Bøger af St Alphonsus M Liguori

IF the reading of the Lives of the Saints is a great means to preserve piety, as is said by St. Philip Neri, and as is taught by all the masters of spiritual life, we shall find it yet more useful to read about the victories that the holy martyrs gained by sacrificing their lives amid torments. Hence, before relating their individual triumphs, we shall consider, to our spiritual advantage, the principal virtues of which they gave proofs in their combats. There is no doubt that the martyrs are indebted for their crown to the power of the grace which they received from Jesus Christ; for he it is that gave them the strength to despise all the promises and all the threats of tyrants, and to endure all the torments till they had made an entire sacrifice of their lives. So that all their merits, as St. Augustine writes, were the effects of the grace that God in his mercy imparted to them. But it is also certain, and even of faith, that on their part the martyrs co-operated with the grace which enabled them to obtain their victory. Innovators have blasphemed against this truth, saying that all the crimes of the wicked and all the good works of the just are the offspring of necessity; but the same St. Augustine gives them the lie when he says that in this case no reward or punishment would be just. The martyrs, therefore, acquired great merits, because the virtues of which they gave proofs in their combats were great and heroic. We shall briefly describe these virtues in order that we may imitate them in the tribulations to which we may be exposed in this life.

CONTENTS THE MYSTERIES OF THE FAITH. THE INCARNATION. DISCOURSES FOR THE NOVENA OF CHRISTMAS. DISCOURSE I. The eternal Word is made man 10 II. The eternal Word being great becomes little 23 III . The eternal Word from being lord became a servant. 33 IV. The eternal Word from being innocent becomes as it were guilty 41 V. The eternal Word from being strong became weak 50 VI. The eternal Word from being his own has made himself ours 58 VII. The eternal Word from being happy made himself afflicted 67 VIII. The eternal Word from being rich made himself poor 77 IX. The eternal Word from being high made himself low 86 Discourse for Christmas night. The birth of Jesus Christ 94 Discourse on the name of Jesus 102 Examples of the Infant Jesus 111 MEDITATIONS FOR EVERY DAY OF ADVENT. MEDITATION I. Goodness of God in the work of the redemption 117 II. Grandeur of the mystery of the Incarnation 119 III. The love of God for men 121 IV. The Word was made man in the fullness of time 123 V. The abasement of Jesus 125 VI. Jesus enlightens the world and glorifies God 127 VII. The Son of God was laden with all our iniquities 129 VIII. God sends his Son to die in order to restore us to life 131 IX. The love that the Son of God has shown us in the redemption 133 X. Jesus, the man of sorrows, from the womb of his Mother 135 XI. Jesus charged with the sins of the whole world 137 XII. Jesus suffers during his whole life 139 XIII. Jesus wished to suffer so much to gain our hearts 141 XIV. The greatest sorrow of Jesus 143 XV. The poverty of the Infant Jesus 145 XVI. Jesus is the fountain of grace 146 XVII. Jesus the charitable physician of our souls 148 XVIII. We should hope all things from the merits of Jesus Christ 150 MEDITATIONS FOR THE NOVENA OF CHRISTMAS. I. God has given us his only Son to save us 151 II. Bitterness of the heart of Jesus in the womb of his mother. 153 III. Jesus made himself a child to gain our confidence and our love 155 IV. The Passion of Jesus lasted during his whole life 158 V. Jesus offered himself for our salvation from the beginning 160 VI. Jesus a prisoner in the womb of Mary 162 VII. The sorrow that the ingratitude of man caused Jesus 164 VIII. The love of God manifested to man by the birth of Jesus 166 IX. St. Joseph goes to Bethlehem with his holy spouse 168 MEDITATIONS FOR THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS AND THE FOLLOWING DAYS TILL THE EPIPHANY. I. The birth of Jesus 170 II. Jesus is born an Infant 172 III, . Jesus in swaddling-clothes 174 IV. Jesus taking milk 177 V. Jesus lying on the straw 179 VI. Jesus sleeping 181 VII. Jesus weeping 182 VIII. The name of Jesus 184 IX. The solitude of Jesus in the stable 186 X. The occupation of the Infant Jesus in the stable of Bethlehem 188 XI. The poverty of the Infant Jesus 190 XII. The abasement of Jesus 192 FOR THE OCTAVE OF THE EPIPHANY. I. The adoration of the Magi 194 II. The presentation of Jesus in the Temple 195 III. The flight of Jesus into Egypt 197 IV. The dwelling of Jesus in Egypt 199 V. The return of Jesus from Egypt. 201 VI. The dwelling of Jesus at Nazareth. 203 VII. The same subject continued 205 VIII. The loss of Jesus in the Temple 206 OTHER MEDITATIONS. FOR THE FIRST ElGIIT DAYS OF ADVENT. I. The love that God has manifested to us in the incarnation of the Word 209 AND MUCH MORE!

