Introduction to the Devout Life

Introduction to the Devout Life

St.Francis de Sales

Introduction to the Devout Life

St. Francis of Sales

Table of Contents

About This Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. ii Title Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1

Preface by the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1 CONTENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 5 PART I. COUNSELS AND PRACTICES SUITABLE FOR THE SOUL'S GUIDANCE FROM THE FIRST ASPIRATION AFTER A DEVOUT LIFE TO THE POINT WHEN IT ATTAINS A CONFIRMED RESOLUTION TO FOLLOW THE SAME.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 8

CHAPTER I. What true Devotion is. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 8 CHAPTER II. The Nature and Excellence of Devotion. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 9 CHAPTER III. Devotion is suitable to every Vocation and Profession. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 10 CHAPTER IV. The Need of a Guide for those who would enter upon and advance in the Devout Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 11 CHAPTER V. The First Step must be Purifying the Soul. . . . . . . . . . . p. 13 CHAPTER VI. The First Purification, namely, from Mortal Sin. . . . . . . . p. 14 CHAPTER VII. The Second Purification, from all Sinful Affections. . . . . . p. 14 CHAPTER VIII. How to effect this Second Purification. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 15 CHAPTER IX. FIRST MEDITATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 16 CHAPTER X. SECOND MEDITATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 17 CHAPTER XI. THIRD MEDITATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 18 CHAPTER XII. FOURTH MEDITATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 19 CHAPTER XIII. FIFTH MEDITATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 20 CHAPTER XIV. SIXTH MEDITATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 21 CHAPTER XV. SEVENTH MEDITATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 22 CHAPTER XVI. EIGHTH MEDITATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 23 CHAPTER XVII. NINTH MEDITATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 24 CHAPTER XVIII. TENTH MEDITATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 25 CHAPTER XIX. How to make a General Confession. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 26 CHAPTER XX. A hearty Protest made with the object of confirming the Soul's resolution to serve God, as a conclusion to its acts of Penitence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 27 CHAPTER XXI. Conclusion of this First Purification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 28 CHAPTER XXII. The Necessity of Purging away all tendency to Venial Sins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 28

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Introduction to the Devout Life

St. Francis of Sales

CHAPTER XXIII. It is needful to put away all Inclination for Useless and Dangerous Things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 29 CHAPTER XXIV. All Evil Inclinations must be purged away. . . . . . . . . p. 30 PART II. CONTAINING SUNDRY COUNSELS AS TO UPLIFTING THE SOUL TO GOD IN PRAYER AND THE USE OF THE SACRAMENTS.. . . p. 31 CHAPTER I. The Necessity of Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 31 CHAPTER II. A short Method of Meditation. And first, the Presence of God, the First Point of Preparation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 32 CHAPTER III. Invocation, the Second Point of Preparation. . . . . . . . . . p. 33 CHAPTER IV. The Third Point of Preparation, representing the Mystery to be meditated to Your Imagination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 34 CHAPTER V. Considerations, the Second Part of Meditation. . . . . . . . p. 35 CHAPTER VI. The Third Part of Meditation, Affections and Resolutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 35 CHAPTER VII. The Conclusion and Spiritual Bouquet. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 35 CHAPTER VIII. Some Useful Hints as to Meditation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 36 CHAPTER IX. Concerning Dryness in Meditation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 37 CHAPTER X. Morning Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 38 CHAPTER XI. Evening Prayer and Examination of Conscience. . . . . . . p. 38 CHAPTER XII. On Spiritual Retirement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 39 CHAPTER XIII. Aspirations, Ejaculatory Prayer and Holy Thoughts. . . . . p. 40 CHAPTER XIV. Of Holy Communion, and how to join in it. . . . . . . . . . p. 43 CHAPTER XV. Of the other Public Offices of the Church. . . . . . . . . . . p. 44 CHAPTER XVI. How the Saints are united to us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 45 CHAPTER XVII. How to Hear and Read God's Word. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 46 CHAPTER XVIII. How to receive Inspirations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 46 CHAPTER XIX. On Confession. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 48 CHAPTER XX. Of Frequent Communion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 50 CHAPTER XXI. How to Communicate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 51 PART III. CONTAINING COUNSELS CONCERNING THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 53 CHAPTER I. How to select that which we should chiefly Practise. . . . . . p. 53 CHAPTER II. The same Subject continued. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 55 CHAPTER III. On Patience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 57 CHAPTER IV. On Greater Humility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 59 CHAPTER V. On Interior Humility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 61 CHAPTER VI. Humility makes us rejoice in our own Abjection. . . . . . . p. 63 CHAPTER VII. How to combine due care for a Good Reputation with Humility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 65

