Saint Philip Neri was often consulted by bishops
to judge the authenticity of mystics. The practice of humility and
obedience allowed him to infallibly test false mystics, because the devil is
proud and independent. One day in 1560, the cardinals were divided about
a nun who was having visions. Since they sought his opinion, Philip went to see
the young sister. He looked at her warmly and said, "Sister, I didn't want to
see you, I wanted to see the saint." And the nun replied, "But I am the saint!"
Philip turned on his heels, retorting, "Ah, you're the saint? Thank you." And
the verdict he gave the Cardinals was, "It's not from God..." Another time, one of his penitents confided to him that the Virgin had come in the night in her room, filling it with joy and light! So Philip said, "Listen, the next time she comes you should spit in her face." The following night, the apparition spoke to her of God, but remembering the promise she had made to her spiritual director she spat in her face. The apparition immediately disappeared in a cloud of sulphur smoke: it was the devil. That same night, she awoke in the room full of light with a new apparition that smiled at her. This time the figure was not sitting on her bed, she was standing in a corner of the room. The seer went over to spit again, but the apparition just said, "You can spit if you want." The apparition was too far to spit on, but she congratulated her for her obedience to her spiritual director!
And Father Neri told her that that time it was the Virgin Mary.
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May 26 - St Philip Neri - 'The Saint of Pentecost' --- 26 ta' Mejju - San Filippu Neri - 'Il-Qaddis ta' Pentekoste'
http://medjugorjemalta.blogspot.com/2015/05/may-26-st-philip-neri-saint-of.html
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