Counsels Concerning a Religious Vocation 6 I. We ought to conform to the Designs of God in the Choice of a State of Life, whatever it may be. 6 II. The Vocation to the Religious State. How Important it is to follow it promptly. 7 1. Misery to Which One Exposes One's Self by Not Corresponding to It 7 2. We Must Obey the Voice of God Without Delay 10 III. Means to be Employed for Preserving a Religious Vocation in the World. 13 Secrecy 14 Prayer 19 Recollection 20 Disposition Required for Entering Religion 20 Detachment from Comforts 23 -from Parents 25 -Self-Esteem 27 -from One's Own Will 30 Trials Which We Must Expect to have in the Religious Life 33 Conclusion 27 Considerations for Those Who are Called to the Religious State 39 How the Salvation of the Soul is Secured by Entering the Religious State 39 The Happy Death of the Religious 41 The Account He Will have to Render to Jesus Christ on the Day of Judgment Who Does Not Follow His Vocation 45 The Torment Which Will be the Lot of Him Who is Damned for Having Lost His Vocation 47 The Immense Glory Which the Religious Enjoy in Heaven 49 The Interior Peace that God Gives to Good Religious to Enjoy 52 The Damage Done to Religious by Tepidity 55 How Dear to God is a Soul That Gives Itself Entirely to Him 58 How Necessary it is, in Order to Become a Saint, to Have a Great Desire for Such a Thing 61 The Love We Owe to Jesus Christ in Consideration of the Love He Has Shown to Us 64 The Great Happiness Religious Enjoy in Dwelling in the Same House with Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament 67 The Life of Religious Resembles Mostly the Life if Jesus Christ 70 The Zeal Which Religious Ought to Have for the Salvation of Souls 72 How Necessary to Religious are the Virtues of Meekness and Humility 75 How Much Religious Ought to Confide in the Patronage of Mary 78 Prayers Taken from St Thomas Aquinas 80 Answer to a Young Man Who Asks Counsel on the Choice of a State of Life 82 Advice to a Young Person in Doubt About the State of Life She Ought to Embrace 89 Discourse to Pious Maidens 95 Vocation to the Priesthood 108 Appendix 122 Hymn 126 The Choice of a State of Life, and the Vocation to the Religions State. COUNSELS CONCERNING A RELIGIOUS VOCATION. I. We ought to conform to the Designs of God in the Choice of a State of Life, whatever it may be. It is evident that our eternal salvation depends principally upon the choice of our state of life. Father Granada calls this choice the chief wheel of our whole life. Hence, as when in a clock the chief wheel is deranged, the whole clock is also deranged, so in the order of our salvation, if we make a mistake as to the state to which we are called, our whole life, as St. Gregory Nazianzen says, will be an error. If, then, in the choice of a state of life, we wish to secure our eternal salvation, we must embrace that to which God calls us, in which only God prepares for us the efficacious means necessary to our salvation. For, as St Cyprian says: "The grace of the Holy Spirit is given according to the order of God, and not according to our own will;" and therefore St. Paul writes, Every one hath his proper gift from God." That is, as Cornelius a Lapide explains it, God gives to everyone his vocation, and chooses the state in which he wills him to be saved. And this is the order of predestination described by the same apostle: Whom he predestinated, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified, . . . and them he also glorified. We must remark that in the world this doctrine of the vocation is not much studied by some persons. They think it to be all the same, whether they live in the state to which God calls them, or in that which they choose of their own inclination, and therefore so many live a bad life.

