Today is the feast of Alphonsus Ligouri, one of my personal favourites! Born in Naples in 1696, he was the first-born of seven belonging to Neapolitan nobility. Two days after he was born he was baptised with the most wonderful name of Alphonsus Mary Antony John Cosmas Damian Michael Gaspard de’ Liguori. I trust his birth certificate had large boxes!!
Alphonsus Liguori went to law school at sixteen and became a well-known lawyer. He was thinking of leaving the profession, and wrote to someone: “My friend, our profession is too full of difficulties and dangers; we lead an unhappy life and run risk of dying an unhappy death. For myself, I will quit this career, which does not suit me; for I wish to secure the salvation of my soul.” It might also have something to do with an almighty blunder he made in mistranslating an article of defence, which when translated correctly aided the prosecution!!! Thus at the age of twenty-seven, having lost this important case, he made a firm resolution to take on a new vocation.
In 1723 he began his seminary studies in the Oratory of St. Philip Neri before being ordained priest on December 21, 1726. His first years as priest were spent with the homeless and marginalised of Naples, work which inspired him to found a missionary society, the ‘Evening Chapels. Run by the young people themselves, these chapels were centers of prayer, community, the Word of God, social activities, and education. At the time of his death, there were 72 in existence with over 10,000 active participants. His sermons were very effective at converting those who were alienated from faith and he took pride in ensuring his words and meaning could be understood by even the most simple of souls. (Oh that some of our preachers today might learn from this!)
In 1729 Alphonsus extended his missionary experience to the rural regions of the Kingdom of Naples where he found people much poorer and more abandoned than any of the street children in Naples itself. He was once again stirred to action and founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, who later became the ‘redemptorists’. This order’s goal was to teach and preach in the slums of cities and other poor places. Soon a companion order of nuns was founded by Sister Maria Celeste.
Alphonsus was consecrated Bishop of Sant’Agata dei Goti in 1762. He tried to refuse the appointment because he felt too old and sick to properly care for the diocese. During this time he wrote many sermons, books, and articles to encourage devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary. In my opinion they remain amongst the most beautiful writings in the Church’s treasury.
In 1775 Alphonsus retired from office and went to live in the Redemptorist community in Pagani, Italy where he died on this day in 1787. He was canonized on May 26, 1839, by Pope Gregory XVI, and later proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1871 by Pope Pius IX. He was named “Patron of Confessors and Moralists” by Pope Pius XII in 1950. A offer a few quotes from his writing for your inspiration:
‘Your God is ever beside you – indeed, He is even within you.’
‘He who prays is certain to be saved; while he who prays not is certain to be damned. All the saints were saved, and came to be saints by praying; all the accursed souls in hell were lost through neglect of prayer; if they had prayed, it is certain that they would not have been lost. And this will be one of the greatest occasions of their anguish in hell, the thought that they might have saved themselves so easily’
“I Love Jesus Christ and that is why I am on fire with the desire to give Him souls, first of all my own, and then an incalculable number of others.” Sage advice, look after your own soul before you set out to save the world!
