The Rev. C. Hoffman (C.SS.R) compiles some of the thoughts from a man who suffered and was sick. It took Alphonsus Liguori nineteen years to die and here are the thoughts that sustained him. These thoughts are the ones which so cheered Aubrey Beardsley, artist-convert, in his last moments: I have been reading a good deal of St. Alphonsus Liguori; no one dispels depression more effectively than he. Reading his loving exclamations so lovingly reiterated, it is impossible to remain dull and sullen. This book is suggested for those who are hospitalized, bed-ridden or suffering from illness and need some hopeful and practical thoughts to help them with their time of trial. Nihil Obstat: Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D.; Imprimatur: Patrick Cardinal Hayes; First printed 1932.
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.
Taking, then, for granted that prayer is necessary for the attainment of eternal life, we should consequently, also, take for granted that everyone has sufficient aid from God to enable him actually to pray, without need of any further special grace; and that by prayer he may obtain all other graces necessary to enable him to persevere in keeping the Commandments, and so gain eternal life; so that no one who is lost can ever excuse himself by saying that it was through want of the aid necessary for his salvation. For as God, in the natural order, has ordained that man should be born naked, and in want of several things necessary for life, but then has given him hands and intelligence to clothe himself and provide for his other needs; so, in the supernatural order, man is born unable to obtain salvation by his own strength; but God in His goodness grants to every one the grace of prayer, by which he is able to obtain all other graces which he needs in order to keep the Commandments and to be saved. But before I explain this point, I must prove two preliminary propositions. First, that God wills all men to be saved; and therefore that Jesus Christ has died for all. Secondly, that God, on His part, gives to all men the graces necessary for salvation; whereby every one may be saved if he corresponds to them. Chapter I 5 God Wishes All Men to be Saved and Therefore Christ Died to Save All Men Introduction 5 I. God Wishes All Men to be Saved 6 Decision of the Church 6 The Celebrated Text of St Paul 8 Other Texts of Scripture 12 General Consent of the Fathers 15 II. Jesus Christ Died to Save All Men 17 The Testimony of Holy Scripture 18 The Teaching of the Holy Fathers 19 III. Children Who Die Without Baptism 24 Chapter II 27 God Commonly Gives to All the Just the Grace Necessary for the Observance of the Commandments and to All Sinners the Grace Necessary for Conversion I. Proofs 27 Teaching of the Fathers of the Greek Church 28 Teaching of the Fathers of the Latin Church 29 Testimony of Holy Scripture 32 II. Obstinate or Hardened Sinners and the Abandonment of Them by God 35 Chapter III 46 Exposition and Confutation of Jansenius's System of "Delectation Relatively Victorious" I. The System of Jansenius 46 Refutation of the First Proposition 48 Refutation of the Third Proposition 55 II. The Doctrine of St Augustine on the "Victorious Delectation" and on the Free Will 58 III. Continuation of the Refutation of Jansenius and of his Adherents 65 Chapter IV 79 God Gives All Men the Grace to Pray If They Choose, as the "Sufficient Grace" Which is Common to All Men is by Itself Enough for Prayer I. The Principle Theologians Who Teach This Doctrine 79 II. Authority Upon Which This Doctrine is Based 88 Holy Scripture 88 The Council of Trent 89 The Holy Fathers 94 III. Reasons That Justify This Doctrine 101 Conclusion 110 Devout Practices 112 Prayer to Obtain Final Perseverance 113 Prayer to Jesus Christ to Obtain His Holy Love 114 Prayer to Obtain Confidence in the Merits of Jesus Christ and in the Intercession of Mary 116 Prayer to Obtain the Grace of Being Constant in Prayer 118 Prayer to be Said Every Day to Obtain the Graces Necessary for Salvation 120 Thoughts and Ejaculations 123 Hymn: Invocation of the Blessed Virgin in Time of Temptation 126
