On August 1, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori. St. Alphonsus is the founder of the Religious Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists); he is the patron saint of confessors, moral theologians, and those who suffer from arthritis—a condition that caused him great pain and left him confined to a wheelchair later in life.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
BRIEF THOUGHTS – DAY 7“It is true that God ought to be worshipped always with the greatest reverence; however, when He deigns to make you feel His presence and when He makes known His desire that you should speak to Him as to the friend who loves you better than any other friend, you should open your heart to Him with the greatest liberty and confidence.”
—St. Alphonsus
DAILY NOVENA PRAYER:
Glorious St Alphonsus, loving Father of the poor and sick, all your life you devoted yourself, with a heroic charity, to lighten their spiritual and bodily miseries. Full of confidence in your tender pity for the sick, since you yourself patiently borne the cross of illness, I come to you for help in my present need… (Mention your request here…) Loving father of the suffering, St Alphonsus, look with compassion upon me in my suffering. Ask God to give me good health. If it is not God’s will, then give me the strength to bear my cross patiently and to offer my sufferings with my crucified Savior and his Mother of Sorrows, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, in reparation for my sins and those of others, for the needs of this troubled world, and the Holy Souls in purgatory. Amen.
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY – PART 7
It was comparatively late in life that Alphonsus became a writer. If we except a few poems published in 1733 (the Saint was born in 1696), his first work, a tiny volume called “Visits to the Blessed Sacrament”, only appeared in 1744 or 1745, when he was nearly fifty years old. Three years later he published the first sketch of his “Moral Theology” in a single quarto volume called “Annotations to Busembaum”, a celebrated Jesuit moral theologian. He spent the next few years in recasting this work, and in 1753 appeared the first volume of the “Theologia Moralis”, the second volume, dedicated to Benedict XIV, following in 1755. Nine editions of the “Moral Theology” appeared in the Saint’s life-time, those of 1748, 1753-1755, 1757, 1760, 1763, 1767, 1773, 1779, and 1785, the “Annotations to Busembaum” counting as the first. In the second edition the work received the definite form it has since retained, though in later issues the Saint retracted a number of opinions, corrected minor ones, and worked at the statement of his theory of Equiprobabilism till at last he considered it complete. In addition, he published many editions of compendiums of his larger work, such as the “Homo Apostolicus”, made in 1759. The “Moral Theology”, after a historical introduction by the Saint’s friend, P. Zaccaria, S.J., which was omitted, however, from the eighth and ninth editions, begins with a treatise “De Conscientia”, followed by one “De Legibus”. These form the first book of the work, while the second contains the treatises on Faith, Hope, and Charity. The third book deals with the Ten Commandments, the fourth with the monastic and clerical states, and the duties of judges, advocates, doctors, merchants, and others. The fifth book has two treatises “De Actibus Humanis” and “De Peccatis”; the sixth is on the sacraments, the seventh and last on the censures of the Church…. (To be continued)
- (Culled from New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia)
—SILENT REFLECTION—
CONCLUDING PRAYER
(From the Redemptorists Media)
Glorious St. Alphonsus, bishop and doctor of the Church, devoted servant of our Lord and loving child of Mary, I invoke you as a saint in heaven. I give myself to your protection that you may always be my protector and my guide in the way of holiness and salvation. Aid me in observing the duties of my state of life. Obtain for me great purity of heart and a fervent love of the interior life after your own example. Great lover of the Blessed Sacrament and the Passion of Jesus Christ, teach me to love Holy Mass and Holy Communion as the source of grace and holiness. Give me a tender devotion to the Passion of my Redeemer.
Promoter of the truth of Christ, through your preaching and writing, give me a greater knowledge and appreciation of the divine truths. Gentle father of the poor and sinners, help me to imitate your charity toward others in word and deed. Consoler of the suffering, help me to bear my daily cross patiently in imitation of your own patience in your long and painful illness and to resign myself to the will of God. Good Shepherd of the flock of Christ, obtain for me the grace of being a true child of Holy Mother Church.
St. Alphonsus, I humbly implore your powerful intercession for obtaining from the heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare. I recommend to you, in particular, this favor: (mention your request). I have great confidence in your prayers. I earnestly trust that if it is God’s holy will, my petition will be granted through your intercession for me at the throne of God. St. Alphonsus, pray for me and for those I love. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, do not abandon us in our needs. May we experience the peace and joy of your holy death. Amen.
Heavenly Father, You continually build up Your Church by the lives of Your saints. Give us grace to follow St. Alphonsus in his loving concern for the salvation of people and so come to share his reward in heaven. Walking in the footsteps of this devoted servant of Yours, may we be consumed with zeal for souls and attain the reward he enjoys in Your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Through the intercession of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, may Almighty God bless you + the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Shalom!
Compiled by Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Paroquia Nossa Senhora de Loreto, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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PS: Have you prayed your Rosary today?
May the lessons of the life of St. Alphonsus Liguori be brought to bear pn our lives and living
Amen
Amen
Amen
Saint Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us!
Through the intercession of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, may Almighty God grant our intentions. Amen
Amen
Heavenly Father, You continually build up Your Church by the lives of Your saints. Give us grace to follow St. Alphonsus in his loving concern for the salvation of people and so come to share his reward in heaven. Amen
Amen
Saint Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us!
St Alphonsus continue to intercede for us
Amen
St Alphonsus Liguori Patron of the sick and suffering pray for us. Amen
Amen
St. Alphonsus doctor of the church, save us.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us!
St Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us.
Amen
St Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us.
, . Pray for usst Alphonsus liguori , pray for us.
Amen
Amen
Amen
St Alphonsus Liguori, intercede for us who believe in your intercession.
St Alphonsus Liguori continue to intercede for us
St Alphonsus pray for us and our family.
May we draw inspiration from the life of St. Alphonsus Liguori.
May the blessings of St Alphonsus be upon me…Amen
St Alphonsus Liguori. Pray for us
St. Alphonsus Liguori, intercede for us and our country Nigeria.
Amen
Through the intercession and prayers of St Alphonsus liguori may God grant our heart desires in Jesus name Amen
St Alphonsus Liugiori, helper of the poor, pray for us that like you we may learn to see the poor as the treasure in our world
St Alphonsus Liguori, Pray for us .Amen
Amen
When He deigns to make you feel His presence and when He makes known His desire that you should speak to Him as to the friend who loves you better than any other friend, you should open your heart to Him with the greatest liberty and confidence.”
St Alphonsus of liguori, prayer for us.
St Alphonsus Liguori…pray for us.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori, pray for me, my husband and my children. Amen
St Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us
St Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us
Amen!!!
May the healing hands of God locate us through the intercession of St Alphonsus of liguori, to be winning souls of Christ through our testimonies,Amen
St. Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us Amen
St Alphonsus please heal Mr Olowu Rasaq from his Arthritis, let him find total healing
Amen
St Alphonsus Ligori. Pray for us
St Alphonsus Liguori pray for us
Amen.
Amen. St Alphonsus Pray for us
Amen
St. Alphonsus Liguori pray for your children