St. Alphonsa was baptized Anna and was born on August 19, 1910, to Joseph and Mary Muttathupadathu in Kudamaloor, Kerala, India. As a child, Anna was so inspired by St. Therese of Lisieux that she set herself the dual goal of becoming a "saint" and a "nun" by engaging in acts of prayer and penance. However, an aunt who had raised her ever since her mother's untimely passing had marriage plans for her. She resolved never to marry, and in an attempt to escape from the betrothal, Annakutty made an effort to disfigure herself and mar her beauty by burning her leg in a pit used for burning chaff. But she accidentally slipped and fell right into the fire. Her recovery from the resultant burns was eventually followed by the necessary assent from her aunt to fulfill her dream!
Further education was necessary for Anna to prepare for entering religious life; thus, she could not join the Clarist Convent in Bharananganam as a postulant until 1928. She took the name Alphonsa. She was given the habit in 1930, began her "novitiate" in 1935, and took her vows on August 12, 1936. In addition, she experienced numerous types of disease, misunderstandings, and helplessness throughout her life. But her perseverance, compassion for others, patience, and ardent devotion to St. Therese and St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara stood her in good stead.
At one stage in life, she was also in a state of shock for some time after a thief broke into her convent, giving her a severe fright. Interestingly, her recovery was marked by the restoration of her reading ability, which she had lost months earlier. She was also suddenly found to be gifted with proficiency in Tamil, a language she had not known. Eventually, Sister Alphonsa came to be known for certain special characteristics, like the gift of foreknowledge. People sought her advice, and she was a source of great amazement and edification to all.
In 1945, in answer to her prayer for further suffering, Alphonsa experienced bouts of convulsions and was unable to eat despite feeling hungry. Initially, these convulsions came on a Friday, each spell lasting some three to seven hours. But out of consideration for others, she asked and received from the Lord the favor that the attacks may occur at specific times. When this prompted her superiors to suggest that she should pray for permanent relief, she answered: "I am ready to suffer not only this but anything. Let the Lord do with me as he wills, trampling over, wounding, or piercing me, a humble sacrificial offering." St. Alphonsa breathed her last on July 28, 1946, just three weeks before her 36th birthday. She was beatified on February 8, 1986, at Kottayam, Kerala, by Pope John Paul II during his pastoral visit to India and was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI at St Peter's in Rome on October 12, 2008.
St. Alphonsa, pray that in the midst of turmoil or conflict, we will not be shaken. May our hearts remain steadfast, trusting in our Lord and His plan for our lives.
Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Most High Servant,
Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love
(Blessed and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)
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