Jesus audibly calls Alphonsus Liguori to follow him

A talented young lawyer, Alphonsus Liguori lost his first case in 1723, after 8 years of practice. Disillusioned with the corruption of the judicial system, he quit the profession of law and began a period of intense spiritual reflection. Shortly afterwards, in the midst of a heavenly light, he heard a very kind male voice say to him: "Alphonsus, leave the world and, from now on, live only for me!"It was an utter shock. He entered the seminary, studied theology, and was ordained a priest. Until his last breath, "without wasting a minute" - as he was fond of saying - he led a life of eminent holiness.

Antsirabe Cathedral, Saint Alphonse Liguori and the children / © Shutterstock, godongphoto.

Les raisons d'y croire :

Had Liguori been the victim of a visual and auditory hallucination, his conversion and vocation to the priesthood would probably not have lasted and he would have reconsidered his decision.

It should be pointed out that his family and social circle were not supportive of his decision to become a priest: they tried to dissuade him, but to no avail.

The saint's description of his vision and locution, sober but precise, is absolutely consistent with many other phenomena of the same type, recorded and recognised throughout the history of the Catholic Church.

It is hard to imagine Saint Alphonsus Liguori being fooled by this vision, given his exceptional and universally acknowledged authority in the field of theology - he was elevated to the rank of Doctor of the Church on 23 March 1871. In fact, his written work is monumental, varied, and of great spiritual depth. These works do not contain a single doctrinal error or erroneous spiritual judgement.

Liguori himself wrote: "When reading about the ecstasies and raptures of a Saint Teresa [...], some souls in prayer are tempted to desire these supernatural communities. Such desires must be rejected, because they are contrary to humility." This shows the cautious and uncompromising way in which he looked at mystical phenomena: he was not seeking mystical transports.

The founding of the Redemptorists, a religious order that is still very much alive in 2025, was also the fruit of a mystical experience that Liguori was able to discern: on 3 October 1731, Maria Celeste Crostarosa (beatified by Pope Francis in 2016), told Alphonsus of a vision she had, which he prudently reported to his confessor: she had seen Liguori at the side of Saint Francis of Assisi, who pointed to him and said: "This is the founder of a new order of missionaries in the Church."

The conversion of Alphonsus Liguori had countless universal repercussions, indicating its supernatural origin. In addition to founding the Redemptorists, Liguori's conversion and priestly ministry were the source of conversions to Christ, healings (a dying child who came back to life; another who was mute and began to speak; a blind man who regained his sight..), newfound peace, etc.

Synthèse :

Alphonsus Maria di Liguori was born into a noble and deeply religious Neapolitan family on 27 September 1696. He received a solid intellectual education. When he was still very young, his mother, a woman of great piety, introduced him to the things of the faith; it was thanks to her that Alphonsus quickly acquired an excellent catechetical training.

His natural qualities won him the admiration of his family: he possessed a remarkable imagination, a keen mind, sound judgement, good interpersonal skills, an excellent memory, sensitivity to the misfortunes of others... Young Alphonsus studied Latin, French, history, geography, geometry, painting, music, with quality private tutors, in short the privileged education of the elite.

He made his First Communion at the age of ten. Under the guidance of Father Pagano, an Oratorian priest, the teenager enjoyed praying, taking part in the liturgy and learning about the history of the Church. His faith was growing with his years.

He studied law, and earned a doctorate at 16, after obtaining a four-year age exemption. After a three-year internship with a fellow lawyer, he pleaded his first case at the age of twenty. His knowledge and skills made him a successful lawyer.

But in 1723, a providential event pushed him to end this promising career, to start a period of reflection and introspection, and to eventually take a completely different direction. The wealthy and influential Duke Orsini had asked him to defend his interests in a lawsuit against the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III, in which more than 500,000 ecus were at stake. Liguori believed in his client's sincerity, but made a mistake in the legal interpretation of a document. Acknowledging this error, he renounced the bar. No one was able to change his mind. But being uncertain about his future, he began to pray assiduously, asking Jesus what he should do. He became involved in charitable activities, regularly distributing bread and a little money to the poor in his town.

One day, while serving the sick at the Incurables hospice, he twice saw himself surrounded by a "brilliant light". It captivated him, but he was unable to discover its origin. At the same time, the walls around him shook, and he distinctly heard an extraordinarily gentle male voice saying: "Alphonsus, leave the world and, from now on, live only for me!" He took this call as a heavenly command. After a few days, he decided to give up worldly pursuits or profession and promised to enter the seminary.

His social background was in no way supportive of his decision. His father, Giuseppe, a pragmatic naval officer, and his entire family tried to dissuade him. But, remarkably, Liguori resisted the stormy discussions with his family: he would be a priest or nothing. In fact, he received the habit on 23 October 1723 and was tonsured the following year. His theological studies went well, and Liguori now put his penetrating intelligence at the service of God and the Church.

He was ordained a deacon on 6 April 1726, and a priest the following 21 September. Ordained at the age of thirty, six years later he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists) for the evangelisation of the poorest and most neglected neighborhood of the city,and in the course of his life wrote a monumental body of work, as much for the diversity of the subjects he dealt with as for the spiritual depth of each of his works. In 1769, he was consecrated bishop.

The Neapolitan clergy knew they could rely on this extraordinary Church leader, an exemplary Christian and a resolute humanist, but also a first-rate preacher, missionary, theologian and pastor. The universal Church has also recognized his exceptional holiness: beatified in 1816 by Pope Pius VII, he was included in the catalogue of the saints on 26 May 1839 by Gregory XVI. Finally, Pius IX conferred on him the title Doctor of the Church on 23 March 1871.

Patrick Sbalchiero

Au-delà des raisons d'y croire :

The moral and human exemplarity of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, his charity-infused spirituality, his avowed prudence in the field of mystical experiences, the exceptional scope and thematic diversity of his written work, examined in its entirety three times by the magisterium of the Church (process of beatification, canonisation, then doctorate) are all solid and concordant clues to the belief that his conversion was indeed of divine origin.

Aller plus loin :

The Life of Saint Alphonsus by Liguori by Antonio Tannoja

En savoir plus :

Article "Saint Alphonsus Liguori: A Doctor of the Church, Founder and Prolific Author"
Talking with God: Four Treatises on the Interior Life from St. Alphonsus Liguori; The Way to Converse with God, A Short Treatise on Prayer, Mental Prayer, The Presence of God by St Alphonsus Liguori, Scriptoria Books (July 31, 2011)
The Sermons of St. Alphonsus Liguori for All the Sundays of the Year by Alphonsus de' Liguori, TAN Books; 4th edition (January 1, 1952)
Saint Alphonsus Liguori: A Master of Mercy by Henri Dumortier, Éditions Médiaspaul, 2009.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori and the Redemptorists by Tarcisio Zocca, Rome: Redemptorist Publishing, 1983.
Catholic Encyclopedia, St. Alphonsus Liguori . New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911.
Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes by Eamon Duffy, Yale University Press, 1997.
The Spiritual Writings of Saint Alphonsus Liguori by Congregation of the Redemptorists