| Also by Fr. Kevin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Who was St. Philip Neri? At this late hour, I can\u2019t do justice to the beauty of his life. He was born in Florence in 1515. A devout priest, he refused to take anything too seriously, except for Christ. He was funny and charming and spontaneous. The only rule of his order is \u201cSola Caritas,\u201d or \u201cLove Alone.\u201d<\/p>\n So much moved me tonight: the sound of the harp and trombones, the chanting, the laughter, the earnest faith of the Oratorians and their secular companions; the celebrant joking before Mass began about having to wear three layers of polyester; the church bells ringing into the night at the Mass\u2019s end.<\/p>\n Tonight was sticky hot and the church had opened the stained glass windows to let a breeze in. All during Mass, as I looked at the altar, I could see commuter trains transporting workers home. These sights and sounds made me realize how our lives are just like this; we take time to worship in the middle of the busyness of our lives.<\/p>\n When I got home, I did a little googling about St. Philip Neri.\u00a0 I discovered St. Philip Neri had thought something similar. \u201cRight in the middle of the crowd, we can be on the way to perfection.\u201d<\/p>\n Update: <\/i>Elizabeth Scalia on St. Philip Neri<\/a><\/p>\n | ![](\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ENvRgsTYjJA\/Td8MKmhrKKI\/AAAAAAAAArM\/sSxrmcYs4AU\/s1600\/Philip_s_Key.jpg\")
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