Introduction To The Devout Life
–by Saint Francis de Sales
BISHOP AND PRINCE OF GENEVA
A New Translation
| Contents |
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.
Chapter
- I. What True Devotion is
- II. The Nature and Excellence of Devotion
- III. Devotion is suitable to every Vocation and Profession
- IV. The Need of a Guide for those Who Would enter upon and advance in the Devout Life
- V. The First Step must be Purifying the Soul
- VI. The First Purification, namely, from Mortal Sin
- VII. The Second Purification, from all Sinful Affections
- VIII. How to effect this Second Purification
- IX. First Meditation–Of Creation
- X. Second Meditation–Of the End for which we were Created
- XI. Third Meditation–Of the Gifts of God
- XII. Fourth Meditation–On Sin
- XIII. Fifth Meditation–On Death
- XIV. Sixth Meditation–On Judgment
- XV. Seventh Meditation–Of Hell
- XVI. Eighth Meditation–On Paradise
- XVII. Ninth Meditation On the Choice open to you between Heaven and Hell
- XVIII. Tenth Meditation–How the Soul chooses the Devout Life
- XIX. How to make a General Confession
- 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
- XXI. Conclusion of this First Purification
- XXII. The Necessity of Purging away all tendency to Venial Sins
- XXIII. It is needful to put away all Inclination for Useless and Dangerous Things
- XXIV. All Evil Inclinations must be purged away
PART II. CONTAINING SUNDRY COUNSELS AS TO UPLIFTING THE SOUL TO GOD IN PRAYER AND THE USE OF THE SACRAMENTS.
Chapter
- I. The Necessity of Prayer
- II. A short Method of Meditation. And first, the Presence of God, the First Point of Preparation
- III. Invocation, the Second Point of Preparation
- IV. The Third Point of Preparation, representing the Mystery to be meditated to your Imagination
- V. Considerations, the Second Part of Meditation
- VI. The Third Part of Meditation, Affections and Resolutions
- VII. The Conclusion and Spiritual Bouquet
- VIII. Some Useful Hints as to Meditation
- IX. Concerning Dryness in Meditation
- X. Morning Prayer
- XI. Evening Prayer and Examination of Conscience
- XII. On Spiritual Retirement
- XIII. Aspirations, Ejaculatory Prayer and Holy Thoughts
- XIV. Of Holy Communion, and how to join in it
- XV. Of the other Public Offices of the Church
- XVI. How the Saints are united to us
- XVII. How to Hear and Read God’s Word
- XVIII. How to receive Inspirations
- XIX. On Confession
- XX. Of Frequent Communion
- XXI. How to Communicate
PART III. CONTAINING COUNSELS CONCERNING THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE.
Chapter
- I. How to select that which we should chiefly Practise
- II. The same Subject continued
- III. On Patience
- IV. On Exterior Humility
- V. On Interior Humility
- VI. Humility makes us rejoice in our own Abjection
- VII. How to combine due care for a Good Reputation with Humility
- VIII. Gentleness towards others and Remedies against Anger
- IX. On Gentleness towards Ourselves
- X. We must attend to the Business of Life carefully, but without Eagerness or Over-anxiety
- XI. On Obedience
- XII. On Purity
- XIII. How to maintain Purity
- XIV. On Poverty of Spirit amid Riches
- XV. How to exercise real Poverty, although actually Rich
- XVI. How to possess a rich Spirit amid real Poverty
- XVII. On Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship
- XVIII. On Frivolous Attachments
- XIX. Of Real Friendship
- XX. Of the Difference between True and False Friendship
- XXI. Remedies against Evil Friendships
- XXII. Further Advice concerning Intimacies
- XXIII. On the Practice of Bodily Mortification
- XXIV. Of Society and Solitude
- XXV. On Modesty in Dress
- XXVI. Of Conversation; and, first, how to Speak of God
- XXVII. Of Unseemly Words, and the Respect due to Others
- XXVIII. Of Hasty Judgments
- XXIX. On Slander
- XXX. Further Counsels as to Conversation
- XXXI. Of Amusements and Recreations: what are allowable
- XXXII. Of Forbidden Amusements
- XXXIII. Of Balls, and other Lawful but Dangerous Amusements
- XXXIV. When to use such Amusements rightly
- XXXV. We must be Faithful in Things Great and Small
- XXXVI. Of a Well-balanced, Reasonable Mind
- XXXVII. Of Wishes
- XXXVIII. Counsels to Married People
- XXXIX. The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed
- XL. Counsels to Widows
- XLI. One Word to Maidens
Part IV. CONTAINING NEEDFUL COUNSELS CONCERNING SOME ORDINARY TEMPTATIONS.
Chapter
- I. We must not trifle with the Words of worldly Wisdom
- II. The need of a Good Courage
- III. Of Temptations, and the difference between experiencing them and consenting to them
- IV. Two striking illustrations of the same
- V. Encouragement for the Tempted Soul
- VI. When Temptation and Delectation are Sin
- VII. Remedies for Great Occasions
- VIII. How to resist Minor Temptations
- IX. How to remedy Minor Temptations
- X. How to strengthen the Heart against Temptation
- XI. Anxiety of Mind
- XII. Of Sadness and Sorrow
- XIII. Of Spiritual and Sensible Consolations, and how to receive them
- XIV. Of Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness
Part V. CONTAINING COUNSELS AND PRACTICES FOR RENEWING AND CONFIRMING THE SOUL IN DEVOTION.
Chapter
- I. It is well yearly to renew Good Resolutions by means of the following Exercises
- II. Meditation on the Benefit conferred on us by God in calling us to His Service
- III. Examination of the Soul as to its Progress in the Devout Life
- IV. Examination of the Soul’s Condition as regards God
- V. Examination of your Condition as regards yourself
- VI. Examination of the Soul’s Condition as regards our Neighbour
- VII. Examination as to the Affections of the Soul
- VIII. The Affections to be excited after such Examination
- IX. Reflections suitable to the renewal of Good Resolutions
- X. First Consideration–Of the Worth of Souls
- XI. Second Consideration–On the Excellence of Virtue
- XII. The Example of the Saints
- XIII. The Love which Jesus Christ bears to us
- XIV. The Eternal Love of God for us
- XV. General Affections which should result from these Considerations, and Conclusion of the Exercise
- XVI. The Impressions which should remain after this Exercise
- XVII. An Answer to Two Objections which may be made to this Book
- XVIII. Three Important and Final Counsels