Saturday, August 1, 2009

Homily – August 1, 2009 – St Alphonsus Liguori

+ Today's saint, Alphonsus Liguori was born on September 27, 1696 near Naples, Italy, the oldest of seven children. He was raised in a pious home. He was educated at the University of Naples and received his doctorate at the age of sixteen. He began a career as a lawyer, but after visiting the local Hospital for Incurable on August 28, 1723 he had a vision and was told to consecrate his life solely to God. In response, Alphonsus dedicated himself to the religious life; even while suffering persecution from his family. He finally agreed to become a priest but to live at home as a member of a group of secular missionaries. He was ordained on December 21, 1726 and spent six years giving missions throughout Naples. Later, he joined forces with Bishop Thomas Falcoia and Sister Mary Celeste a pious and saintly woman and with their aid he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer on November 9, 1732. The foundation faced problems and almost extinction from the very start, but soon new members arrived again. In 1749, Pope Benedict XIV gave approval for the congregation.

St. Alphonsus' greatest contribution to Church history is his clear, concise, simple, yet forceful take on moral theology. He applied the immutable and distinctly clear laws of God, with kindness and compassion. Alphonsus was later excluded and banned from his own community which caused him great pain and anguish, and later incurred a severe case of rheumatism that left him with a bent neck, but all the while his life remained as salt of the earth, and light of the world; he remained a true teacher of the manifold mysteries of God's never failing love, mercy and compassion until his peaceful death, at age 93, on the night of July 31/Aug 1, 1787. He was beatified in 1816 and canonized in 1839, and was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX.

He let his light shine before men, so that God the Father might be glorified!

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