Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori was born on September 27, 1696, in Marianella, near Naples, Italy. He earned a law degree at just 16 years old, obtaining his doctorate. After a conflict with his father, he left his legal career and was ordained a priest in 1726. In 1732, he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists), dedicated to evangelization and the care of souls, especially the poor. Appointed Bishop of Sant’Agata de’ Goti in 1762, he carried out significant reforms in the diocese. He resigned from the bishopric in 1775 due to health problems and died on August 1, 1787, in Pagani, Italy. He was canonized in 1839 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1871, recognized for his contributions to moral theology. Saint Alphonsus devoted himself to preaching, confession, and spiritual formation, emphasizing divine mercy and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Virgin Mary. His works, such as Moral Theology, The Glories of Mary, and Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, stand out for their clarity and depth, offering practical guidance for Christian life. As a bishop, he promoted spiritual renewal and clergy education. His spirituality combines moral rigor with compassion, influencing the Church’s pastoral approach and moral theology.
Introit (Lk 4:18 | Ps 77:1)
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; therefore He has anointed me and sent me to preach the Gospel to the poor and to heal the contrite of heart. Ps. Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. ℣. Glory be to the Father…
Collect 1
O God, who through the ministry of St. Alphonsus Maria, your Confessor and Bishop, inflamed with zeal for the salvation of souls, enriched your Church with a new religious family, we beseech You that, instructed by his saving teachings and strengthened by his example, we may happily reach You. Through Our Lord.
Collect 2 (of St. Stephen)
Look kindly, Eternal Shepherd, upon Your flock and keep it under Your constant protection, through the intercession of the blessed Stephen, Your Martyr and Supreme Pontiff, whom You established as Shepherd of the whole Church. Through Our Lord.
Epistle (2 Tim 2:1-7)
Dearest: Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you have heard from me through many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Take your share of hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in worldly affairs, in order to please the one who enlisted him. Likewise, an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.
Gradual (Ps 118:52-53; Ps 39:11 | Sir 49:3-4)
I remembered, O Lord, Your eternal judgments, and I was comforted. I am faint with sorrow because of sinners who forsake Your law. ℣. I have not hidden Your justice within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation. Alleluia, alleluia. ℣. He was destined by God to convert the people and caused the abominations of wickedness to disappear. He directed his heart to the Lord and in the days of sinners he strengthened his piety. Alleluia.
Gospel (Lk 10:1-9)
At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two before Him into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. And He said to them: The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go; behold, I send you as lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, nor bag, nor sandals, and greet no one along the way. Whatever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house. And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not move from house to house. And when you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and say to them: The Kingdom of God has come near to you.
Reflections
🕊️ The Spirit of the Lord, who anoints for mission, is not a passing gift, but a permanent dwelling that transforms the heart of the evangelizer, enabling him to console the afflicted with divine truth.
(St. Augustine, Sermons on the Gospel of Luke, 10, 1)
✝️ The strength of the apostle lies in the grace of Christ, which sustains him in trials, for true fortitude does not come from man, but from union with the divine will.
(St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Second Letter to Timothy, 2, 1-3)
🤲 The mission to evangelize the poor requires detachment, for a heart bound to earthly goods cannot carry the lightness of the Gospel.
(St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Reflections on the Passion, Ch. 3)
🕊️ The peace offered by the disciples is a reflection of Christ's peace, which is not limited to the absence of conflict, but is the fullness of the divine presence in the human heart.
(St. Ambrose, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, 10, 5-6)
🔥 Zeal for the salvation of souls, like that of St. Alphonsus, is the flame of divine love that consumes the heart of the shepherd, driving him to sacrifice everything for the glory of God.
(St. John Chrysostom, Homily on the Apostolic Life, 15)
📖 In Matthew 10:7-14, Jesus instructs the apostles to announce that “the Kingdom of Heaven is near,” while in Luke 10:9, the focus is “the Kingdom of God has come near,” suggesting an emphasis on the imminence of the divine presence. Matthew adds the command to “heal lepers and raise the dead,” expanding the scope of miracles.
👿 In Mark 6:7-13, it is emphasized that the disciples “cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick,” a detail absent in Luke, who emphasizes only healing the sick, suggesting a more general approach to the mission.
🕊️ In John 20:21-23, the passage complements with the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, conferring on them the power to forgive sins, a point not mentioned in Luke, which focuses on proclamation and physical healing.
✍️ In Romans 10:14-15, St. Paul emphasizes the need for preachers to be sent so that faith may be proclaimed, complementing Luke 10:1-9, where the mission of the seventy-two is described without explicitly stating the origin of faith in the listeners.
📢 In 1 Corinthians 9:16-17, Paul speaks of the obligation to preach the Gospel, even without material reward, echoing Jesus’ instruction in Luke to accept what is offered, while highlighting the intrinsic duty of the mission.
🐑 In Philippians 2:1-4, Paul exhorts humility and mutual service, deepening the idea in Luke of entering homes “as lambs,” suggesting an attitude of total surrender and vulnerability.
📚 The Catechism of Trent (1566) emphasizes that the mission of the apostles is continued by priests, who must teach and sanctify, expanding Luke’s idea of the seventy-two as forerunners of the missionary Church.
⛪ The encyclical Mystici Corporis Christi (1943) by Pius XII reinforces that the Church, as the Body of Christ, is sent to all peoples, detailing the ecclesial unity implicit in the collective mission of the seventy-two in Luke.