I WILL add here the victories of those martyrs who in the islands of Japan suffered death in order to profess their faith in Jesus Christ. In giving their history I have selected the most heroic and the most wonderful traits by which they signalized their zeal for the Christian religion. I trust that my readers will be very well pleased to see in the midst of a barbarous nation so many Christians, -men, women, children, old people-after they had embraced the faith, seeking with eagerness the opportunity to die for Jesus Christ, and manifesting their joy at being able to suffer for him the most cruel torments. CONTENTS NOTICE 6 I. Miraculous cross found near Arima. Persecution in the Kingdom of Bungo. Joram Macama. Courage of the Christians 6 II. Persecution by the Emperor Taicosama. Great zeal of the Christians. Twenty-six martyrs crucified at Nangasaki 8 III. Persecution in the Kingdom of Fingo. John Minami; Magdalen, his wife, and Louis, their adopted son; with Simon Taquenda; Jane, his mother; and Agnes, his wife 15 IV. Persecution in the Kingdom of Saxuma and d'Amanguchi. James Sacoiama, Melchior Bugendono, Damian, the blind man. Leon Xiquemon 21 V. New persecution in Fingo. Joachim Girozaiemo, Michael Faciemon and his son Thomas, John Tingoro and his son Peter 24 VI. Persecution in the Kingdom of Firando. Caspar Nixiguenca; Ursula, his wife; and John, their son. 26 VII. Death of the King of Arima and persecution raised by his son. Thomas Onda and his family. Francis and Matthew, young princes. Eight martyrs burnt alive. The tyrant punished 28 VIII. General persecution ordered by the Emperor Daifusama. Firmness of the Christians of Meaco 35 IX. Persecution in the Kingdoms of Aqui and Bungo. Benedict, a converted bonze. Two families that were put to the test. Michael; Lin, his brother and Maxentia, his wife 36 X. Joachim and Thomas of Facata. Adam of the Island of Xiqui. Paul of the Kingdom of Jamaxiro 39 XL Persecution at Nangasaki and at Omura. Brother Leonard Guimura and his companions. Lin Toiemon 42 XII. In the Kingdom of Bungo, James Faito, Balthasar and his son James 44 XIII. Fifty-two martyrs burnt alive at Meaco 45 XIV. Ignatius Xiquiemon, martyred at Fucimo. Conversion of a bonze who had led a bad life. Matthias, of the Kingdom of Arima 48 XV. Simon Bocusai and his companions, in Bungo. John Ciu and Joseph Ito, at Nangasaki. Leo Xonda, in Fingo 50 XVI. Persecution in the Kingdom of Oxu. A father reclaimed by the example of his child. Joachim and Ann of Mizusama 52 XVII. Great execution at Nangasaki. Justa, her daughter Mary, and her daughter-in-law Agatha. Paul Gazaiemon. Constancy of a child 53 XVIII. Many victims of the persecution at Jedo. Mary Jagesa and her companions. Massacre of children 56 XIX. Francis Sintaro and Matthias Squiraiemon at Firoxima. John Cuffroi in the Kingdom of Zio 56 XX. In the island of Nancaia, Isabella, mother of Damian, and his family; Mary, widow of John Sucamota, and his four sons 59 XXI. In the Kingdom of Firando, Michael Fiemon and his family 61 XXII. Five religious burnt alive at Omura. Leo Misaqui and his three sons, at Bungo 62 XXIII. Caius and James Coici, burnt at Omura 63 XXIV. Organtin Tanxu, and Lucy, his wife, burnt at Funai. 65 XXV. Monica Oiva, killed by her relatives at Cubota. Thirty-two martyrs burnt alive 66 XXVI. Peter Cabioie and Susanna. John Naisen and Monica, young Louis, and their companions, executed at Xangasaki 67 and more...

