© 2012 Benjamin Boisson
© 2012 French-speaking Association of Readers of the Urantia Book
| The Seven Fundamental Realities part IV | Le Lien Urantien — Issue 60 — Autumn 2012 | An evening at the Neylière |
Saint Philip Neri, patron saint of humorists (16th century)
The astonishing holiness of Philip Neri, this Italian priest who died in 1595, earned him the title of “humorous saint” from Goethe. However, this saint of joy lived in one of the darkest times in the history of the Church. Indeed, he lived during the terrible schism which gave rise in a short time in the 16th century to Lutheran Protestantism and all sorts of other “reforms” which have today divided Christians from Catholicism into more than thirty thousand different Churches or sects.
Not only that, but he also lived at the time of the reform of the Catholic Church which imposed strict discipline, by establishing the Holy Office and the Index of Proscribed Books, by further tightening the severity of the Inquisition. Now, here arises, thanks to the Spirit, this Saint of joy and profound faith.
Philip was just a simple secular priest, but it was at mass time that he was the funniest. Seized by ecstasy and levitation, he had cats and parrots installed in the sacristy and asked the sacristan to read him some profane and amusing stories. All this to relax him and try not to start levitating during the Consecration. It was a waste of time, despite the altar boy who pulled his habit and the cats who climbed onto the Altar, the Saint remained lost in God.
He was also the Saint of hanging tricks. One day, he arrived at an important meeting with half his face shaved. Another time, a prelate wanted to see him. He started acting like the craziest clown and scared the poor prelate away, overwhelmed by events.
In addition
Why are there no women in heaven?
Why did Peter deny Jesus?
Jesus approaches a man to heal him, the latter says to him:
(For the humor of God, editions of the Beatitudes)
Benjamin Boisson
| The Seven Fundamental Realities part IV | Le Lien Urantien — Issue 60 — Autumn 2012 | An evening at the Neylière |