Paintings of St. Alphonsus Liguori depict a man hunched over, chin resting on his chest, with a face full of sweetness, patience, and resignation. Still, there is a brightness in the eye and a strength in the lines of the jaw which tell us that here is an indomitable man.
Alphonsus is among those saints who were allowed to suffer intensely and apparently fruitlessly during their lifetime.
The holy priest was in his thirties when illness first struck him, and from then until his death in 1787—aged 90—he never fully recovered. Part of his ill health was due to his spiritual vigor and work ethic. When Alphonus had a task at hand, he did not spare himself until it was complete—and when there was no task at hand, he found one.
Alphonsus’s illnesses brought him to the brink of death eight times—not including his final illness. Each time, the Sacrament of Extreme Unction healed him and returned him to his work on earth: writing, going on missions, establishing and defending the Redemptorist Order, and even reforming a neglected diocese.
When he was 78, a rheumatic fever left Alphonsus paralyzed and severely bent. He continued in this condition until his death, yet even this could not mar his unabated energy and zeal. It can be truly said of this saint that he perfected the virtue of perseverance.
We all struggle at times to embrace God’s will as St. Alphonsus did. But his classic and compelling work—Uniformity with God’s Will—can help you with exactly that! Finding Peace in the Storm is an approachable version of St. Alphonsus’s original work. It intersperses commentary, explanations, context, and reflections amid the original text so you can easily understand and apply St. Alphonsus’s wisdom. Get your copy today at The Catholic Company!