St. Alphonsus Liguori's Moral Theology has long been praised and held in the highest regard by the Church, covering every moral question of his day. Mediatrix Press is pleased to bring you the first English Translation of this excellent work, once widely read but relegated to obscurity on account of the loss of Latin fluency in Western Society. Volume 1 embraces the first three Books of Alphonsus' Moral Theology. Bl. Pope Pius IX declared: "Focusing his mind on the glory of God and the spiritual salvation of men he wrote many books, related with holy erudition and piety, whose opinions were between those embraced by both more lax and rigid theologians, to fortify the safe path by which the confessors of Christ's faithful could advance without dashing their foot upon a stone. [Apostolic Letter Honoring St. Alphonsus with the title of Doctor of the Church]
St. Alphonsus Liguori's Moral Theology has long been praised and held in the highest regard by the Church, covering every moral question of his day. This first ever English translation features books 1-3 of the Theologia Moralis, on Conscience, Law, Sin and the Theological Virtues. Additionally, it contains several treatises on the saint on the use of equally probable opinion, the papacy, and more. St. Alphonsus comes highly recommended by the Catholic tradition Bl. Pope Pius IX declared: "It happened, not without the most provident counsel of God almighty, that since the doctrine of the Jansenist innovators turned all eyes to themselves, enticing many to the sight of their error and leading them over to it, it was then that Alphonsus Maria Liguori stood up, the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and the Bishop of St. Agatha of the Goths, who, 'fighting the good fight, opened his mouth in the midst of the Church'; and by his learned writings and labors eradicated this plague, roused from hell, and saw to it tear it out and so exterminate it from the field of the Lord. Not only did Alphonsus appoint these shares for himself, but focusing his mind on the glory of God and the spiritual salvation of men he wrote many books, related with holy erudition and piety, whose opinions were between those embraced by both more lax and rigid theologians, to fortify the safe path by which the confessors of Christ's faithful could advance without dashing their foot upon a stone; whether to train and establish the clergy, or to confirm the truth of the Catholic faith and to defend against the heretics of every kind or name; or to assert the laws of this Apostolic See; or to rouse the souls of the faithful to piety." [Apostolic Letter Honoring St. Alphonsus with the title of Doctor of the Church] The famous theologian Reginald Garrigou Lagrange, O.P. declared: "[The Casuistic method] was inefficacious in urging men to lead good lives, [and] tends to laxism. ... But during this period there appeared a man, sent by God, to remedy the evils of casuistry. This man was St. Alphonsus Liguori, doctor of the Church, founder of the Redemptorists, renowned author of many works, ascetic and moral, highly praised by various popes. He is rather practical than speculative. As founder of aequiprobabilism, he cleansed casuistry from the defects of probabilism and laxism." Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange Beatitude, c. II, p. 13. "One of St. Alphonsus' names is Doctor Moralis, the moral doctor. This name is deserved for three reasons: 1) his work Theologia Moralis, translated into English here for the first time, as well as various other works, treated moral theology with a thoroughness like no other work of a prior saint. 2) St. Alphonsus was a true scholar by mastering virtually all contributors in the field of moral theology up to his own time. Like St. Thomas who was known for his synthesis of theology in general, St. Alphonsus is clearly a master of synthesizing the various moral authors throughout time. ... 3) He addressed moral problems that had not been addressed by St. Thomas himself or other authors. ... St. Alphonsus provides a thoroughness to moral theology which is very much needed today, in which approaches are often not based upon reality, the natural law, or sound reasoning." Fr. Chad Ripperger, PhD Mediatrix Press is pleased to bring you the first English Translation of this excellent work, once widely read but relegated to obscurity on account of the loss of Latin fluency in Western Society. Volume 1 embraces the first three Books of Alphonsus' Moral Theology.
