MORAL LIVING

Memorial of St. Alphonsus Ligouri, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Mt 5:13-19

The Gospel today speaks about moral living. This Gospel is proper to the memorial of St. Alphonsus Ligouri. This Gospel is perfect for him because Alphonsus Ligouri was given the title of Doctor of the Church for his writings on Moral Theology.

Alphonsus was born in Naples, Italy, in 1696. He was a lawyer before he became a priest. He formulated a system called “Moderate Probabilism” used in his days in resolving moral problems. He also founded the “Redemptorist”, the “Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer”.

Moral living is not only about the Ten Commandments or about a set of Church precepts or a list of Do’s and Don’ts. Moral living is believing in and living the way of Christ. Simply put, it means following Jesus, more than following the law. That is the reason why Jesus came not to abolish the Law and the prophets, but to fulfill them.