Episode 3128: Set Apart for God: St. Aloysius - Morning Episode

Nightly Zoom Coordinates for Rosary:
Meeting ID: 865 8978 0399
Passcode: Wjjv4960!

Speak Lord for your Servant is Listening
Book Recommendation of the Day
“The Life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga”
Author: Rev. Father Maurice Meschler, S.J.
Publisher: TAN Books (reprint)
Overview:
This is the definitive biography of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, originally written in the 19th century. Fr. Meschler was a Jesuit priest, and his account provides rich spiritual insights into the life, purity, humility, and heroic virtue of St. Aloysius. It is full of meditative content and is a favorite among traditional Catholics.
“Set Apart for God: St. Aloysius”
Opening Greeting:
Welcome to Tradition and Triumph, your daily retreat into the timeless truths of the Catholic Faith as handed down through the ages.
In every age, the Church must walk the narrow path of fidelity not merely to men or times, but to Christ Himself, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). This fidelity is not based on sentiment or personal preference; it is safeguarded by Canon Law, rooted in Sacred Scripture, and articulated by the unbroken witness of the Magisterium. It is through this framework that the Catholic Church ensures the integrity of her teachings, sacraments, and discipline. To disregard these safeguards is not an act of pastoral charity it is a break in the continuity that unites us with the Apostles.
Recently, there have been unprecedented reversals of previous papal encyclicals and doctrines, especially during the current pontificate of Pope Francis. These reversals whether explicit or implied go far beyond prudential or disciplinary adjustments. They raise profound theological and ecclesiological concerns. If what was once declared true by previous popes and affirmed through the sensus fidelium is now quietly set aside or contradicted, it suggests, either directly or indirectly, that the Church has been in error. But such a claim contradicts the very nature of the Church as indefectible, guided and protected by the Holy Ghost.
To reverse what saints, doctors, and popes have defended over centuries is not a legitimate development it is a rupture. This is not how the Church organically grows. True development of doctrine, as articulated by Cardinal Newman and affirmed by the Magisterium, always flows in continuity with what has come before. It clarifies it does not contradict. It deepens it does not destroy. Any so-called “pastoral innovation” that undermines settled doctrine is, by definition, neither pastoral nor innovative it is destructive.
And this destruction is not abstract. It confuses the faithful. It weakens the missionary zeal of the Church. It scandalizes those striving for holiness. When Rome sends mixed signals, when clear teachings are replaced with ambiguity, and when shepherds fail to guard the flock with clarity, souls are placed in danger. The beauty of Catholic truth lies in its consistency the same truths proclaimed by St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Alphonsus Liguori, and Pope St. Pius X are meant to be proclaimed now, not reconsidered according to the winds of modernity.
“St. Aloysius Gonzaga – A Model of Purity and Detachment”
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Welcome, dear listeners, to today’s traditional Catholic reflection on the Feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Confessor and Patron of Youth. Today we honor a young man of extraordinary sanctity, who embraced mortification, humility, and heroic chastity from an early age. His life is a stark witness against the corrupt values of the world, and a clarion call to holiness, especially for the youth of today.
Let us begin by turning to the sacred liturgy the Epistle and Gospel assigned for his feast day in the 1945 St. Andrew’s Missal.
Epistle Reading: Ecclesiasticus 31:8–11
“Blessed is the man that is found without blemish, and that hath not gone after gold, nor put his trust in money nor in treasures.
Who is he, and we will praise him? for he hath done wonderful things in his life.
Who hath been tried thereby, and made perfect, he shall have glory everlasting.
He that could have transgressed, and hath not transgressed: and could do evil things, and hath not done them.
Therefore are his goods established in the Lord, and all the church of the saints shall declare his alms.”