Saint Alphonsus set a high value on this little treatise. He recommends it in several places of his works, and we read in one of his spiritual letters (December 18, 1767) that he himself used it nearly every day. In it is to be found the expression of those sentiments with which the saintly author mostly loved to nourish himself, and by which he sanctified his soul. In this treatise are chiefly repeated, under every form, the most fervent acts of contrition and of love. "They are irresistible darts that pierce the hardest hearts, and in flame divine love in the coldest souls." These pious reflections may be especially used when we are in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, in our Visits, before and after Holy Communion, during Holy Mass and other divine services, or when we meditate on the Passion of our Lord. This treatise, entitled Darts of Fire, was published by the holy author in 1767. - ED. Darts of Fire Or Proofs that Jesus Christ Has Given Us of His Love in the Works of Redemption To anyone who considers the immense love which Jesus Christ has shown us in his life, and especially in his death, it is impossible not to be stirred up and excited to love a God who is so enamoured of our souls. St. Bonaventure calls the wounds of our Redeemer wounds which pierce the hardest hearts, and inflame divine love in the coldest souls. Therefore, in this short examination of the love of Jesus Christ, let us consider, according to the testimony of the divine Scriptures, how much our loving Redeemer has done to make us understand the love that lie bears us, and to oblige us to love him. I. Dilexit nos, et tradidit semctipsum pro nobis. "He hath loved us, and hath delivered Himself for us." - Ephes. 5:2. God had conferred so many blessings on men, thereby to draw them to love him; but these ungrateful men not only did not love him, but they would not even acknowledge him as their Lord. Scarcely in one corner of the earth, in Judea, was he recognized as God by his chosen people; and by them he was more feared than loved. He, however, who wished to be more loved than feared by us, became man like us, chose a poor, suffering, and obscure life, and a painful and ignominious death; and why? To draw our hearts to himself. If Jesus Christ had not redeemed us, he would not have been less great or less happy than he has always been; but he determined to procure our salvation at the cost of many labors and sufferings, as if his happiness depended on ours. He might have redeemed us without suffering; but no, - he willed to free us from eternal death by his own death; and though he was able to save us in a thousand ways, he chose the most humiliating and painful way of dying on the cross of pure suffering, to purchase the love of us, ungrateful worms of the earth. And what indeed was the cause of his miserable birth and his most sorrowful death, if not the love he had for us? Ah, my Jesus, may that love which made Thee die for me on Calvary destroy in me all earthly affections, and consume me in the fire which Thou art come to kindle on the earth. I curse a thousand times those shameful passions which cost Thee so much pain. I repent, my dear Redeemer, with all my heart for all the offences I have committed against Thee. For the future I will rather die than offend Thee; and I wish to do all that I can to please Thee. Thou hast spared nothing for my love; neither will I spare anything for Thy love. Thou hast loved me without reserve; I also without reserve will love Thee. I love Thee, my only good, my love, my all.

ST. ALPHONSUS was in his eightieth year when he wrote the VICTORIES OF THE MARTYRS, which appeared in the year 1776. He had just been relieved by Pope Pius VI of the burden of the episcopate, which weighed so heavily upon him, but not of the burden of his Congregation, which furnished him with a retreat that was most laborious. Moreover, he had to compose this work in the midst of the greatest sufferings, says Father Tannoia. The kingdom of Naples, he adds, received this new fruit of the zeal of our saint with general satisfaction; and in the opinion of Canon Fabius Massa, the Church was to derive the greatest profit from it, nothing being better suited, especially in those calamitous times, to strengthen the faith and to enkindle piety. But the reading of such a book is not less useful in our age, and will be so in every age. The constancy of the faithful will always be tried, piety will always be persecuted, by the enemies of Jesus Christ: All that will lire godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Other sufferings will also not be wanting; for the road leading to heaven is sown with all kinds of tribulations: Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. Such was the way in which our divine Saviour walked: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into his glory? And he himself informs us that his disciples and his servants should be treated as he was treated: The disciple is not above the master, nor the servant above his Lord. But he assures us that the trial will never be above our strength, and that he is ready to aid those that call upon him: And God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able; but will also make with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it. Hence he wishes us to have unshaken confidence while we are in the midst of the most cruel anguish, since beforehand he has made sure our victory: In the world you shall have distress: but have confidence, I have overcome the world. He even wishes that at such a time we should be filled with joy while considering the eternal reward that he has prepared for the pains of a moment: Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. And when we think of the love that our Saviour has shown us in all that he has done and suffered for us, our hearts are inflamed with gratitude and love towards him; we, then, desire to labor and to suffer yet more for his glory; we desire to sacrifice for him our lives, finding no other happiness than that of suffering and dying for God. Such are the sentiments that we admire in the athletes of the faith-sentiments with which we feel ourselves sweetly penetrated while reading the Victories of the Martyrs. This volume is a selection of the most beautiful examples drawn from the history of the martyrs of every age and place, after the time of the apostles, and taken from the best sources. We have carefully revised these sources in order to be able to establish the correctness of the narrative according to the intention expressed by the author in his preface. We have at times found it necessary, as was the case in the preceding works, to make certain corrections; we have even here and there added the name of a place or of a person, a date or some trifling circumstance, which the clearness and the interest of the narration seemed to us to demand. When, however, we did not follow the author literally, we only did so in order to render his thought more clear; and when the matter appeared to us to be of some importance, we added a note, so as to give to this good book all the accuracy that the readers might desire. In a word, we have done what we think the author would himself have done, and have written for our time and for those for whom our work is intended, without, however, confounding what is the translator's with what belongs to the author, whose every word has always been sacred to us.

