THE SAINT ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI COLLECTION [30 BOOKS] CATHOLIC WAY PUBLISHING — 25 Books in One E-Book: The Complete Ascetical Works and More — Over 3.5 Million Words. 18,824 Active Linked Endnotes — Includes an Active Index and 25 Table of Contents for Each Book — Includes Illustrations by Gustave Dore Saint Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori, C.Ss.R. (27 September 1696 – 1 August 1787), was an Italian Catholic bishop, spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, and theologian. He founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists). In 1762 he was appointed Bishop of Sant'Agata dei Goti. A prolific writer, he published nine editions of his Moral Theology in his lifetime, in addition to other devotional and ascetic works and letters. Among his best known works are The Glories of Mary and The Way of the Cross, the latter still used in parishes during Lenten devotions. He was canonized in 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI. Pope Pius IX proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1871. One of the most widely read Catholic authors, Alphonsus Liguori is the patron saint of confessors. ———BOOKS——— THE COMPLETE ASCETICAL WORKS Vol. I: Preparation for Death Vol. II: The Way of Salvation and of Perfection Vol. III: The Great Means of Salvation and of Perfection Vol. IV: The Incarnation Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ Vol. V: The Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ Vol. VI: The Holy Eucharist Vol. VII & VIII: The Glories of Mary Vol. IX: The Victories of the Martyrs Vol. X & XI: The True Spouse of Jesus Christ Vol. XII: Dignity and Duties of the Priest Vol. XIII: The Holy Mass Vol. XIV: The Divine Office Vol. XV: Preaching Vol. XVI: Sermons for All the Sundays in the Year Vol. XVII: Miscellany Vol. XVIII: Letters of Saint Alphonsus de Liguori THE WORKS OF SAINT ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI Saint Alphonsus de Liguori Biography How to Pray at All Times The Way of the Cross The History of Heresies and their Refutation Uniformity with God’s Will The School of Christian Perfection The Religious State Sermons Upon Various Subjects Devout Reflections on Various Spiritual Subjects The Life of Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori FIVE POPULAR BOOK EXCERPTS The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ Visits to the Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell Nine Discourses for Times of Calamities The Seven Sorrows of Mary SEVEN ARTICLES By and About Saint Alphonsus de Liguori PUBLISHER: CATHOLIC WAY PUBLISHING
The first point that must be made of this book is that the dialect is older English."But now, my good uncle, the world is here waxen such, and so great perils appear here to fall at hand, that me thinketh the greatest comfort that a man can have is, when he may see that he shall soon be gone." (Pg 1-2)The reader will have to accustom themselves to a learning curve.In the first Chapter St. Thomas More, tells us that philosophers of old created ways to be comforted in tribulation. These pagan philosophers told their followers that they should place of little value on worldly goods and honors. But as the Saint continues on,"for they never stretched so far, but that they leave untouched, for lack of necessary knowledge, that special point which is not only the chief comfort of all, but, without which also, all other comforts are nothing. That is, to wit, the referring of the final end of their comfort unto God, and the repute and take for the special cause of comfort, that by the patient sufferance of their tribulation they shall attain His favour, and for their pain receive reward at His hand in Heaven." (Pg 9)He ends the first chapter by saying, "Honorsa medicum; propter necessitatem etenim ordinavit eum Altissimus." - honor the physician for him hath the high God ordained for thy necessity. (Eccl 38) St. Thomas more points to this heavenly physician as Christ Himself applying His own blood as our medicine.The second chapter tells us that it is faith that must be the foundation for men's comfort. "That is, to wit, the ground and foundation of faith, without which had ready before, all the spiritual comfort that any man may speak of can never avail a fly. For likewise as it were utterly vain to lay natural reasons of comfort to him that hath no wit, so were it undoubtedly frustrate to lay spiritual causes of comfort to him that hath no faith." (Pg 11)St. Thomas More in the third chapter assigns the first comfort as the following: "...the desire and