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 5“After the love which we owe Jesus Christ, we must give the chief place in our heart to the love of His Mother Mary.”
—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 5
Not less remarkable than the intensity with which Alphonsus worked is the amount of work he did. His perseverance was indomitable. He both made and kept a vow not to lose a single moment of time. He was helped in this by his turn of mind which was extremely practical. Though a good dogmatic theologian–a fact which has not been sufficiently recognized–he was not a metaphysician like the great scholastics. He was a lawyer, not only during his years at the Bar, but throughout his whole life–a lawyer, who to skilled advocacy and enormous knowledge of practical detail added a wide and luminous hold of underlying principles. It was this which made him the prince of moral theologians, and gained him, when canonization made it possible, the title of “Doctor of the Church”. This combination of practical common sense with extraordinary energy in administrative work ought to make Alphonsus, if he were better known, particularly attractive to the English-speaking nations, especially as he is so modern a saint. But we must not push resemblances too far. If in some things Alphonsus was an Anglo-Saxon, in others he was a Neapolitan of the Neapolitans, though always a saint. He often writes as a Neapolitan to Neapolitans. Were the vehement things in his letters and writings, especially in the matter of rebuke or complaint, to appraised as if uttered by an Anglo-Saxon in cold blood, we might be surprised and even shocked. Neapolitan students, in an animated but amicable discussion, seem to foreign eyes to be taking part in a violent quarrel. St. Alphonsus appeared a miracle of calm to Tannoia. Could he have been what an Anglo-Saxon would consider a miracle of calm, he would have seemed to his companions absolutely inhuman. The saints are not inhuman but real men of flesh and blood, however much some hagiographers may ignore the fact… (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?
St. Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us to have presence of mind always and everywhere and at all times.
St. Alphonsus Liguori, pray for me and all my concerns. Amen
St. Alphonsus pray for us. Amen
St Alphonsus Liguria pray for me and entire family for divine intervention, restoration and open doors in the name of Jesus Christ Amen
St. Alphonsus of Liguori, pray for us Amen
St. Alphonsus Liguori, pray for your children that we may bear wrongs patiently.
Your life shows that Christianity is not a bed of roses.
Amen
May the precious blood of Jesus Christ unite us to his Grace for enteral life Amen.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us!
St. Alphonsus Ligouri, intercede and for the sick in our midst.
Amen
St Alphonsus Liguori,pray for us
Amen.
At Alphonsus pray for us!
Amen
St. Alphonsus Liguori promoter of the truth of Christ, through your preaching and writing, give me a greater knowledge and appreciation of the divine truths. Amen
St. Alphonsus, Pray for us in finding our purpose in life. Amen
Through the intercession of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, may I and my family experience healing mercies and financial Upliftment in our daily struggle through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen .
Saint Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us.
Amen
Amen
After the love which we owe Jesus Christ, we must give the chief place in our heart to the love of His Mother Mary.”
Truly I can do this by your grace please help me
May God continue to grant fr Cjay and all those helping out in the promotion of the word of God good health in body mind and soul Amen
St. Alphonsus Ligouti, save my brother Francis Osakue in China and shelter him. Save him from depression and send him helpers. Amen
St Alphonsus pray for us
St Alphonsus Liguori pray for us
God through the intercession of st. Alphonsus hear and answer us amen
St. Alphonsus intercede for me and my family for divine favours and protection.
St Alphonsus intercede for the sick in our most and our loved ones
St Alphonsus pray for me and all present here amen
St Alphonsus pray for me Amen
Amen
Praying for mama Bernadette,
At Alphonsus Liguori pray for us
St Alphonsus Liguori pray for us.
St Alphonsus of liguori, prayer for us
Through the intercession of At Alphonsus the Liguori,May the sick among us be healed…
Amen.
Prayer is wonderful thing to do.
St Alphonsus pray for us and heal d sick in my family in jesus name amen
Saint Alphonsus Liguori intercede for us
Saint Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us!
Our lady of perpetual help, pray for us!
St. Alphonsus Liguori, intercede before our Lord for the healing of myself. Grant us good health of mind and body. Through Christ our Lord.
Nancy
right now
St. Alphonsus Liguori, intercede before our Lord for the healing of my husband. Grant us good health of mind and body. Through Christ our Lord.
St. Alphonsus Liguori… Pray for Us
This is so fulfilling. St Alphosus pray for us
Amen!
Amen
St Alphonsus Liguori pray for us
Saint Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us!
St Alphonsus
Pray for us
O St Alphonsus I prayer for your healing and deliverance upon my household
Amen
Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy in my life