Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this? " And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.
REFLECTION
And they took offense at him
Alphonsus Mary Antony John Cosmas Damian Michael Gaspard de'Liguori was born in his father's country house near Naples. His mother was of Spanish descent. He was the eldest of seven children. Riding and fencing were his pastimes. Playing the harpsichord at a master level was his gift. His education was by private tutors. At the age of sixteen he took his degree as Doctor of Laws. He was extraordinarily able and successful in law and in the eight years he practiced, never lost a case. He finally lost a case, and his response to failure was one of desolation, not eating. He realized this was from God so that his pride would be destroyed and become humble. He spent his time in prayer for God's Will.
One day on his way to care for the incurables in the hospital, he saw a very bright light and heard a voice, " Leave the world, and give thyself to me." Refusing two arranged marriages, abandoning his legal profession, he finally convinced his father to let him be a priest. His father's consent was yes only if he lived at home. Eventually as a priest he moved out and in November 1732 he established a religious order of missionaries to shepherd the neglected people of the mountains. It was called the "Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer", an association of priests and brothers living a common life, dedicated to the imitation of Christ, and working mainly in missions for peasants in rural areas.
The early years were hard as his friends, and fellow missionaries and nuns deserted him. But perseverance paid off and St Alphonsus was able to go from village to village preaching and giving missions in the smallest villages saving many souls. A special feature of his method was the return of the missionaries, after an interval of some months, to the scene of their labors to consolidate their work by "renewal of a mission."
His medical condition, cervical arthritis, made any movement very painful causing deformity of his upper chest and back. The pressure of his chin on his chest left a raw wound on his chest. In the late 18th century, the monarch tried to control religious orders. He demanded a change to the Rule of the Redemptorists. Because of his ill health, advanced age and difficulty seeing, he signed papers thru trickery. The papers were revised rules of the Order -the "Regolamento" changed the religious order structure and rules. Pope Pius VI disapproved of this and removed St Alphonsus from his position of leader of the Order. It was only after his death that the government at last recognized the original Rule The Redemptorist Congregation was reunited under one head.
He never stopped working and writing. His writings were prolific, and very well understood by all. As he grew older, he experienced a "dark night" scruples, fears, temptations against faith, virtues, interspersed with light and relief with frequent ecstasies.
He is known for his many books, especially books on moral theology, His Glories of Mary , Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, Twelve Steps to Holiness and Salvation, How to Converse with God, Uniformity with God's Will, and In Preparation for Death to name a few.
He is a Doctor of the Church. We place PAPA or PRIEST ALWAYS PRAYER APOSTOLATE under St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Patron of Confessors. He is also patron saint of moral theologians, people with arthritis, lawyers, and vocations, especially religious vocations.
God Bless you and Let us pray for priests and one another.
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