{"id":692,"date":"2012-08-01T15:51:00","date_gmt":"2012-08-01T15:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/st-alphonsus-helps-chart-the-way-to-heaven-pope-says\/"},"modified":"2012-08-01T15:51:00","modified_gmt":"2012-08-01T15:51:00","slug":"st-alphonsus-helps-chart-the-way-to-heaven-pope-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/st-alphonsus-helps-chart-the-way-to-heaven-pope-says\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Alphonsus helps chart the way to heaven, Pope says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Aug 1, 2012 \/ 09:51 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Pope Benedict XVI praised the 18th century Italian St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori for reminding Christians of the key to heaven \u2013 prayer.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cSt. Alphonsus reminds us that the relationship with God is essential in life and that only with a daily personal prayer and participation in the sacraments, can the Divine presence that directs, illuminates and makes safe and peaceful our path, even in the midst of difficulties and dangers, grow in us,\u201d said the Pope during his General Audience address August 1.<\/p>\n

\tSpeaking to thousands of pilgrims gathered in the town of Castel Gandolfo\u2019s main square, the Pope marked today\u2019s feast day of St. Alphonsus by meditating on what the founder of the Redemptorist order had to say about the importance of prayer.<\/p>\n

\tIt is \u201ca means necessary to salvation and the graces we need to achieve it,\u201d he wrote in his 1759 treatise \u201cPrayer: The Great Means of Salvation and of Perfection.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThis sentence synthesizes Alphonsian understanding of prayer,\u201d said the Pope, \u201cSt. Alphonsus wanted us to understand that in every situation of life we need to pray, especially in times of trial and difficulty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tTherefore we \u201cmust always knock at the door of the Lord with confidence\u201d and never be afraid \u201cto turn to him with confidence and to submit to our petitions, in the certainty of receiving what we need.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tSt. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori was born into a noble family on the outskirts of Naples in southern Italy in 1696. He initially pursued a successful career as a lawyer but gave it up to enter the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in 1723 and was ordained to the priesthood three years later.<\/p>\n

\tIn 1732 St. Alphonsus founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer or Redemptorists as they are also known. He died 1787 at the age of 90.\u00a0 His canonization followed in 1839 courtesy of Pope<\/p>\n

\tGregory XVI while Pope Pius IX proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1871. Pope Benedict suggested that the enduring popularity of St. Alphonsus is due to his \u201csimply, straightforward style\u201d and his teaching on the Sacrament of Reconciliation.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIn a time of great rigor, the result of the influence of Jansenism, he recommended confessors to administer this sacrament expressing the joyful embrace of God the Father, who in his infinite mercy never ceases to welcome every repentant son,\u201d said the Pope.<\/p>\n

\tHe also recalled how the saint proposed that \u201chealth and all the grace we need\u201d are what is truly required in life, meaning \u201cnot only the health of the body, but primarily that of the soul which Jesus gifts to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tIt is this \u201cliberating presence\u201d of Christ that \u201cmakes us truly fully human, and thus our existence full of joy\u201d and can only achieved through prayer said the Pope.<\/p>\n

\tTo illustrate this need for prayer, St. Alphonsus would often give the example of St. Philip Neri, who \u201cfrom the first moment when he woke in the morning, said to God: 'My God, beware of Philip; otherwise he will betray you.'\u201d<\/p>\n

\tIt is \u201conly through prayer,\u201d said the Pope, that we can accept the grace of Christ \u201cwhich, by illuminating us in every situation, helps us discern the truth, and, by fortifying us, renders our will capable of implementing what we know to be good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Aug 1, 2012 \/ 09:51 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI praised the 18th century Italian St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori for reminding Christians of the key to heaven – prayer.<\/p>\n

\t“St. Alphonsus reminds us that the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-europe"],"yoast_head":"\nSt. Alphonsus helps chart the way to heaven, Pope says<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Aug 1, 2012 \/ 09:51 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI praised the 18th century Italian St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori for reminding Christians of the key to heaven – prayer. “St. Alphonsus reminds us that the...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/st-alphonsus-helps-chart-the-way-to-heaven-pope-says\/\" \/>\n<meta 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