St. Alphonsus Liguori: Patron of Confessors

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Our modern Church is marred by scandal (in the moral sense, not political) and sin. One does not have to look far to find an example of how our culture and our humanity has been torn down. It is quite deplorable and disheartening.

However, we need not live in anguish or despair. Great hope abounds, primarily in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In that setting, God grants penitents an abundance of grace to overcome enslavement to sin. Confession has the potential to heal broken individuals, and thereby heal a broken Church and culture.

There is one problem, though. Not enough people are availing themselves of the sacrament. It is sad, but there are a few primary reasons. One of the most prevalent of those reasons is that a confessor was rude, judgmental, uncaring, or all three. Thereby, many people have been traumatized by "bad" confessions.

Thus, the words of St. Alphonsus Liguori ought to be proclaimed to all sinners, penitents, and confessors.
"If all preachers and cofessors would discharge their duties as they should, the whole world would be holy! Bad preachers and bad confessors are the ruin of the world; and every preacher and every confessor is bad who is not devoted to his office, who does not study to improve himself in it, who does not fulfill it to the very best of his ability" (Circular Letters, p. 12).

The previous quote proves to readers that, despite his intellectual rigor and busy schedule, St. Alphonsus was a man who preached the mercy and love of God. Few other men would have arranged to pay the debts of some one who persecuted him so fiercely. It is no wonder that he is heralded by the Church as the Patron of Confessors.

On this feast of St. Alphonsus, let us pray that confessors will allow the love, mercy, peace, and joy of God to work through them in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Let us also pray that more Catholics will seek out that love, mercy, peace, and joy by going to Confession.

God Bless.

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