MEMORIAL OF ST ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, BISHOP, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH AND FOUNDER OF A RELIGIOUS ORDER.
THE GOODNEWS:
Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus
and said to his servants,
“This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
THE GOODNEWS:
Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus
and said to his servants,
“This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison
on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,
for John had said to him,
“It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,
for they regarded him as a prophet.
But at a birthday celebration for Herod,
the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests
and delighted Herod so much
that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.
Prompted by her mother, she said,
“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,
he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.
His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,
who took it to her mother.
His disciples came and took away the corpse
and buried him; and they went and told Jesus."
Saturday August 1st 2026 in the 17th Week in Ordinary Time is the the Memorial of St Alphonsus Liguori CSSR, Bishop and Doctor of the Church and a founder of the Redemptorists.
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696 - 1787) is Italian.
St Alphonsus founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists).
The Redemptorists are active today in missionary work all over the world.
Alphonsus Liguori was trained in civil and canon law.
He was an eminent moral theologian and sought after for his gifts as a confessor and spiritual director.
St Alphonsus Liguori was also a writer and publisher of many books. He was gifted exceptionally by God. He was a very sick man most of his long life.
One of the most delightful contributions of St Alphonsus Liguori is his teaching on the precious doctrine of Divine Providence.
God's mighty, merciful and mysterious Providence governs all things.
There is no exception to this divine law.
This teaching can be found in a very small book called: UNIFORMITY WITH GOD'S WILL.
St Alphonsus Liguori is one of the most eminent Mariologists in the Church. His work on the Blessed Virgin Mary is still a classic today.
St Alphonsus Liguori is the patron saint of moral theologians.
We read in today's Gospel about the Beheading of John the Baptist.
When we die as martyrs, we are most like Jesus. This is why the Church honors martyrs very highly.
If someone asks you:
How do you know that Heaven is real? Your answer could be among others: Look at the martyrs. Intelligent and beautiful men and women! Could they have thrown away the only life they had for nothing?
Think of all the Apostles and Saints: Cecilia, Agatha, Thomas More, Lawrence, Edmond Campion, Paul Miki, Miguel Pro, Maximilian Kolbe, Charles Lwanga and companions and others.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10: 28)
August is the Month dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Mary says: "In the end. My Immaculate Heart will triumph."
The Sovereign Decree of the Pre-Ordained Heart.
"The Almighty, looking down from the throne of His majesty upon all the daughters of men, saw one who was worthy to be the Mother of the Word Incarnate...
In the same eternal decree in which He predestined the Incarnation of Divine Wisdom, He also appointed the immaculate purity and holiness of Mary."
— Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus.
In the grand teleology of salvation history, the Virgin Mary was never a divine afterthought or a mere contingency plan. Divine Providence, in an unalterable, eternal decree, linked the Person of Jesus and His Holy Mother in a singular blueprint of redemption.
Her Immaculate Heart was conceived in the Mind of God before the creation of the stars, specifically designed to serve as the pure, unblemished tabernacle for the Incarnate Word.
Contemplate the profound intentionality behind the creation of the Virgin Mary's Heart.
Long before the fall of Adam, Divine Providence foresaw the sanctuary required for the Savior of the world.
Her Immaculate Heart is the supreme masterpiece of the Holy Spirit, fashioned with absolute precision so that no stain of sin, self-love, or worldliness could ever cross its threshold.
Realize that your life today is encompassed within that same divine, providential care. Nothing in your present circumstances—your duties, your interior struggles, or your daily trials—is accidental. Divine Providence has brought you to the dawn of this month of August to enter into the quiet, unshakeable sanctuary of Mary’s Heart.
Allow the Holy Spirit to realign your priorities today, redirecting your soul from passing temporal anxieties toward the eternal purpose for which you were created.
Prayer
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pre-ordained by Divine Providence for the glory of the Incarnation, rule and guide my soul today.
For Prayers of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Litany, Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, etc click the link below:
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