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CHAPTER VIII. Gentleness towards others and Remedies against Anger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 66 CHAPTER IX. On Gentleness towards Ourselves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 68 CHAPTER X. We must attend to the Business of Life carefully, but without Eagerness or Over-anxiety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 70 CHAPTER XI. On Obedience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 71 CHAPTER XII. On Purity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 72 CHAPTER XIII. How to maintain Purity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 73 CHAPTER XIV. On Poverty of Spirit amid Riches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 74 CHAPTER XV. How to exercise real Poverty, although actually Rich. . . . p. 75 CHAPTER XVI. How to possess a rich Spirit amid real Poverty. . . . . . . p. 77 CHAPTER XVII. On Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship. . . . . . . p. 78 CHAPTER XVIII. On Frivolous Attachments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 79 CHAPTER XIX. Of Real Friendship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 80 CHAPTER XX. Of the Difference between True and False Friendship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 82 CHAPTER XXI. Remedies against Evil Friendships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 83 CHAPTER XXII. Further Advice concerning Intimacies. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 84 CHAPTER XXIII. On The Practice of Bodily Mortification. . . . . . . . . . . p. 85 CHAPTER XXIV. Of Society and Solitude. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 88 CHAPTER XXV. On Modesty in Dress. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 89 CHAPTER XXVI. Of Conversation; and, first, how to Speak of God. . . . . p. 90 CHAPTER XXVII. Of Unseemly Words, and the Respect due to Others. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 91 CHAPTER XXVIII. Of Hasty Judgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 92 CHAPTER XXIX. On Slander. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 95 CHAPTER XXX. Further Counsels as to Conversation. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 97 CHAPTER XXXI. Of Amusements and Recreations: what are allowable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 98 CHAPTER XXXII. Of Forbidden Amusements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 99 CHAPTER XXXIII. Of Balls, and other Lawful but Dangerous Amusements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 100 CHAPTER XXXIV. When to use such Amusements rightly. . . . . . . . . . p. 101 CHAPTER XXXV. We must be Faithful in Things Great and Small. . . . . . p. 101 CHAPTER XXXVI. Of a Well-Balanced, Reasonable Mind. . . . . . . . . . p. 103 CHAPTER XXXVII. Of Wishes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 104 CHAPTER XXXVIII. Counsels to Married People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 105 CHAPTER XXXIX. The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 108 CHAPTER XL. Counsels to Widows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 109 CHAPTER XLI. One Word to Maidens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 111

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Introduction to the Devout Life

St. Francis of Sales

PART IV. CONTAINING NEEDFUL COUNSELS CONCERNING SOME ORDINARY TEMPTATIONS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 113

CHAPTER I. We must not trifle with the Words of Worldly Wisdom. . . . . p. 113 CHAPTER II. The need of a Good Courage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 114 CHAPTER III. Of Temptations, and the difference between experiencing them and consenting to them. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 115 CHAPTER IV. Two striking Illustrations of the same. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 116 CHAPTER V. Encouragement for the Tempted Soul. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 117 CHAPTER VI. When Temptation and Delectation are Sin. . . . . . . . . . p. 118 CHAPTER VII. Remedies for Great Occasions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 119 CHAPTER VIII. How to resist Minor Temptations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 120 CHAPTER IX. How remedy Minor Temptations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 120 CHAPTER X. How to strengthen the Heart against Temptation. . . . . . . p. 121 CHAPTER XI. Anxiety of Mind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 121 CHAPTER XII. Of Sadness and Sorrow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 123 CHAPTER XIII. Of Spiritual and Sensible Consolations, and how to receive them.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 124 CHAPTER XIV. Of Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 128 CHAPTER XV. An Illustration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 130 PART V. CONTAINING COUNSELS AND PRACTICES FOR RENEWING AND CONFIRMING THE SOUL IN DEVOTION.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 133 CHAPTER I. It is well yearly to renew Good Resolutions by means of the following Exercises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 133 CHAPTER II. Meditation on the Benefit conferred on us by God in calling us to His Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 133 CHAPTER III. Examination of the Soul as to its Progress in the Devout Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 135 CHAPTER IV. Examination of the Soul's Condition as regards God. . . . . p. 136 CHAPTER V. Examination of your Condition as regards yourself. . . . . . p. 137 CHAPTER VI. Examination of the Soul's Condition as regards our Neighbour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 137 CHAPTER VII. Examination as to the Affectations of the Soul. . . . . . . . p. 138 CHAPTER VIII. The Affections to be excited after such Examination. . . . p. 138 CHAPTER IX. Reflections suitable to the renewal of Good Resolutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 139 CHAPTER X. First Consideration--of the Worth of Souls. . . . . . . . . . . p. 139 CHAPTER XI. Second Consideration--on the Excellence of Virtue. . . . . . p. 140 CHAPTER XII. The Example of the Saints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 140 CHAPTER XIII. The Love which Jesus Christ bears to us. . . . . . . . . . p. 141 CHAPTER XIV. The Eternal Love of God for us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 141

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