The Spirit of the Lord is upon him consecrating him and sending him to preach the Gospel to the poor" (Introit). "He has been sent from above, to bring the people to penance" (Alleluia). With that object in view he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Collect) whose members he sent, following the Saviour's example, into the country, to the towns and villages to announce the kingdom of God (Gospel).
He vowed never to lose a moment of his time and never in the whole of his life did he commit a mortal sin.
He wrote religious works filled with profound learning and piety and is therefore honoured by the Church as a Doctor. Emphasizing the importance of prayer in the divine plan, he condenses all his treatise on grace in one sentence: "He who prays is saved, he who does not pray is damned."
St. Alphonsus was forced to accept the bishopric of "St. Agatha of the Goths", near Naples. He died at the age of 91 in 1787 - The Benedictine Pope Pius VII commanded three fingers of his right hand to be sent to Rome. "Let them come to Rome," he said, "those holy fingers which have written so well for the glory of God, of the Virgin Mary and of religion."
[The Redemptorists, founded in 1732 and approved in 1749, numbered in 1933, 6318 religlous. They have three canonized saints: St. Alphonsus, their founder, St. Clement-Mary Hofbauer, and St. Gerard Majella. The latter, justly called the wonderworker for his miracles were innumerable. They number 8 venerables and 12 servants of God whose cause has been introduced at Rome. They have given to the Church several cardinals and bishops and a host of men illustrious by their preaching and writing.]
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, wherefore He hath anointed me, to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me, to heal the contrite of heart. * Attend, O My people, to My law: incline your ear to the words of My mouth.
(St Luke 4:18 and Psalm 77:1 from the introit of Mass)
Deus, qui per beatum Alphonsum Mariam, Confessorem tuum atque Pontificem, animarum zelo succensum, Ecclesiam tuam nova prole fecundasti: quaesumus; ut ejus salutaribus monitis edocti, et exemplis roborati, ad te pervenire feliciter valeamus.
O God who, through the burning zeal for the salvation of souls of blessed Alphonsus Mary, Thy confessor and bishop, didst enrich Thy church with fresh offspring: grant, we beseech Thee, that imbued with his wholesome doctrine, and strengthened by his examples, we may, by Thy grace, come happily unto Thee.
(Collect)
From the Catholic Encyclopaedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01334a.htm
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