The Wisdom of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Super-Saint

St. Alphonsus Liguori (ϯ 1787) was born in Naples, Italy in 1696 and was the son of a sea captain. In addition to being a Catholic bishop, he was also a spiritual writer, composer, artist, musician, poet, lawyer, philosopher, and theologian. He was canonized in 1839 and was made a doctor of the Church in 1871. He was a prolific author as well, composing easy-to-read books such as “The Glories of Mary,” “The Way of the Cross,” “Uniformity With God’s Will,” and many others. Many of his books are still read today, and several of his sermons are also available. (An audio version is available here).  The depth and truth of his intellect and spiritual insights rival those of Archbishop Sheen’s of our modern-day world.  The repentant Catholic of the 21^st Century would be well advised to start reading St. Alphonsus’ books and sermons. All of his works sound as though he is talking about life in America today with its many heresies! Reading something by St. Alphonsus might even save your soul from hell!

Like all saints, his life was not an easy one but was full of both spiritual and physical struggles. His crosses were heavy indeed. He suffered from both myopia and chronic asthma as a child. Later in life, he was burdened with severe crippling arthritis. (He’s the patron saint of arthritis sufferers). At age 16, he graduated from the University of Naples with doctorate degrees in both civil and canon law. When he was 18, he joined the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy, which ministered to the sick and the dying in hospitals. A huge reason for his success as a saint was that he was totally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who always leads ordinary people into sainthood with her Son Jesus in the best, fastest, and most secure way possible.

He became a very successful lawyer but soon felt that being a barrister offered too many pitfalls to his  Catholic morality. After eight years, he lost his first case and decided to leave his chosen profession. The struggle to maintain his Catholicity while defending the guilty was just too much for him.  Additionally, he had an inner locution which told him, “Leave the world, and give yourself to Me.” Thank goodness he listened to God!

In 1723, he decided to become a priest. His father opposed this choice but soon changed his mind and let St. Alphonsus live at home while studying for the priesthood. At age 30, Alphonsus Liguori became Father Liguori, and the rest is history. He began by preaching in plain words that could be understood by everyone, including the homeless and disadvantaged youth in Naples. He founded “Evening Chapels,” which were community centers for prayer, preaching, social activities, and scripture study. His sermons converted thousands who had lost their faith. Although he was very scrupulous, he saw this characteristic as an advantage in the spiritual life,. In his words, “scrupulosity cleanses the soul, and makes it careful not to sin.” Following an earthquake in Foggia where he was helping victims, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him. In 1732, he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (also known as the Redemptorists), whose purpose was to preach in the slums and other poor places. He actively opposed Jansenism, which taught that only the most rigorous self-deniers could be saved. (Two hundred years earlier, Luther initially believed this heresy). He also wrote and composed many hymns, such as “From Starry Skies Descending.”

In 1762, he became the Bishop of Santa Agata dei Goti. His achievements in that city included suspending all priests who said Mass in less than 15 minutes, reforming wayward priests, encouraging devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the Blessed Sacrament, and selling his bishop’s ring and horse carriage so as to give the money to the poor. By 1775, he was deaf, blind and crippled from arthritis, and his priests whom he had reformed kicked him out of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, which he had originated! The Pope accepted his resignation from being a bishop. He entered eternity on 1 August 1787.

Quotes from St. Alphonsus Liguori

On Church Teaching

“To reject the divine teaching of the Catholic Church is to reject the very basis of reason and revelation, for neither the principles of the one nor those of the other have any longer any solid support to rest on; they can then be interpreted by every one as he pleases; every one can deny all truths whatsoever he chooses to deny. I therefore repeat: If the divine teaching authority of the Church, and the obedience to it, are rejected, every error will be endorsed and must be tolerated.” 

On Uniting Your Will To that of Jesus

“Immediately on waking, and before going to sleep, to make an act of love, seeking always to unite your own will to the will of Jesus Christ.“

On the Plight of Dying in Sin

“The poor dying sinner will be assailed, not by one, but by many causes of distress and anguish. On the one hand, the devils will torment him. At death these horrid enemies exert all their strength to secure the perdition of the soul that is about to leave this world. They know that they have but little time to gain it, and that if they lose it at death, they shall lose it forever. The dying man will be tempted, not by one, but by innumerable devils, who will labor for his damnation. One will say: “Fear not; you will recover.” Another: “You have been deaf to the inspirations of God for so many years, and do you now expect that He will have mercy on you?” Another will ask: “How can you make satisfaction for all the injuries you have done to the property and character of your neighbors?” Another: “Do you not see that your confessions have been null, that they have been made without sorrow or a purpose of amendment? How will you now be able to repair them?”

