St. Alphonsus de Liguori "Uniformity with God's Will" - Preface

Title: Uniformity with God's Will
      Creator(s): Liguori, St. Alphonsus de (1696-1787)
     Print Basis: Tan Books [nd]
          Rights: Public Domain
   CCEL Subjects: All; Christian Life; Proofed
      LC Call no: BX4700 .L6 A25
     LC Subjects:

                  Christian Denominations

                  Roman Catholic Church

                  Biography and portraits

                  Individual

                  Saints, A-Z
     __________________________________________________________________

                           Uniformity With God's Will

Saint Alphonsus de Liguori

   "Perfection is founded entirely on the love of God: Charity is the bond
   of perfection;' and perfect love of God means the complete union of our
   will with God's."

   St. Alphonsus

  Translated by Thomas W. Tobin, C.SS.R.
     __________________________________________________________________

                                    Preface

   In Volume 1, Opere Ascetiche di S. Alfonso M. de Liguori, Roma, 1933,
   "Uniformity with God's Will" is included as one of three works under
   the heading, "Lesser Works on Divine Love." There is no preface in the
   Italian original. However, it has been thought well to provide one
   here.

   Prof. Candido M. Romano [1] says this brochure was written probably in
   1755, as appears from a letter by the Saint, under date of Nov. 2,
   1755, to Sister Giannastasio, at Cava. Romano goes on to say:

   "This (i.e. God's will) was for Alphonsus a theme of predilection, a
   theme dearest to his heart. Just as St. Ignatius stressed the greater
   glory of God,' St. Alphonsus in all his works, gave prominence to the
   greater good pleasure of God.' Most likely the occasion that brought
   forth this treatise was the death, in 1753, of Father Paul Cafaro,
   C.SS.R., St. Alphonsus' confessor and director. The death of this
   worthy priest deeply affected the Saint and he expressed his sentiments
   in a poem on God's will. The wide acclaim it received may have
   suggested to him the thought that a tract on the same subject would be
   helpful to the souls of others. If this be true, his surmise proved
   correct, for the appearance of his subsequent pamphlet was greeted with
   instant favor."

   Cardinal Villecourt, in his Life of St. Alphonsus, quotes long passages
   from this pamphlet and ends by saying: "Our Saint frequently read it
   himself and when his sight had failed he arranged to have it read to
   him by others."

   This brochure bears the stamp of Alphonsian simplicity of style and
   solidity of doctrine. Moreover the instances he cites from the lives of
   the saints have a gentle graciousness and contain a fragrance that is
   redolent of the Fioretti of St. Francis of Assisi.

   Through God's grace and our Lady's prayers may a diligent reading of
   the book bring us far along the way of perfection by the cultivation of
   uniformity with God's holy will!

   THOMAS W. TOBIN, C.SS.R.

   Oct. 16, 1952.

   Feast of St. Gerard Majella, C.SS.R.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1] Saggio Storico di Prof. Candido M. Romano, Roma Libreria Salesiano,
   1896.
     __________________________