Santi e Beati
Saint Alphonsus today. Faith that speaks to the heart (and the conscience) in a fast-paced world
Editrice Shalom
Tempo di lettura: 3 min
Autore: Editrice Shalom
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In an age when everything seems volatile and authenticity is a rare commodity, there is a giant of faith who continues to speak to us in a surprisingly timely voice: Saint Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori (1696-1787). Founder of the Redemptorists and Doctor of the Church, Alphonsus is not one of those saints kept in the drawer of ancient memories. No, his spirituality is alive and resonates powerfully, capable of speaking both to the mind and, especially, to the heart. His is a faith that feels like home, a popular spirituality that embraces everyday life and its challenges.
Faith that takes to the streets: a God for everyone
Alphonsus never built inaccessible theological castles. On the contrary, he built bridges. His vision of God was revolutionary for his time, presenting a loving Father rather than a distant and fearsome judge. His preaching and writings have a disarming familiarity; they speak the language of ordinary people: artisans, farmers, exhausted mothers, young people searching for meaning. His faith is concrete, lived in the streets, in homes, in the struggles of everyday life, far from abstractions. “God wants the whole person: the mind, but also hands soiled by work and a heart weary from loving,” he reminds us. This popular spirituality is his legacy, a faith that “takes to the streets.”
Timeless masterpieces: guides for the souls of yesterday and today
Consider works such as Preparation for Death, The Glories of Mary, or The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ. They are not simply spiritual texts; they are genuine inner journeys, spiritual experiences written with the ink of compassion and practicality. His words do not float in the heavens but walk alongside us. Every page is an embrace, a comfort for those afraid of death, forgiveness for those who believe themselves lost, and breath for those who can no longer hope. These texts, still read and translated into dozens of languages today, demonstrate their ability to touch the human soul in every age, transcending time itself.
A teacher for an authentic life
In a world that often seems to reward superficiality, Saint Alphonsus offers us valuable keys to a deeper and more authentic life:
• Embracing mercy as a way of life: in contrast to the rigorism and Jansenism of his time, Alphonsus proposed a vision of God as a merciful Redeemer, a Father who welcomes sinners. He teaches us that there is no sin greater than God’s tenderness, and that “God is more eager to forgive than we are to sin.” It is a powerful invitation to live and offer mercy, a reflection of divine love.
• Finding hope in fragility and hardship: Alphonsus himself experienced suffering and illness (he was afflicted by deforming arthropathy and was almost blind), yet his experience shows that even in suffering, illness, and failure, we can find light and meaning. Suffering becomes a sacred place where the heart can find light and joy. He invites us to find hope even in everyday struggles.
• Conscience as a living compass. Honesty, loyalty, and consistency: this is perhaps one of the most surprisingly modern aspects of Alphonsus. His brilliant legal career came to an abrupt end because of a disappointment he experienced during a judicial trial plagued by falsehoods. That painful experience led him to recognize and make room for the inner voices of conscience. Alphonsus teaches us, in fact, that conscience is the place where we encounter God, a living compass to be listened to and formed with love and truth. In a time when honesty and consistency seem like “old-fashioned” virtues, Alphonsus reminds us that we do not need to be saints already to choose what is good. We simply need to begin - a powerful invitation to daily integrity, maintaining a balanced and prudent position.
Saint Alphonsus’s popular spirituality is a caress for modern people: real, close, transformative. Reading Alphonsus Maria de Liguori is like having coffee in the morning: it awakens the best part of us. It does not demand, but accompanies. It does not judge, but lifts us up. It is a luminous guide for living a concrete faith, a merciful heart, and an upright conscience every day.
Are you ready to walk with Saint Alphonsus, allowing yourself to be enlightened by his words, so close and relevant to our time?
