”

Jan. 23: “Our Blessed Lady ought to be our love and our consolation.”

Jan. 29: “In dealing with our neighbor, we must assume as much pleasantness of manner as we can, and by this affability win him to the way of virtue.”

Jan. 31: “To mortify one passion, no matter how small, is a greater help in the spiritual life than many abstinences, fasts, and disciplines.”

And these fine examples are just from January!

Receive Each Day’s Saying by Email

Please consider joining me in this spiritual practice. I recommend subscribing to the Daily Sayings by email. Just go to my website here and enter your email address. You’ll be sent an email asking you to verify your subscription. Click the link in verification email.

That’s it! Going forward, every morning, you’ll receive the Daily Saying in your email.

(If you use Facebook and Twitter, I also request that you click these links and like our pages there. Thanks!)

Sharing via Social Media

If you find that day’s saying particularly profitable, consider discussing with your family and friends. You can also easily share each saying via Facebook or Twitter by clicking the appropriate icon at the bottom of each email. When you do, you’ll be sharing St. Philip’s wisdom and love of God and neighbor with the world.

These short, spiritual sayings may be just what many in our short-attention-span-age need to draw them back to Christ and His Church.

Please consider joining me in this spiritual practice and apostolate! Sign up here.

St. Philip Neri, Apostle of Rome, pray for us!