St Alphonsus Liguori
Celebrated on August 1st
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A bishop and founder of the Redemptorists , St Alphonsus was born in 1696 near Naples, the son of a Neapolitan nobleman. He studied law and became a distinguished and eloquent barrister. One day his rhetoric carried him away. He forgot to read an important point in a document and lost a case worth a large fortune. From that time onwards, he abandoned law and studied to be a priest.
Alphonsus was ordained in 1726 and by 1730 had become famous as a preacher. He established a convent and, in 1732, founded the Congregation of the Holy Redeemer for priests dedicated to preaching to the rural poor.
Alphonsus was a prolific author. In 1745 he published the first of his 111 devotional and theological works, the most important being Moral Theology. The 21,500 editions and the translations into 72 languages that his works have undergone attest to the fact that he is one of the most widely read Catholic authors. He was also proficient in the arts and was a musician, painter and poet.
His best known musical work is his Christmas hymn Quanno Nascetti Ninno, later translated into Italian by Pope Pius IX as Tu scendi dalle stelle (“From Starry Skies Thou Comest”).
In his preaching, spiritual direction and writing, St Alphonsus aimed at simplicity, gentleness and intelligibility. He said a sermon should be meaningful to the simplest person in the congregation, as well as the most sophisticated.
He said: “He who trusts in himself is lost. He who trusts in God can do all things.”
Celebrated on August 1st
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
A bishop and founder of the Redemptorists , St Alphonsus was born in 1696 near Naples, the son of a Neapolitan nobleman. He studied law and became a distinguished and eloquent barrister. One day his rhetoric carried him away. He forgot to read an important point in a document and lost a case worth a large fortune. From that time onwards, he abandoned law and studied to be a priest.
Alphonsus was ordained in 1726 and by 1730 had become famous as a preacher. He established a convent and, in 1732, founded the Congregation of the Holy Redeemer for priests dedicated to preaching to the rural poor.
Alphonsus was a prolific author. In 1745 he published the first of his 111 devotional and theological works, the most important being Moral Theology. The 21,500 editions and the translations into 72 languages that his works have undergone attest to the fact that he is one of the most widely read Catholic authors. He was also proficient in the arts and was a musician, painter and poet.
His best known musical work is his Christmas hymn Quanno Nascetti Ninno, later translated into Italian by Pope Pius IX as Tu scendi dalle stelle (“From Starry Skies Thou Comest”).
In his preaching, spiritual direction and writing, St Alphonsus aimed at simplicity, gentleness and intelligibility. He said a sermon should be meaningful to the simplest person in the congregation, as well as the most sophisticated.
He said: “He who trusts in himself is lost. He who trusts in God can do all things.”
I missed reading about him today ,I had taken my calender down that reminds me.