longing to be by God comforted." (Pg 14) St. Thomas more writes that those who seek comfort in anything outside of God will never become comforted. He quotes St. Bernard: "He that in tribulation turneth himself unto worldly vanities, to get help and comfort by them, fareth like a man that in peril of drowning catcheth whatsoever cometh next to hand, and that holdeth he fast, be it never so simple a stick; but then that helpeth him not, for that stick he draweth down under the water with him, and there lie they drowned both together." (Pg 15)The fourth chapter bring forth the idea that tribulation was meant to bring men of good will (Luke 2:14) to closer to God. "Some are in the beginning of tribulation very stubborn and stiff against God, and yet at length tribulation bringeth them home." (Pg 18)St. Thomas More continues to bring this point home by writing: "The proud king Pharaoh did abide and endure two or three of the first plagues, and would not once stoop at them. But then God laid on a sorer lash that made him cry to him for help, and then sent he for Moses and Aaron, and confessed himself a sinner, and God for good and righteous, and prayed them to pray for him, and to withdraw that plague, and he would let them go. But when his tribulation was withdrawn, then, was he naught again. So was his tribulation occasion of his profit, and his help again cause of his harm. For his tribulation made him call to God, and his help made hard his heart again." (Pg 18)
The way to perfection is simple—to unite one’s will with God’s, putting into action the prayer “Thy will be done.” In this precious booklet, St. Alphonsus Ligouri explains the importance of conforming one’s will to God’s and how to do so; how to gain peace of mind and serenity by trusting in God, accepting what He wills for our lives and following His commands.
THE SCHOOL OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION SAINT ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI — A Catholic Classic! — Includes original Religious Illustrations — Includes an Active Index, Table of Contents and NCX Navigation Publisher: Available in Paperback: ISBN-13: 978-1-78379-262-7 In the ascetical writings of the holy Bishop and Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus de Ligouri, there is a characteristic charm and an irresistible attraction. Whoever reads them with the proper dispositions will discover in them an indefinable something that appeals to the heart and stirs it to its very depths. We imagine we see the loving personality of the holy Bishop before us, and hear the words of eternal life from his very lips. The present volume is made up of choice selections from the various ascetical writings of the Saint. The order of virtues considered is that followed by the spiritual sons of St. Alphonsus in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. For each month of the year is assigned a particular virtue to which they are to devote their especial attention. This is a practice highly recommended by the masters of the spiritual life, and is fraught with the happiest results. It is hoped that the faithful will derive spiritual profit and pleasure from this course in “The School of Christian Perfection.” PUBLISHER: CATHOLIC WAY PUBLISHING
Volume 01 of 22 in the Aesthetical Works of St. Alphonsus de Ligouri, first published in 1843.Alphonsus Maria de Liguori was an Italian Catholic bishop, spiritual writer, scholastic philosopher and theologian, and founder of the Redemptorists, an influential religious congregation. He was canonized in 1839 and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1871.In this first volume of his "Aesthetical Works", Ligouri reminds the reader that "There is nothing more precious than time; but there is nothing less esteemed and more despised by men of the world." With references from every corner of Christendom, including Sacred Scripture, the saints, and the Holy Fathers, this powerful book is ideal for personal reflection. The saint writes to alert the reader to the very real fact of their own mortality, recommends them to repentance, prayer, and fasting, and to remind them that no single person is guaranteed tomorrow. He quotes St. Bernadine of Sienna in saying, "Behold, I have so many kingdoms and palaces in this world; but if I die this night, I know not what apartment shall be assigned to me." Reproduced from older English edition, this non-facsimile 2013 edition has been faithfully edited (with 468 footnotes) to provide a clean and trim appearance of the original text and to continue the proliferation of a great spiritual work.
