St. Alphonsus was born in Naples,
Italy in 1696 into a wealthy family. He finished his studies in canon and civil
law at 16 years old and undertook a brilliant career as a lawyer. Over the next
eight years he never lost a case.
However, in his soul he felt a deep
thirst for God, for perfection, and so the Lord guided him to leave behind
riches and his successful career as a lawyer to become a priest and missionary
to the poor.
Fr. Alphonsus focused on evangelizing
and preaching to the poorest of the city. He started prayer meetings with those
living in the greatest poverty. With patience, he taught the poor to pray. The
prayer groups grew to include other catechists and priests and began to change
neighborhoods. They were a true and real source of moral education, social
development. No government program can do what prayer and spread of the Gospel
can do. No welfare state can do the work Christians are called to do. Theft, violence
and prostitution nearly disappeared in these places where this holy
priest taught the people how to pray.
Alphonsus' spirituality was eminently
Christological, centered upon Christ and His Gospel. Meditation on the mystery
of the Incarnation and of the Passion of the Lord were frequently subjects of
his teachings. ... His piety was also markedly Marian. Personally devoted to
Mary, he emphasized her role in the history of salvation.
The work of spreading the Gospel to
which we are all called must always be rooted in prayer. If we wish the Gospel
to truly take root in our neighborhoods and families, we should not only engage
in personal prayer, but gather with others for prayer. Families do well to come
together frequently for prayer, and to invite others into their gatherings.
Pope Benedict XVI said of him, “St.
Alphonsus Liguori was an example of a zealous priest who won souls by teaching
the Gospel and administering the Sacraments, and by his own gentle and mild
manner which originated from his intense rapport with God's infinite goodness.
He had a realistically optimistic view of the resources the Lord grants to
every man, and gave importance to affections and sentiments of the heart, as
well as to the mind, in loving God and others.”
What will I do today for the spread
of the Gospel? Who will I pray for? Who will I teach to pray? St. Alphonsus
said, “The Saints try to be Saints, and not merely to appear to be
Saints.” What is the Holy Spirit urging us to
try today, in order to gain sanctity for our own soul and to lead others to the
fountain of Christ’s mercy?
May the intercession and
example of St Alphonsus urge us on to work always and everywhere for the glory
of God and salvation of souls.
This was an incredibly insightful Homily. I never knew the brilliance of Alphonsus Liguori at such a young age. Now I have a greater appreciation of his work. I remember reading once that he stated that one tear shed for the Passion is worth more then a year of fasting on bread and water. Thank you Fr. Kevin. This is my first time to your site. I will become a frequent visitor.
ReplyDelete