St. Philip Neri Prayer: Prayers to the Saint of Joy

St. Philip Neri (1515–1595), the “Apostle of Rome,” won the hearts of a corrupt and worldly city by his warmth, his humor and his burning love for God. He founded the Congregation of the Oratory, heard confessions for hours every day, and taught that holiness and cheerfulness go together. He is often called the patron saint of joy. Below are three of the traditional prayers to St. Philip from The Raccolta, for humility, for patience and for the love of God, a prayer for a joyful heart, Scripture and his story.

A prayer to St. Philip for humility

Pope Blessed Pius IX indulgenced a prayer to St. Philip for each day of the week. The prayer for Sunday, from The Raccolta (1910), followed by an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory Be:

St. Philip, my glorious patron, who on earth didst so love humility as to count the praise and even the good esteem of men as dross; obtain for me also this virtue by thy prayers. Thou knowest how haughty I am in my thoughts, how contemptuous in my words, how ambitious in my works. Ask for me humility of heart, that my mind may be freed from all pride, and impressed with the same low esteem of self which thou hadst of thyself, counting thyself the worst of all men, and for that reason rejoicing when thou didst suffer contempt, and seeking out for thyself occasions of enduring it. Great saint, obtain for me a truly humble heart and the knowledge of my own nothingness; that I may rejoice when I am despised, and chafe not when others are preferred before me; that I may never be vain when I am praised, but may ever seek only to be great in the eyes of God, desiring to receive from Him alone all my exaltation.

A prayer to St. Philip for patience

The prayer for Monday:

St. Philip, my patron saint, whose heart was ever so constant in time of trouble, and whose spirit was so loving under suffering that, when persecuted by the jealous, or calumniated by the wicked who thought to discredit thy sanctity, or, when tried by God with many long painful infirmities, thou didst always bear thy trials with wonderful tranquillity of heart and mind; pray for me that I may have a spirit of true courage in every adversity. Alas, how much I stand in need of patience! I shrink from every little trouble; I sicken under every light affliction; I fire up at and resent every trifling contradiction; never setting myself to learn that the road to Paradise lies amidst the thorns of tribulation. Yet was this the path our Divine Master deigned to tread, and this too, my saintly patron, was thy path also. Obtain for me, then, this courage, that with good hearty will I may embrace the crosses which every day I receive from God, and bear them all with the same endurance and ready will which thou didst manifest on earth; that so I may be made worthy to enjoy the blessed fruit of sufferings with thee in heaven above.

A prayer to St. Philip for the love of God

The prayer for Wednesday, recalling the Pentecost of 1544, when a ball of fire seemed to enter Philip’s heart:

St. Philip, I am filled with wonder at the great miracle which was wrought in thee by the Holy Spirit when He poured into thy heart such a flood of heavenly charity that, in order to contain it, two of thy ribs were broken by the power of Divine love; and I am confounded when I compare thy heart with my own. I see thy heart all burning with love, and mine all frozen and taken up with creatures. I see thine inflamed with a fire from heaven, which so filled thy body that it radiated like flames from thy countenance, while mine is full of earthly love. I love the world, which allures me and can never make me happy; I love the flesh, which ever wears me with its cares and can never render me immortal; I love riches, which I can enjoy but for a moment. Oh, when shall I learn of thee to love nothing but God, my incomprehensible and only Good. Help me, then, blessed patron, that by thy intercession I may begin at once: obtain for me an efficacious love, manifesting itself by works; a pure love, making me love God most perfectly; a strong love, enabling me to surmount all obstacles hindering my union with God in life, that so I may be wholly united to Him for ever after my death.

A prayer for a joyful heart

Written for this page:

St. Philip Neri, you served God with gladness
and made others laugh even as you led them to holiness.
Free me from sadness, gloom and scruples,
give me a cheerful heart that trusts in God’s love,
and help me to bring joy to everyone I meet. Amen.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice.
Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh.
Be nothing solicitous; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

The life of St. Philip Neri

Filippo Neri was born in Florence on July 21, 1515. As a young man he was sent to work with a merchant relative, but he felt drawn to God and went to Rome around 1533. For years he lived simply as a layman, studying, praying through the night in the catacombs and talking with anyone he met in the streets and shops about God. He organized pilgrimages to the seven great churches of Rome, which became joyful outings for crowds of young people.

At Pentecost in 1544, while praying in the catacomb of St. Sebastian, he experienced a ball of fire entering his mouth and filling his heart with such love that he felt his heart swell; after his death, doctors found two of his ribs broken outward. He founded a confraternity to care for poor pilgrims and the sick, was ordained a priest in 1551, and spent long hours in the confessional. The informal gatherings of prayer, Scripture, music and conversation he held in a room called the Oratory grew into the Congregation of the Oratory, approved by the Pope in 1575. The musical works sung there gave their name to the oratorio.

Philip was a friend of St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Charles Borromeo, counseled popes and cardinals, and helped renew the faith of Rome after the Reformation, always with humility and humor, often playing the fool to avoid being praised. He died on May 26, 1595, and was canonized in 1622 with Sts. Ignatius, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila and Isidore. Three centuries later St. John Henry Newman brought the Oratory to England.

Feast day and patronage

Feast day: May 26. A novena can run from May 17 to 25.
Patron of: Rome, joy and humor, the Oratorians, and comedians.
Symbols: a priest’s chasuble, a lily, a heart aflame, and a rosary.

Frequently asked questions

Why is St. Philip Neri called the saint of joy?

Because of his cheerful, playful holiness: he believed that a joyful heart is more easily made perfect, and he used humor to keep himself and others humble.

When is St. Philip Neri’s feast day?

May 26.

What is the Oratory?

The Congregation of the Oratory, a community of secular priests living together without vows, founded by St. Philip Neri in Rome.

What is St. Philip Neri the patron saint of?

Rome, joy and humor, and the Oratorians.

More prayers

Texts and sources

Prayers: The Raccolta, or Collection of Indulgenced Prayers and Good Works (London: Burns and Oates, 1910), no. 344, public domain (archive.org).
Scripture: Philippians 4:4–7, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
The prayer for a joyful heart was written for this page.