The saint himself tells us that his book is suitable not only to nuns, but also to all members of the religious state, in that which refers to the observance of the vows, regular discipline, and the perfection of their state. As for the practice of Christian virtues, the work will be found highly useful even for seculars. We add that this volume should with greater reason be serviceable to ecclesiastics, especially to those that are charged with the difficult task of directing souls in the spiritual life; they may draw therefrom lights that may not perhaps be found as clear and as sure elsewhere. CONTENTS THE APOSTOLIC BENEDICTION 6 NOTICE 7 THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE 10 CHAPTER I. - THE MERIT OF VIRGINS WHO HAVE CONSECRATED THEMSELVES TO GOD 11 1. They become like the Angels, and are the Spouses of Jesus Christ 11 2. How much more Happy are Virgins than Married Women even in this Life 13 3. Excellence of Virginity 16 CHAPTER II. THE ADVANTAGES OF THE RELIGIOUS STATE 26 CHAPTER III THE RELIGIOUS SHOULD BELONG ENTIRELY TO GOD 41 CHAPTER IV. THE DESIRE OF PERFECTION 55 CHAPTER V. THE DANGER TO WHICH AN IMPERFECT RELIGIOUS, WHO IS BUT LITTLE AFRAID OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF HER IMPERFECTIONS, EXPOSES HER SALVATION 68 CHAPTER VI. CONTINUATION OF THE SAME SUBJECT 78 CHAPTER VII. INTERIOR MORTIFICATION, OR ABNEGATION OF SELF-LOVE OBEDIENCE 89 I. Necessity of combating Self-love. Practical Rules 89 II. Detachment from Self-will 98 III The Merit of Obedience 105 IV The Obedience Due to the Superiors 110 V. The Obedience due to the Rule 118 FIRST EXCUSE 119 SECOND EXCUSE 121 THIRD EXCUSE 122 FOURTH EXCUSE 124 VI. The Four Degrees of Perfect Obedience 131 THE FIRST DEGREE 131 THE SECOND DEGREE 133 THE THIRD DEGREE 134 THE FOURTH DEGREE 136 CHAPTER VIII. EXTERIOR MORTIFICATION 142 I. Its Necessity and Advantages 142 II. The Mortification of the Eyes, and Modesty in General 150 1. MORTIFICATION OF THE EYES 150 2. MODESTY IN GENERAL 155 III. The Mortification of the Appetite 159 IV. The Mortification of the Sense of Hearing, of Smell, and of Touch 169 CHAPTER IX. RELIGIOUS POVERTY 173 I The Vow of Poverty, the Perfection of Poverty, and Community Life 173 II. The Degrees and the Practice of Perfect Poverty 182 FIRST DEGREE 182 SECOND DEGREE 183 THIRD DEGREE 188 FOURTH DEGREE 190 CHAPTER X. DETACHMENT FROM RELATIVES AND OTHER PERSONS 193 I. Detachment from Relatives 193 II. Detachment from Seculars, and even from the Sisters. 200 CHAPTER XI HOLY HUMILITY 208 The Advantages of Humility 208 II. The Humility of the Intellect or of the Judgment 214 III. Humility of the Heart or of the Will 221 IV. Continuation of the Same Subject, and especially Patience, in bearing Contempt 229 CHAPTER XII FRATERNAL CHARITY 240 The Necessity of this Virtue, and its Practice in our Thoughts and Sentiments 240 PRACTICE OF CHARITY IN OUR THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS 243 II. The Charity to be Practised in Words 246 III. The Charity to be Practised in Works, and towards Whom it is to be Practised 254 CHAPTER XIII. PATIENCE 263 Patience in General 263 II. Patience in Sickness, Poverty, Contempt, Persecutions, and Spiritual Desolation 273 I. PATIENCE IN SICKNESS 273 2. PATIENCE IN POVERTY 276 3. PATIENCE IN CONTEMPT AND PERSECUTIONS 278 4. PATIENCE IN SPIRITUAL DESOLATION 279 5. A FEW PRACTICAL COUNSELS 281 III. Patience in Temptations 283 CHAPTER XIV. RESIGNATION TO THE WILL OF GOD 292 I. The Merit of Resignation to the Divine Will 292 II. In what Things we Ought, in a Special Manner, to Resign Ourselves 298 CHAPTER XV. MENTAL PRAYER 306 CHAPTER XVI. SILENCE, SOLITUDE, AND THE PRESENCE OF GOD 324
WE have gathered in this volume all that has reference to the holy ministry of preaching, its importance, the good that it accomplishes, and the manner of exercising it, so that the greatest amount of fruit may be derived from it. In regard to the ministry of preaching, we must distinguish its three parts, namely: The first has for its object PREACHING IN GENERAL, its necessity from a point of view of divine Providence, and the manner in which one should preach in order to make preaching successful under all circumstances; the second regards the MISSIONS, their various exercises, and the means that one should employ to make them a success; the third is INSTRUCTION, or the Large Catechism, which one should use while giving it, and the best method that should be followed in order to interest, to enlighten, and to move others, either during the mission or at any other time. “My dearest Brothers in Jesus Christ: The principal thing