SALT LAKE CITY –There are times in our spiritual lives that we feel such dryness; such a distance from God that we actually wonder if He is with us. In times like this it is good for us to turn to the saints on our behalf. Often they can offer us the closeness to God for which we have prayed. In "Saint Alphonsus Ligouri for Every Day," edited by Trent Beatie and published by Paulist Press, we find a saint who has a prayer for us and will pray with us every day if we so choose. St. Alphonsus Ligouri was founder of the of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (a community known as the Redemptorists). St. Alphonsus, by the age of 16, had earned a double doctorate in canon and civil law. He used his extraordinary gifts in ministry to others. By the time he was 36, he was named Bishop of the Diocese of Agatha of the Goths. At the age of 66, he spent his time presenting missions and spiritual direction. At one time he was known as the most published writer in history. He was a noted moral theologian and, in his day (1696-1787) his reputation was The Voice of the Church and the Will of God. St. Alphonsus suffered throughout his life with debilitating arthritis, but he prayed scrupulously, asking others to pray with him and for him. He offered his pain to God on behalf of others who suffered, and rarely complained about his personal discomfort. Occasionally, his pain makes its way into his prayer life, and he cannot help but ask God for some relief. St. Alphonsus Ligouri was canonized by Pope Gregory XVI in 1839; declared a Doctor of the Church in 1871 by Pope Pius IX, and named patron of confessors and moralists in 1950 by Pope Pius XII. "St. Alphonsus Ligouri for Every Day" is a little tome with a prayer for each day of the year and it often echoes the voices of those saints who came before St. Alphonsus and quotes his words as they have been used by other esteemed writers. What a spiritual director and what a saint to ask to intercede for us when our lives are not going well! St. Alphonsus places all of our spiritual failures directly on us. In his March21 prayer, he reminds us: "If we are not saved, the whole fault will be ours, and we shall have our own failure to answer for, because we did not pray. Prayer, prayer, and always prayer!" Of the Mass, St. Alphonsus writes: "The Sacrifice of the Mass, instituted by Our Lord before his death, is a continuation of the Sacrifice of the Cross." Devoted to Mary, as evidenced by his prayers for the month of May, St. Alphonsus borrowed the words of St. Germanus: "He called her the most blessed virgin; the breath of Christians." "Saint Alphonsus Ligouri for Every Day" is one of a set of books on prayers with the saints. Other books in the series include: "The Little Way for Every Day: Thoughts from Therese of Lisieux," selected and translated by Francis Broome, CSP; Saint Teresa of Avila for Every Day: Reflections from the Interior Castle," edited by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD; "St. John of the Cross for Every Day," edited by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD; Scripture Versus of every Day," edited by Michale P Kerrigan, CSP; "Saint Paul the Apostle for Every Day," edited by Michael P. Kerrigan, CSP; "Isaac Hecker for Every Day," edited by Ronald Franco," CSP. Each of these books will help us do as St. Francis Ligouri writes: "Prayer, prayer, and always prayer!" "Saint Alphonsus Ligouri for Every Day," edited by Trent Beattie, Paulist Press, New York/Mahwah N.J., softcover, $8.95.
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