“On the other hand, the dying man will see himself surrounded by his sins. These sins, says St Bernard, like so many satellites, shall keep him in chains, and shall say unto him: “We are your works; we shall not desert you.” We are your offspring; we will not leave you; we will accompany you to the other world, and will present ourselves with you to the Eternal Judge. The dying man will then wish to shake off such enemies; but, to get rid of them, he must detest them, he must return sincerely to God. “A hard heart shall fare evil at the last; and he that loves danger shall perish in it” [Sirach 3:26]. St Bernard says that the man who has been obstinate in sin during life will make efforts, but without success, to get out of the state of damnation; and that, overwhelmed by his own malice, he will end his life in the same unhappy state. Having loved sin till death, he has also loved the danger of damnation. Hence the Lord will justly permit him to perish in that danger in which he has voluntarily lived till the end of this life. St Augustine says that he who is abandoned by sin before he abandons it, will scarcely detest it as he ought; because what he will then do will be done through necessity.”

“Miserable the sinner who hardens his heart and resists the divine calls: His heart shall be as hard as a stone and as firm as a smith’s anvil. Instead of yielding to the graces and inspirations of God, and being softened by them, the unhappy man becomes more obdurate, as the anvil is hardened by repeated strokes of the hammer. In punishment of his resistance to the divine calls, he will find his heart in the same miserable state at the very hour of death, at the moment of passing into eternity. “A hard heart shall fare evil at the last.” “Sinners,” says the Lord, “you have, for the love of creatures, turned your back upon Me.”

They will have recourse to God at death; but He will say to them: “Why do you invoke me now? Call on creatures to assist you; for they have been your gods.” The Lord will address them in this manner, because, in seeking Him, they do not sincerely wish to be converted. St Jerome says that he holds, and that he has learned from experience, that they who have to the end led a bad life, will never die a good death.”

On Presuming God’s Mercy when Intentionally Sinning

St. Augustine says that the devil deludes Christians in two ways “by despair and hope.” After a person has committed sin, the enemy, by placing before his eyes the rigor of divine justice, tempts him to despair of the mercy of God. But, before he sins, the devil by representing to him the divine mercy, labors to make him fearless of the chastisement due to sin. Hence the saint gives the following advice: “After sin, hope for mercy; before sin, fear justice.” If, after sin, you despair of God’s pardon, you offend him by a new and more grievous sin. Have recourse to His mercy, and He will pardon you. But, before sin, fear God’s justice, and trust not to His mercy; for, they who abuse the mercy of God to offend him, do not deserve to be treated with mercy. Abulensis says, that the man who offends justice may have recourse to mercy; but to whom can they have recourse, who offend and provoke mercy against themselves?

When you intend to commit sin, who, I ask, promises you mercy from God? Certainly God does not promise it. It is the devil that promises it, that you may lose God and be damned. “Beware,” says St. John Chrysostom, “never to attend to that dog that promises thee mercy from God.”

“If, beloved sinners, you have hitherto offended God, hope and tremble: if you desire to give up sin, and if you detest it, hope; because God promises pardon to all who repent of the evil they have done. But if you intend to continue in your sinful course, tremble lest God should wait no longer for you, but cast you into hell.”

“Why does God wait for sinners? Is it that they may continue to insult Him? No; He waits for them that they may renounce sin, and that thus He may have pity on them, and forgive them. “Therefore the Lord waits, that he may have mercy on you.” (Isaiah 30:18.) But when He sees that the time which he gave them to weep over their past iniquities is spent in multiplying their sins, He begins to inflict chastisement, and He cuts them off in the state of sin, `that, by dying, they may cease to offend Him. Then He calls against them the very time He had given them for repentance. The very time,” says St. Gregory, “comes to judge.”

Be sure also to check out St. Alphonsus’ Maxims For Attaining Perfection. Some are pretty simple to do:

1. To desire ardently to increase in the love of Jesus Christ.
2. Often to make acts of love towards Jesus Christ. Immediately on waking and before going to sleep, make an act of love and seek always to unite your own will to the will of Jesus Christ.
3. Often to meditate on His Passion.
4. Always to ask Jesus Christ for his love.
5. To communicate often, and many times in the day, to make spiritual Communions.
6. Often to visit the Most Holy Sacrament.

There are 44 more, so please take the time to read them and to incorporate them into your daily life!  The reward will be out of this world! 

Check out the Redemptorists!