St. Alphonsus Ligouri does a wonderful job at expanding on the line from Holy Scripture, "For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?" (Matthew 16:26) He writes that we ought to conform to the will of God and he quotes St. Gregory stating our life will be a complete error if we neglect to follow the will of God. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification." (I Thessalonians 4:3) The religious life is a source of complete happiness while the world suffers in its false pleasures. The religious life is also a source of peace and joy that the world cannot give. And who in the world has true peace of soul? "In his dying moments Phillip II King of Spain, sent for his son, and throwing off his royal robes, showed him his breast eaten away by worms, and said to him, 'Prince behold how we die, and how the grandeurs of this world end. Oh that I had been a lay brother in some religious community, and had not been king!'"St. Alphonsus writes: “a single bad book will be sufficient to cause the destruction of a monastery.” Pope Pius XII wrote in 1947 at the beatification of Blessed Maria Goretti: “There rises to Our lips the cry of the Saviour: 'Woe to the world because of scandals!' (Matthew 18:7). Woe to those who consciously and deliberately spread corruption-in novels, newspapers, magazines, theaters, films, in a world of immodesty!” We at St. Pius X Press are calling for a crusade of good books. We want to restore 1,000 old Catholic books to the market. We ask for your assistance and prayers. This book is a photographic reprint of the original The original has been inspected and many imperfections in the existing copy have been corrected. At Saint Pius X Press our goal is to remain faithful to the original in both photographic reproductions and in textual reproductions that are reprinted. Photographic reproductions are given a page by page inspection, whereas textual reproductions are proofread to correct any errors in reproduction.
Written originally in 1912, this little book explains the basis of the Most Holy Rosary in its form and holy mysteries. Added to this is a simple explanation of how to say the Rosary as well as the 54 Day Rosary Novena, which is a great way to begin this excellent devotion of the daily recitation of the Most Holy Rosary. This book should sit on our shelves along side Saint Louis de Montfort's 'The Secret of the Rosary'.St. Alphonsus writes: "a single bad book will be sufficient to cause the destruction of a monastery." Pope Pius XII wrote in 1947 at the beatification of Blessed Maria Goretti: "There rises to Our lips the cry of the Saviour: 'Woe to the world because of scandals!' (Matthew 18:7). Woe to those who consciously and deliberately spread corruption-in novels, newspapers, magazines, theaters, films, in a world of immodesty!" We at St. Pius X Press are calling for a crusade of good books. We want to restore 1,000 old Catholic books to the market. We ask for your assistance and prayers. This book is a photographic reprint of the original The original has been inspected and many imperfections in the existing copy have been corrected. At Saint Pius X Press our goal is to remain faithful to the original in both photographic reproductions and in textual reproductions that are reprinted. Photographic reproductions are given a page by page inspection, whereas textual reproductions are proofread to correct any errors in reproduction.
Although one might think that this book is only for nuns and sisters, that is women religious, but it is not. Many lay people find much useful advice in this holy work. It should be noted that this is only the first sixteen chapters of the work. In the Preface we read: “For, as St. Denis the Areogapite says, 'Divine love consists in the affections of the heart more than in the knowledge of the understanding.' In human sciences, knowledge excites love; but in the science of the saints, love produces knowledge. He that loves God most knows Him best. Besides, it is not lofty and fruitless conceptions, but works, that unite the soul to God, and make it rich in merits before the Lord.”Saint Alphonsus says: “The principal means of acquiring an ardent love of Christ are mental prayer, Communion, mortification, retirement. Although each of these means is fully discussed in another part of this work, still a brief notice of them in this place will not be irrelevant.“The first means to love Jesus Christ is mental prayer. Mental prayer is that blessed furnace in which the soul is inflamed with divine love. 'And', says holy David, 'in my meditation a fire shall flame out. In temptations against purity, the immediate invocation of the divine aid is absolutely necessary. The Venerable Sister Cecilia Gastelli used to say, that without prayer, chastitycannot be preserved. 'As I knew', says Solomon, 'that I otherwise could not be continent, except God gave it, I went to the Lord and besought Him with my whole heart.'” And let us consider that living in the world requires continence and restraint, “The second means is the holy Communion. This, says St. Bonaventure, is the cellar of wine into which the King of heaven brings his spouses" to set in order charity" in their hearts, teaching them to love God above all things, and their neighbors as themselves.“The third means is mortification. As the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters. As the lily blooms among the thorns, so virginity is preserved only in the midst of mortification. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say that" chastity flourishes only among thorns." ...”“The fourth means is retirement. 'Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtle dove's.' The spouse in the canticle is compared to the turtle, because the turtle avoids the company of other birds, and delights in solitude. ...”Saint Alphonsus relates the following story: “St. Francis of Assisi once said to his companion, that he was going out to preach. After walking through the town, with his eyes fixed on the ground, he returned to the convent. His companion asked him when he would preach the sermon. We have, replied the saint, by the modesty of our looks, given an excellent instruction to all who saw us.” Do our lives preach a sermon or do they scandalize people and lead them into sin? This is why we need to study pious books, so that our life is a living sermon. This is true Catholic Action!
