August 1, 2017 - St. Alphonsus Ligouri - Nurturing the virtues

“All holiness and perfection of soul lies in our love for Jesus Christ, who is our Redeemer and our supreme good. It is part of the love of God to acquire and to nurture all the virtues which make a man perfect.” Thus writes St. Alphonsus Ligouri.

What does it mean that Jesus Christ is our supreme good? He is the abundant fountain of everything good; nothing in the universe can be said to be good, unless He is its wellspring. Though in Sin, we turn away from that wellspring, God's desire is that man, the gem of His creation, turn back, and seek the perfection for which He is made.

Jesus teaches us to seek goodness, not just by his words, but by his example.

The devout soul who wishes to become a saint—the person God made him to be—must seek God’s will and desire all that God desires. “Teach me to do your will” the Psalmist cries out. That is to be our cry as well.

For St. Alphonus “putting on Christ”, seeking our supreme good, means striving to practice the virtues. He even recommended practicing a particular virtue each month: January: faith; February: Hope; March: Love of God; April: Love of Neighbor; May: Poverty; June: Purity of Heart; July: Obedience; August: Meekness and Humility of Heart; September: Mortification; October: Reconciliation and Silence; November: Prayer; and December: Self-Abnegation and Love of the Cross.”

This intentional practicing of a particular virtue is more effective than the general, vague, and unintentional desire to become more virtuous. St. Alphonsus even recommended keeping a notebook or journal—an account of your failures and successes in practicing those virtues. For example, we begin the month of August. Every day we should be conscious and intentional about making acts of meekness and humility.

Jesus himself is the model of meekness: he bears wrongs patiently and readily forgives sinners. In order to imitate Our Lord’s meekness and grow in the virtue of meekness we must forgive readily, avoid quarrels, harsh or hurtful words and actions, refrain from speaking while in an angry mood, be pleasant toward all who approach us, even if it causes us fatigue or boredom.

May St. Alphonsus help us to practice the virtues, to put on Christ, to seek the goodness and perfection for which we are made, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - -
 
For an increase in virtue for the clergy and all members of the Church. We pray to the Lord.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of August: “That artists of our time, through their ingenuity, may help everyone discover the beauty of creation.” We pray to the Lord.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Redemptorist Order, founded by St. Alphonsus, and for the sanctification of all marriages. We pray to the Lord.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster, war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families. We pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.