Introduction 8 Part I The Necessity, Power and Conditions of Prayer Chapter I 11 The Necessity of Prayer Chapter II 34 The Power of Prayer Chapter III 46 The Conditions of Prayer Part II Which Proves That the Grace of Prayer is Given to All and Which Treats of the Ordinary Mode in Which This Grace Operates Introduction 83 Chapter I 84 God Wishes All Men to be Saved and Therefore Christ Died to Save All Men Chapter II 104 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 Chapter III 124 Exposition and Confutation of Jansenius' System of "Delectation Relatively Victorius Chapter IV 157 God Gives All the Grace to Pray if They Choose, as the "Sufficient Grace" Which is Common to All Men is by Itself Enough for Prayer Devout Practices 190 Mental Prayer and Exercises of a Retreat Chapter I Mental Prayer 203 Chapter II The Exercise of a Retreat 235 The Choice of a State of Life and the Vocation to the Religious State 341 Counsels Concerning a Religious Vocation 341 Considerations for Those Who are Called to the Religious State 375 Answer to a Young Man Who Asks Counsel on the Choice of a State of Life 419 Advice to a Young Person in Doubt About the State of Life She Ought to Embrace 426 Discourse to Pious Maidens 432 Vocation to the Priesthood 445 Appendix 460 Hymn 463 Introduction Necessary to be read I have published several spiritual works, on visiting the Blessed Sacrament, on the Passion of Jesus Christ, on the Glories of Mary, and, besides, a work against the Materialists and Deists, with other devout little treatises. Lately I brought out a work on the Infancy of our Saviour, entitled Novena for Christmas; and another entitled Preparation for Death, besides the one on the Eternal Maxims, most useful for meditation and for sermons, to which are added nine discourses suitable during seasons of Divine chastisements. But I do not think that I have written a more useful work than the present, in which I speak of prayer as a necessary and certain means of obtaining salvation, and all the graces that we require for that object. If it were in my power, I would distribute a copy of it to every Catholic in the world, in order to show him the absolute necessity of prayer for salvation. I say this, because, on the one hand, I see that the absolute necessity of prayer is taught throughout the Holy Scriptures, and by all the holy Fathers; while, on the other hand, I see that Christians are very careless in their practice of this great means of salvation. And, sadder still, I see that preachers take very little care to speak of it to their flocks, and confessors to their penitents; I see, moreover, that even the spiritual books now popular do not speak sufficiently of it; for there is not a thing preachers, and confessors, and spiritual books should insist upon with more warmth and energy than prayer; not but that they teach many excellent means of keeping ourselves in the grace of God, such as avoiding the occasions of sin, frequenting the sacraments, resisting temptations, hearing the Word of God, meditating on the eternal truths, and other means, all of them, I admit, most useful; but, I say, what profit is there in sermons, meditations, and all the other means pointed out by masters of the spiritual life, if we forget to pray? Since our Lord has declared that he will grant his graces to no one who does not pray. "Ask and ye shall receive." (John 16:24)