St. Alphonsus de Liguori
Saturday, August 1st Readings Reflection: Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Today is the Feast of St. Alphonsus de Liguori, Doctor of the Church and patron saint of confessors and moral theologians. St. Alphonsus was born to a wealthy noble family in Naples in 1696. He became a lawyer at age 16 but found himself dissatisfied and longing for more in his life.
At the age of 30, he was ordained a priest against the wishes of his father and began preaching to the poorest people in the city, helping them understand morality and virtue in order to live upright lives. Through his patient instruction, countless people changed their sinful ways, and “thefts, duels, [and] prostitution ended by almost disappearing” in the city of Naples, according to Pope Benedict XVI (General Audience of 30 March 2011). Seeking to further dedicate himself to serving God in the poor and leading them to the truth, St. Alphonsus founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, more commonly known as the Redemptorists.
St. Alphonsus was a gifted confessor, known for his gift of reading hearts and prophesying the future. However, in his own spiritual life, St. Alphonsus suffered greatly for most of his life from severe scrupulosity, whereby he was tormented with fear and anxiety about the state of his soul. St. Alphonsus described scruples as “one of the most bitter trials souls who love God can undergo, worse than ill-health, persecutions, and similar sufferings.” As a result of his experiences, St. Alphonsus was very compassionate to those enduring the same spiritual affliction, and to this day, the Redemptorists have a special ministry for those suffering from scrupulosity.
Today’s Responsorial Psalm is especially fitting in light of the sufferings St. Alphonsus experienced. The Psalmist writes that he is “afflicted and in pain,” and he prays for God’s “saving help…[to] protect” him. Throughout his life and the great spiritual and physical sufferings he endured, St. Alphonsus de Liguori continuously relied on God, abandoning himself to the divine Will. His famous saying, “He who prays is saved,” aptly summarizes the life of this great saint.
St. Alphonsus was also deeply devoted to Our Lady, whom he believed comforts each soul at the hour of their death. Pope Benedict XVI explained that St. Alphonsus’ spirituality was very Marian precisely because Marian devotion is deeply Christological. In other words, St. Alphonsus was devoted to Our Lady because he recognized her as a sure means of becoming more conformed to her divine Son. In his writings, St. Alphonsus beautifully extolled Our Lady’s role as the Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces (see BXVI General Audience of 30 March 2011).
On today’s feast day of this great saint and Doctor of the Church, may we seek St. Alphonsus de Liguori’s heavenly intercession for our own spiritual struggles, whatever they may be. May his example inspire us to devote ourselves ever more fervently to prayer, abandoning ourselves to God’s loving Providence and trusting that He will never permit us to be tested beyond our strength. Since St. Alphonsus is also the patron saint of confessors, may we also pray for our own confessors today, thanking God for the infinite graces we have received at the hands of His priests and imploring His divine protection over them from all temptation and evil.
St. Alphonsus de Liguori, ora pro nobis!