that I recommend to you is the love of Jesus Christ. Very much are we bound to love him. For this end he has chosen us from all eternity, and called us into his Congregation, there to love him, and to make others also love him. What greater honor, what greater mark of love, could Jesus Christ have shown us? He has snatched us from the midst of the world, in order to draw us to his love, and that, during the pilgrimage of this life, by which we must pass into eternity, we might think of nothing but of pleasing him, and of bringing those crowds of people to love him who every year, by means of our ministry, abandon sin, and return to the grace of God. It is generally the case that when we begin a mission the greater number of the people of the place are at enmity with God, and deprived of his love; but five or six days have scarcely elapsed when, behold, numbers, as if roused from a deep sleep, begin to listen to the exhortations, the instructions, and the sermons; and when they see that God offers them his mercy, they begin to weep over their sins, and conceive the desire of being reconciled with him; the way of pardon is opened before them, and seeing it, they begin to abhor that manner of life which they had previously loved; a new light begins to shine upon them, and a peace hitherto unknown touches their hearts. Then they think of going to confession, to remove from their souls those vices which kept them separated from God; and whereas before a Mass of a quarter of an hour appeared to them too long, five decades of the Rosary too tedious, and a sermon of half an hour unendurable, they now gladly hear a second and a third Mass, and they are sorry when the sermon, which has lasted an hour and a half, or perhaps two hours, is over. And of whom does the Lord make use, if not of us, to work so wondrous changes, and to bring the people to delight in those very things that before they despised? When the mission is over, we leave in the place two or three thousand persons who love Almighty God, who before were living at enmity with him, and who were not even thinking of recovering his grace.” And while, on the one hand, the holy Founder of an Order which is altogether apostolic has accomplished and is still accomplishing so much good by his word; on the other hand, by his admirable writings, which have raised him to the rank of Doctor of the universal Church, he does not cease to preach, every day, with the greatest fruit, to a countless number of souls in all parts of the world. ED.
THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST I. The sacrifices of the Old Law were figures of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ 4 II. Fulfilment of the prophetic figures 8 SHORT EXPLANATION OF THE PRAYERS OF MASS 13 HEARING MASS 39 PIOUS EXERCISE to acquire the proper disposition for making a good Confession 42 ACTS FOR HOLY COMMUNION. I. Preparation for Communion 48 Acts before Communion 51 II. Thanksgiving after Communion 55 Acts after Communion 56 LOVING ASPIRATIONS to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Before Communion 64 After Communion 73 HYMNS Holy Communion. 84 To Jesus after Communion 85
Chapter I Mental Prayer 5 I. Mental Prayer is Morally Necessary for Salvation It Enlightens the Mind 5 It Disposes the Heart to the Practice of Virtues 6 It Helps Us to Pray as We Should 8 II. Mental Prayer is Indispensable in Order to Attain Perfection 10 III. The Ends of Mental Prayer 14 To Unite Ourselves to God 14 To Obtain Grace from God 16 We Ought not to Seek in Mental Prayer Spiritual Consolations 17 IV. Principal Subjects of Meditation 18 V. The Place and the Time Suitable for Meditation 20 VI. Manner of Making Mental Prayer 24 Preparation 24 The Meditation 26 The Conclusion 31 VII. Distractions and Aridities 32 Chapter II The Exercise of a Retreat 36 Advantages of the Spiritual Exercises Made in Retreat Letter to a Young Man Who is Deliberating on the Choice of a State of Life 36 Hymn: Invitation to Solitude 51 Meditations for a Private Retreat of Eight Days 52 Introduction 52 The Importance of Salvation 54 The Vanity of the World 61 Our Journey to Eternity 68 Sin 76 Death 83 Judgment 93 Remorse of the Christians in Hell 99 Love for Jesus Crucified 104 Hymn: To God the Creator 108 Various Practices 109 Rules for Leading a Good Life 109 Devout Acts to be Made Every Day 111 Spiritual Maxims for a Christian 113 An Epitome of the Virtues of Which the Christian Soul that Desires to Lead a Perfect Life and Become a Saint Should Exercise Itself 117 Appendix 133 The Manner of Making a Retreat 133
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