Stepping Out For Jesus

Saint Philip Neri (1515-95) must have had a good cobbler, because he sure put a lot of miles on his shoes. He sauntered through Rome, striking up conversations with whomever he met, beggars or bankers, warming hearts as he talked about God. Often, he’d bid them walk and talk with him en route to a church or hospital. Later, after becoming a priest, he organized pilgrimages to churches in the city, inviting people to walk and pray together. As the one who brought the Forty Hours Devotion to Rome, Philip would like today’s practice of walking in procession as a prelude to adoring the Blessed Sacrament. Sometimes we need to wear out our soles to touch the souls of others.