Reflection on the Epistle
This passage from Ecclesiasticus, also known as the Book of Sirach, speaks directly to the life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga. He was born into nobility, with access to wealth, power, and prestige. Yet, what did he do? He turned his face from the world and renounced his inheritance to pursue the riches of Heaven.
He is the very image of the man described in this Scripture "found without blemish," having never gone after gold nor placed his trust in riches. Despite his royal upbringing, Aloysius lived a life of intense asceticism, guarding his purity with zealous care, fasting from worldly pleasures, and devoting himself entirely to prayer and service.
His "alms" were not merely material, but spiritual his entire life was a continual offering to God. In our modern age, where impurity is flaunted and detachment is foreign, his witness shines brightly. The Church calls him “innocent of heart and holy in body.” He could have sinned but chose not to. And that is what makes a saint.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:29–40 "And Jesus answering, said to them: You err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.
For in the resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married; but shall be as the angels of God in heaven.
And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken by God, saying to you:
I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
And the multitudes hearing it, were in admiration at his doctrine.
But the Pharisees hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, came together:
And one of them, a doctor of the law, asking him, tempting him:
Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?
Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets."
Reflection on the Gospel: 6:30 – 9:00]
Our Lord’s words here are full of power and clarity. To love God entirely with heart, soul, and mind is the supreme commandment. St. Aloysius Gonzaga lived this commandment to the fullest. His heart belonged wholly to God; his soul was consumed with divine love; his mind was unclouded by worldly distractions.
Notice what our Lord says: “They shall be as the angels of God in heaven.” Aloysius, even on earth, reflected this angelic state. He is often depicted with lilies, symbolizing his purity. He was not married nor concerned with worldly affairs but entirely given to the love of God and service to others.
And what of the second commandment—“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”? It was love of neighbor that led Aloysius to care for plague victims, even at the cost of his own life. He contracted the disease while nursing the sick and died at the tender age of 23. What greater love could one show than to lay down his life for his neighbor?
Life of the Saint – St. Aloysius Gonzaga | 9:00 – 10:30]
St. Aloysius Gonzaga was born in 1568 into the powerful Gonzaga family in Italy. Even as a child, he showed extraordinary signs of piety. At age nine, he made a vow of perpetual virginity. By age eleven, he received his First Communion from none other than St. Charles Borromeo.
He joined the Jesuits at age 17 and practiced severe mortifications. He would meditate on the Passion of Christ for hours and mortify his senses to preserve purity. His superiors eventually had to moderate his penances.
In 1591, a plague ravaged Rome. Despite his frail health, Aloysius served in a Jesuit hospital, carrying the sick and dying. There, he caught the disease and passed into eternal life shortly after receiving Holy Communion and whispering the name of Jesus.
He was canonized in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII, who declared him Patron Saint of Youth, and his feast has been traditionally celebrated on June 21.
Conclusion & Prayer:
Dear friends, what does the life of St. Aloysius teach us?
It teaches that purity is possible, even in a corrupted world.
That detachment from riches leads to true freedom.
That charity and love of God and neighbor are the highest forms of perfection.
Let us strive to imitate this youthful saint, who reminds us that age is no barrier to sanctity. Holiness is not reserved for the old or the clergy—it is the universal call of every baptized soul.
Let us pray:
Prayer to St. Aloysius Gonzaga
O Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, adorned with angelic purity and burning with a singular love for the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we humbly implore thee to intercede for us. Obtain for us the grace to love God above all things, to keep ourselves pure in thought, word, and deed, and to serve others with selfless charity.
Protect the youth of our generation from the snares of the world, the flesh, and the devil. And when our hour comes, may we too be found ready to enter into the joy of the Lord.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Thank you for joining today’s reflection. Until next time, remain steadfast in faith, reverent in worship, and fervent in love for Christ and His Church.
St. Aloysius Gonzaga, ora pro nobis.
Quotes & Themes for Meditation:
• “He that could have transgressed, and hath not transgressed.” – Ecclus. 31:10
→ True holiness is not the absence of temptation, but victory over it through grace.
• “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God…” – Matthew 22:37
→ All true morality flows from the interior love of God, not from mere rule-following.
• St. Augustine: “Love, and do what you will.” (understood rightly: authentic charity never contradicts divine law)
• Theme 1: Love is the fulfillment of the Law, but love must be ordered toward God first.
• Theme 2: Holiness is found in the quiet, courageous soul who resists evil even when no one is watching.
• Theme 3: The resurrection and eternal life are not distant doctrines, but the foundation of hope and endurance in persecution.
Conclusionary Prayer:
Let us close in prayer.
O God, who didst strengthen Thy holy Pope and Martyr St. Felix with heavenly courage and wisdom to govern Thy Church in times of darkness, grant us, through his intercession, fidelity in trial and purity in our desires.
Help us, Lord, to love Thee with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves—not with worldly compromise, but with holy zeal. May we, like the just man praised in Scripture, live without blemish and store up treasures not on earth, but in Heaven.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
St. Felix I, pray for us.
Our Lady of Good Counsel, guide us.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, inflame our hearts with divine love.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.