Saint Alphonsus says: “I HAVE already published several spiritual works, viz.: Visits to the blessed Sacrament, the Clock of the Passion of Jesus Christ, the Glories of Mary, a volume containing a Refutation of Materialism and Deism, and several small Treatises of Devotion, a Novena of the Nativity, which treats of the infancy of our Lord, a Book on the eternal maxims, entitled, a Preparation for Death, which contains a great deal of useful matter, for Sermons and Meditations, and also nine Discourses for the time of public calamities. But of all these works, I do not consider one more useful than this little book which treats of prayer as a secure and necessary means of obtaining salvation and all the graces necessary for it. Were it in my power, I would publish as many copies of this little work, as there are christians on earth, and would give to each a copy, that each might be convinced of the absolute necessity of prayer for salvation.I speak in this manner of this little treatise, because on the one hand, I see the absolute necessity of prayer so strongly inculcated in every page of holy writ, and in the writings of all the fathers, and on the other, I perceive that very few christians make use of that great means of salvation. What grieves me most, is, that though .there is no practice on which preachers, confessors, or spiritual writers, should insist with greater warmth, or in stronger terms, than on that of prayer; still, I know, that preachers seldom recommend it to their auditors, or confessors to their penitents, and that the spititual books most currently circulated amongst the people, do not sufficiently detail its advantages or inculcate its necessity. They indeed suggest many excellent means of preserving sanctifying grace, such as to avoid the occasions of sin, to frequent the sacraments, to resist temptations, to hear the word of God, to meditate on the truths of eternity, and other means; all of which are, I admit, most useful. But of what use, I ask, are sermons, meditations, and all the means proposed by masters of spiritual life, without prayer, when Jesus Christ has declared that he will grant his grace only to those who ask it. 'Ask,' he says, 'and you shall receive.' In God's ordinary providence, all our meditations, and good purposes, and promises, will be fruitless without prayer. If we do Dot pray, we will be for ever unfaithful to all the inspirations of God's grace, and to all our own promises. Because, to do actual good, to overcome temptation, and to practise virtue; in a word, to observe all the divine precepts, the light which God pours into our souls, and the reflections and resolutions which we ourselves make, are insufficient. The actual assistance of God is moreover necessary, and, as we will immediately see, the Almighty grants this actual assistance to those only who pray, and persevere in prayer. The lights we receive, and our own considerations and good purposes, enable us actually to pray, when tempted to transgress the divine law, and by prayer, to obtain from God actual help, by which we will avoid sin. But if, in temptation, we do not pray, we shall be lost.Saint Alphonsus reminds us: “The Pelagians erroneously asserted thatPrayer is not necessary to obtain salvation.”
This book should be confused with shorter works by Saint Alphonsus issued under the title of 'The Glories of Mary'. This is a photographic reprint of the 1852 edition of the English translation of this work, and is complete. The first section is an exhaustive explanation of the Salve Regina, the Hail Holy Queen. At the end of this section is a collection of devout prayers by the Saints to the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is not in other editions. The second section is a series of discourses on the seven major feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These are the Immaculate Conception, the Birth of Mary, The Presentation of Mary in the Temple, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Purification of Mary at Jesus' Presentation in the Temple, and the Assumption. Added to this is a discourse on the Seven Sorrows of Mary.The next section goes into detail into each of the seven dolors of Mary.The next section considers the many virtues of Mary, her humility, charity, faith, hope, chastity, poverty, obedience and patience. Also Mary's prayer is considered in depth, since she is a model for us in prayer. This section includes the many practices of devotion to Mary, such as the Hail Mary, the Novenas before her feasts, the Rosary, fasting, visiting images of Mary, the Brown Scapular, etc.
