SAINT OF THE WEEK: 26 May - St Philip Neri
A vain young Roman once came to St Philip seeking spiritual direction. Listening to the man dwell upon his own importance, the saint prescribed an unusual penance: he was to walk through the streets of Rome for an entire week with a monkey tied up to his shoulder. St Philip understood vanity to be one of the gravest dangers to the spiritual life, and believed it could often be corrected more effectively by ridicule than rebuke. The 16th century produced many saints of reforming zeal, but few have remained so beloved for their joy as St Philip Neri.
