NOVENA

OF

ST. PHILIP

Being Nine Addresses and Prayers in preparation for his Feast. The substance of these Addresses is taken from Bacci's 'Life of St. Philip,' translated by Father Faber.

NOVENA OF ST. PHILIP

(1)

May 17

PIIILIP'S HUMILITY'

F Philip heard of anyone hav

IF

ing committed a crime, he would say, 'Thank God that I have not done worse.'

At confession he would shed abundance of tears, and say, 'I have never done a good action.'

When a penitent showed that she could not bear the rudeness shown towards him by certain. persons who were under great obligations to him, he answered her, 'If I were humble, God would not send this to me.'

When one of his spiritual chil

1 May, 1875. As far as I can recollect, I think I took the idea of these subjects and prayers from the Raccolta Prayers, before they were in the Raccolta; else, I should have taken the Raccolta Prayers as they actually stand there.-J. H. N.

dren said to him, ' Father, I wish to have something of yours for devotion, for I know you are a Saint,' he turned to her with a face full of

anger, and broke out into these

words: Begone with you! I am a

devil, and not a saint.'

To another who said to him, 'Father, a temptation has come to me to think that you are not what the world takes you for,' he made answer: Be sure of this, that I am a man like my neighbours, and nothing more.'

If he heard of any who had a good opinion of him, he used to say, 'O poor me! how many poor girls will be greater in Paradise than I shall be!'

He avoided all marks of honour. He could not bear to receive any signs of respect. When people wished to touch his clothes, and knelt as he passed by, he used to say, 'Get up! get out of my way!' He did not like people to kiss his hand; though he sometimes let them do so, lest he should hurt their feelings.

He was an enemy to all rivalry

and contention. He always took in good part everything that was said of him. He had a particular dislike of affectation, whether in speaking, or in dressing, or in anything else.

He could not bear two-faced persons; as for liars, he could not endure them, and was continually reminding his spiritual children to avoid them as they would a pestilence.

He always asked advice, even on affairs of minor importance. His constant counsel to his penitents was, that they should not trust in themselves, but always take the advice of others, and get as many prayers as they could.

He took great pleasure in being lightly esteemed, nay, even despised.

He had a most pleasant manner of transacting business with others, great sweetness in conversation, and was full of compassion and consideration.

He had always a dislike to speak of himself. The phrases 'I said,'' 1 did,' were rarely in his mouth. He