Spending time on social media is not for the faint of heart. As a Catholic and pro-life writer and editor, I have seen all sorts of critics—from trolls to the uneducated to the just plain mean. People leave cruel comments on even the most basic and innocuous posts.
When you think about it, the pro-life stance really shouldn’t be that controversial. We work every day for the protection of all human beings, from creation until death. We exclude literally no one because every person is created in the image and likeness of God.
Yet we are insulted, made fun of, threatened, and even targeted. But the Bible tells us in 1 Peter to take solace, for “if you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”
We know that our work is for the glory of God and that our reward will come in heaven when we give an account of our actions, but that leaves many years on earth to fight the culture of death. To take up this battle each day and to combat this animosity toward our efforts, I believe we need the example of holy saints. And there’s none better than St. Philip Neri—the patron saint of laughter and joy—to guide us.
I came across one of St. Philip’s quotes recently, and it encouraged me to think about the importance of joy and even laughter, especially when it comes to culture-of-life topics. Many might think that the two don’t go hand in hand, as it’s a terrible tragedy that preborn lives are callously taken in abortion or sold in IVF procedures, that those with disabilities are forgotten or shunned, or that the sick and elderly are convinced that they are burdens who should end their lives prematurely. But they would be overlooking the fact that there is joy in advocating for the sanctity of life. And we should be working every day to illustrate these joys: the beauty of a developing preborn baby, the loving daughter taking care of a sick parent or grandparent, the family advocating for their child with disabilities, the single person who volunteers at a shelter or with a prison ministry. All of these people have the unique opportunity to show the world just how special each person is.
But if we think there’s no room for joy, we are missing an integral part of God’s loving message for us. God gave us laughter and joy because He loves us and knows we need them to be fully healthy. A recent Mayo Clinic article concurs and explains the importance and the benefits of laughter, saying it can help the immune system work more efficiently because it lowers stress hormones, can help relieve pain by producing natural painkillers, can boost our mood, and more.
God of course knows this. And St. Philip Neri, though he lived in the 16th century, understood this as well, even if he didn’t consider or even care about the science behind it.
St. Philip was always joyful and jovial. And though he understood the importance of seriousness when it came to faith, he also understood that God wants us to laugh, and he used his wit and sense of humor to endear people to him so that he could then teach them about God. What a great strategy! He once said, “A joyful heart is more easily made perfect than a downcast one.”
An article about Ignatian spirituality described St. Philip as “a fun-loving Italian who loved practical jokes and wisecracks . . . [and who] often did outrageous things.” For instance, “He would dress as a clown, tell jokes to somber visitors, and walk in the streets with a bouquet of flowers and a cushion on his head. He would shave half his beard off and enjoy watching people’s reactions.”
Another article explains that “he was the kind of guy who always had a smile, a disarming sense of humor, and a kindly demeanor” and that “he would probably strike up a conversation with you at the drop of a hat and the conversation would be informed and interesting because he was also a smart man and had an innate love for people.”
He sounds like a fun guy to be around. But when it came time for seriousness, he was all in. He understood that many people were not living according to the faith and had been misled by the Reformation, and he set out to evangelize and teach the truth. It is said that he could often be found standing on the street and talking to anyone who would listen. He would begin these conversations by saying, “Well, brothers, when shall we begin to do good?”
And St. Philip certainly did a lot of good in his time here on earth. He became a priest and founded the Congregation of the Oratory. He and his followers served the sick, the poor, and the forgotten. He tutored children and visited people in hospitals. He took people on pilgrimages, heard countless hours of confession, and spent time before Christ in Adoration. It is said that he brought thousands back to the faith.
St. Philip’s personality buoyed the people around him, and it serves as an example for how we should interact with those around us and take care of the vulnerable in our communities.
St. Philip once prophetically said, “Our enemy, the devil, who fights with us in order to vanquish us, seeks to disunite us in our houses, and to breed quarrels, dislikes, contests and rivalries because while we are fighting with each other, he comes and conquers us and makes us more securely his own.”
We see that in abundance today. The devil sows division, and once we acknowledge that and see through his lies, we can work to create unity and dispel the hatred around us. But we can only do that through Christ and His teachings and with a joyful spirit. St. Philip rightly said that “he who continues in anger, strife, and a bitter spirit has a taste of the air of hell.”
It almost seems like we can see a bit of that hell here on earth sometimes. That’s why we must be careful about whose voices we are listening to, about what we watch on TV and online, and about who we spend time with. While we certainly are called to evangelize to people who don’t know God, our inner circle—those closest to us—must be people of faith who can help encourage us when we are down. This is how we gain the strength to live the joyful life exhibited by St. Philip.
We in the pro-life community need St. Philip’s wisdom today more than ever. His examples and his holy guidance can help us flourish as we spread Christ’s message to those around us. So the next time you feel a little down about those who persecute you or about those who have no regard for the sanctity of life, think about St. Philip Neri with a cushion on his head, smile, know you are doing God’s work, and persevere knowing that you are reaching people and that your reward will be in heaven.
This article first appeared in LifeSiteNews at lifesitenews.com/opinion/the-valuable-lesson-pro-lifers-can-learn-from-st-philip-neri/?utm_source=most_recent.
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