Famous phrases of Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, aphorisms, thoughts and quotations from the books of the Catholic bishop who founded the order of the Most Holy Redendor, also known as a composer of famous Christmas melodies, including the well-known "You Descend from the Stars".
Phrases Sant’Alfonso Maria de Liguori
- You come down from the stars, O King of heaven, and come to a cave in the cold to the frost, and come to a cave in the cold to the frost. O my divine Child, I see you tremble here. O blessed God, ah how much it cost you to have loved me, ah how much it cost you to have loved me. To you who are of the world the creator is missing cloth and fire, oh my Lord, is missing cloth and fire, oh my Lord. Dear elected child, how much more does this poverty fall in love because it made you poor love again, because it made you poor love again.
- A Christian who does not like meditation is morally impossible to live fervently, but will live lukewarm and relaxed. A fortiori a priest or religious.
- The scriptures are too clear, which make us see the need we have to pray if we want to save ourselves. We must always pray, and never tire (Lk 18: 1). Watch and bream not to fall into temptation (Mt 26,41). Ask and you will get (Mt 7,7).
- Without the help of grace, we cannot do any good. Without me you cannot do anything (Jn 15,5).
- But this help of grace, the Lord by ordinary providence, grants it only to those who pray, according to the famous sentence of Gennadio: We believe that no one will come to health if God does not invite him; no one invited works health, if not helped by God; no one deserves help, except through prayer (De Eccl. dogm. ch. 26).
- It is also called the food prayer of the soul because without food the body cannot sustain itself, and without prayer, says St. Augustine, the soul cannot be kept alive (De sal. Doc. C. 28).
- Without prayer it is impossible to resist temptations and practice the commandments. Prayer is also the most necessary weapon to defend ourselves from enemies: those who do not avail themselves of this, says St. Thomas, are lost.
- And in fact how could we resist the forces of our enemies, and observe the divine precepts, especially after the sin of Adam, which made us so weak and infirm, if we did not have the means of prayer, so we can already from the Lord impetrate light and enough strength to observe them?
Sant’Alfonso Maria de Liguori thoughts
- If it is therefore lawful to recommend oneself to the living, why is it not legitimate to invoke the Saints, who enjoy God more closely in heaven? This is not to derogate from the honor that is due to God, but to duplicate it, as it is to honor the king not only in his person, but still in his servants. Which therefore says St. Thomas, be well that many Saints are used, because with the prayers of many, sometimes one obtains what is not achieved through the prayer of one.
- Be warned that the greatest suffrage for purging souls is to hear Mass for them, and in that to recommend them to God for the merits of the Passion of Jesus Christ, saying thus: Eternal Father, I offer you this sacrifice of Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, with all the pains he suffered in his life and death; and for the merits of his Passion I recommend the souls of Purgatory and especially ... etc. And it is an act of great charity to recommend at the same time the souls of all the agonizing ones.
Recommended readings- Phrases of St. Dominic of Guzman: biography
- Phrases of Santa Gemma Galgani: quotes and aphorisms
- Phrases of Saint Anthony of Padua: quotes, aphorisms
- Phrases of San Filippo Neri: famous aphorisms from the writings
- Phrases of San Camillo de Lellis: quotes and thoughts
- And since humility is the foundation of all virtues, how great was the humility of the Mother of God!
- Mary has cooperated with her charity in the spiritual birth of the faithful, so God wants, that she also cooperate in her intercession to make them achieve the life of grace in this world, and the life of glory in the other. And therefore the Holy Church makes us call and greet her with absolute terms: life, sweetness, and our hope.
- Our prayers are so dear to God, that He has destined the Angels to present to him immediately those which are made by us: "The Angels, says St. Hilary, supervise the prayers of the faithful, and offer them to God every day" (Ch. 18, in Matth.). This is precisely that sacred smoke of incense, that is, the prayers of the Saints, which St. John saw ascending to the Lord, offered to him by the hand of the Angels (Rev. 8). And elsewhere (Ibid. C. 5), the same Holy Apostle writes, that the prayers of the Saints are like certain gold jars full of sweet smells, and very pleasing to God.
- We can do everything with divine help, which is given to everyone who humbly asks for it, so that we have no excuse, when we let ourselves be overcome by temptation. We remain defeated only through our fault, because we do not pray. With the prayer, St. Augustine writes, all the pitfalls and forces of the enemies are well overcome (De sal. Doc. C, 28).
- If God admitted us to present our pleas to him once a month, it would be a great favor. The kings of the earth attend a few times a year, but God always gives an audience.
- The chicks of the swallows do nothing but scream, thereby seeking help and food for their mothers. So we must always cry out, asking God for help to avoid the death of sin, and to advance in his holy love.
