He resigned as bishop and local ordinary of his diocese only thirteen years after assuming office. He was treated as a stranger in his own city, despite having been born into one of its noble families. The man was neither appreciated in his hometown nor by his religious congregation. He was expelled not only as the leader of the congregation he established but also from the very order he founded.
He died lonely, away from his community, yet strangely at peace at the age of ninety. Suffered from failing health and near blindness, part of which contributed to his not reading between the lines and signing himself out of the congregation he had founded. Yet, immediately after his death, testimonies of his courage and virtue, together with corresponding miracles soared. They revealed that this man was indeed a child of God. His life embodied the very moral and spiritual teachings he had written in more than one hundred books as a witness to Christ. Saint Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists), is a clear example of the glory that rises from the heart of the crucifixion. The Church honors him as a saint and he is also among the very few declared Doctors of the Church. Doctors of the Church are those whose teachings provide extraordinary insight into various aspects of the Church’s life and doctrine.
The Trials of the Just One
Jeremiah describes the trial and the plots against the innocent prophet. Interestingly enough, these did not come from the irreligious but from the “priests and prophets,” who instigated the princes and the people (cf. Jer 26:11). The story of the persecution of the just often begins with those closest to their cause. It was the same with our Blessed Lord, with John the Baptist as we see in the Gospel, and with many saints whose lives became a prolonged experience of crucifixion. In the end, however, there is always that prophetic voice arising from the most unexpected places, bearing witness to the virtue of the just. “Thereupon the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, ‘This man does not deserve death'” (Jer 26:16).
Yet, one should also expect the flourishing that arises from such suffering, for it gives rise to an untold effulgence of grace and virtue that shine forth for all to see.
I have often wondered why sainthood would not be the nicest thing to achieve. Why should it be so hard to practice habits that are redemptive? Why must we remain vigilant when divine love calls us to serve with joy and purity of heart? The answer is right there with the man hanging on the cross, who often is silent even when I pester him with my questions. His silence speaks louder than any words he could say, just as his seeming silence when the saint was expelled from his own congregation appeared to mark the end of everything. We fail to see the other story. What if he had never been expelled? What if, without that painful rejection and the restoration of his reputation after death, his congregation would not have survived? There are many what ifs, but only the seemingly silent God knows what truly is. So, I simply follow, no matter what.
An Invitation
Anyone who is serious about a saintly lifestyle today must grow thick-skinned against the pains of rejection and persecution. Nothing about becoming a saint is easy. Yet everything about it, when all is said and done, is the most joyful of all human desires.
I invite us to consider this: What precious choices can I make today that will help me stand firm in faith, by God’s grace, when circumstances beyond my control try to pull me in the opposite direction? In what ways might I hold firm and see the silver lining God reveals even in the darkest moments? What support system do I have when God seems silent and the road dark?
Saint Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us.
[Readings: Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24; Matthew 14:1-12]
Related Reading
“Nothing about becoming a saint is easy. Yet everything about it, when all is said and done, is the most joyful of all human desires”.
Thank you, Fr Maurice, for this inspiring reflection. May Saint Alphonsus Liguori pray for us. Amen.