Feast Of St. Alphonsus De Liguori
St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) was a Bishop and Doctor of the Church. He began life as somewhat of a prodigy getting his degree in civil law by 19 years but later being called to the priesthood. In his 91 years he accomplished much and is best known for his writings on Moral Theology, Marian Devotion as well as Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament in adoration. He also wrote and preached against the Jansenism ("Calvinistic Catholicism ") in the Church and did much to correct its influence on the faithful through his spiritual counseling and hearing confessions.
He suffered much physically and had such cervical kyphosis from an episode of paralysis that a large wound developed on his anterior chest wall from the pressure of his chin. In the last few years of his life he went through a dark night of the soul with temptations, scrupulosity and doubt, but God saw him through to remain faithful until his happy death.
My first exposure to St Alphonsus was in his beautiful devotion of the stations of the cross which our Church prays each Friday of Lent. Non-Catholics would find this a beautiful spiritual exercise as well. The stations of the Cross is a devotion which should be practiced year round and not just at Lent! (IMHO)
St. Alphonsus De Liguori's Short Act of Perfect Love
My God, I love Thee above all things, and in all things, with my whole soul, because Thou art worthy of all love!
posted by Russ Rentler, M.D. | 7:39 PM
7 Comments:
Thanks for an interesting post and for the link to Jansenism, of which I was not familiar :)
Your welcome.
Thanks for your blog. I also love reading about the saints. I have copied down the short prayers you list at the end of your saint posts.
Your Catholic cyber lurker,
Potamiaena
While different variations on the Stations do have their individual merits, the Stations by St. Al are by far the most wrenching in it's focus on the self as the cause for the Crucifixion.
"My adorable Jesus, it was not Pilate; no, it was my sins that condemned You to die.
I beseech You, by the merits of this sorrowful journey, to assist my soul on its journey to eternity.
I love You, beloved Jesus; I love You more than I love myself.
With all my heart I repent of ever having offended You.
Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will."
Rich and I made a stations of the cross booklet for the Holy Family Shrine last year using St. Alphonsus Liguori's words and some of our photos and some photos we found on line. It was powerful!
PAX,
susie
btw, "Hi" to St. Jimbob above.
Thanks for the comments.
sounds like Omaha is a hotbed of Catholicism !
A priest friend just got back from a retreat there and I asked him if he happened to go out to the Shrine that Susie always talks about and sure enough he went out there! Small world.
TJ, there was a priest out there on Tuesday afternoon when I was there, he was in deep conversation with someone, so I never got to meet him. I went out to the Chapel to pray the rosary and when I returned to the visitor center, he was gone. Wonderin' if it might have been your friend,hmm?
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