The first section is on the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.The next section is on visits to the Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This includes an instruction on Spiritual Communion. There are eight meditations for the Feast and Octave of Corpus Christi.This is followed by a Novena to the Sacred Heart.Over 200 pages are devoted to meditations on charity, commenting on Saint Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 13: “Charity is...”This is followed by ten meditations on Charity.This work closes with a pious exercise to obtain the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost. Saint Alphonsus writes on Spiritual Communion: “As in all the following visits to the Most Blessed Sacrament a spiritual Communion is recommended, it will be well to explain what it is, and the great advantages which result from its practice. A spiritual Communion, according to St. Thomas, consists in an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament, and in lovingly embracing Him as if we had actually received Him.“How pleasing these spiritual Communions are to God, and the many graces which He bestows through their means, was manifested by our Lord Himself to Sister Paula Maresca, the foundress of the convent of St. Catharine of Sienna in Naples, when (as it is related in her life) He showed her two precious vessels, the one of gold, the other of silver. He then told her that in the gold vessel was preserved her sacramental Commuinions, and in the silver one her spiritual Communions. He also told Blessed Jane of the Cross that each time that she communicated spiritually she received a grace of the same kind as the one that she received when she really communicated. Above all, it will suffice for us to know that the holy Council of Trent greatly praises spiritual Communions, and encourages the faithful to practice them. “Hence all devout souls are accustomed often to practice this holy exercise of spiritual Communion. Blessed Agatha of the Cross did so two hundred times a day. And Father Peter Faber, the first companion of St. Ignatius, used to say that it was of the highest utility to make spiritual Communions, in order to receive the sacramental Communion well.All those who desire to advance in the love of Jesus Christ are exhorted to make a spiritual Communion at least once in every visit that they pay to the Most Blessed Sacrament, and at every Mass that they that they hear; and it would even be better on these occasions to repeat the Communions three times, that is to say, at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end. This devotion is far more profitable than some suppose, and at the same time nothing can be easier to practice. The above-named Blessed Jane of the Cross used to say, that a spiritual Communion can be made without any one remaking it, without being fasting, without the permission of our director, and that we can make it at any time we please: an act of love does all.”
THE SAINT ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI COLLECTION [30 BOOKS] CATHOLIC WAY PUBLISHING — 25 Books in One E-Book: The Complete Ascetical Works and More — Over 3.5 Million Words. 18,824 Active Linked Endnotes — Includes an Active Index and 25 Table of Contents for Each Book — Includes Illustrations by Gustave Dore Saint Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori, C.Ss.R. (27 September 1696 – 1 August 1787), was an Italian Catholic bishop, spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, and theologian. He founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists). In 1762 he was appointed Bishop of Sant'Agata dei Goti. A prolific writer, he published nine editions of his Moral Theology in his lifetime, in addition to other devotional and ascetic works and letters. Among his best known works are The Glories of Mary and The Way of the Cross, the latter still used in parishes during Lenten devotions. He was canonized in 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI. Pope Pius IX proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1871. One of the most widely read Catholic authors, Alphonsus Liguori is the patron saint of confessors. ———BOOKS——— THE COMPLETE ASCETICAL WORKS Vol. I: Preparation for Death Vol. II: The Way of Salvation and of Perfection Vol. III: The Great Means of Salvation and of Perfection Vol. IV: The Incarnation Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ Vol. V: The Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ Vol. VI: The Holy Eucharist Vol. VII & VIII: The Glories of Mary Vol. IX: The Victories of the Martyrs Vol. X & XI: The True Spouse of Jesus Christ Vol. XII: Dignity and Duties of the Priest Vol. XIII: The Holy Mass Vol. XIV: The Divine Office Vol. XV: Preaching Vol. XVI: Sermons for All the Sundays in the Year Vol. XVII: Miscellany Vol. XVIII: Letters of Saint Alphonsus de Liguori THE WORKS OF SAINT ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI Saint Alphonsus de Liguori Biography How to Pray at All Times The Way of the Cross The History of Heresies and their Refutation Uniformity with God’s Will The School of Christian Perfection The Religious State Sermons Upon Various Subjects Devout Reflections on Various Spiritual Subjects The Life of Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori FIVE POPULAR BOOK EXCERPTS The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ Visits to the Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell Nine Discourses for Times of Calamities The Seven Sorrows of Mary SEVEN ARTICLES By and About Saint Alphonsus de Liguori PUBLISHER: CATHOLIC WAY PUBLISHING
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