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Introduction to a Devout Life
St Francis de Sales · d. 1622
- 1 Preface by the Author
- 2 What True Devotion is
- 3 The Nature and Excellence of Devotion
- 4 Devotion is suitable to every Vocation and Profession
- 5 The Need of a Guide for those Who Would enter upon and advance in the Devout Life
- 6 The First Step must be Purifying the Soul
- 7 The First Purification, namely, from Mortal Sin
- 8 The Second Purification, from all Sinful Affections
- 9 How to effect this Second Purification
- 10 First Meditation - Of Creation
- 11 Second Meditation - Of the End for which we were Created
- 12 Third Meditation - Of the Gifts of God
- 13 Fourth Meditation - On Sin
- 14 Fifth Meditation - On Death
- 15 Sixth Meditation - On Judgment
- 16 Seventh Meditation - Of Hell
- 17 Eighth Meditation - On Paradise
- 18 Ninth Meditation - On the Choice open to you between Heaven and Hell
- 19 Tenth Meditation - How the Soul chooses the Devout Life
- 20 How to make a General Confession
- 21 A hearty Protest made with the object of confirming the Soul's resolution to serve God, as a conclusion to its Acts of Penitence
- 22 Conclusion of this First Purification
- 23 The Necessity of Purging away all tendency to Venial Sins
- 24 It is needful to put away all Inclination for Useless and Dangerous Things
- 25 All Evil Inclinations must be purged away
- 26 The Necessity of Prayer
- 27 A short Method of Meditation. And first, the Presence of God, the First Point of Preparation
- 28 Invocation, the Second Point of Preparation
- 29 The Third Point of Preparation, representing the Mystery to be meditated to your Imagination
- 30 Considerations, the Second Part of Meditation
- 31 Some Useful Hints as to Meditation
- 32 Concerning Dryness in Meditation
- 33 Morning Prayer
- 34 Evening Prayer and Examination of Conscience
- 35 On Spiritual Retirement
- 36 Aspirations, Ejaculatory Prayer and Holy Thoughts
- 37 Of Holy Communion, and how to join in it
- 38 Of the other Public Offices of the Church
- 39 How the Saints are united to us
- 40 How to Hear and Read God's Word
- 41 How to receive Inspirations
- 42 On Confession
- 43 Of Frequent Communion
- 44 How to Communicate
- 45 How to select that which we should chiefly Practise
- 46 The same Subject continued
- 47 On Patience
- 48 On Exterior Humility
- 49 On Interior Humility
- 50 Humility makes us rejoice in our own Abjection
- 51 How to combine due care for a Good Reputation with Humility
- 52 Gentleness towards others and Remedies against Anger
- 53 On Gentleness towards Ourselves
- 54 We must attend to the Business of Life carefully, but without Eagerness or Over-anxiety
- 55 On Obedience
- 56 On Purity
- 57 How to maintain Purity
- 58 On Poverty of Spirit amid Riches
- 59 How to exercise real Poverty, although actually Rich
- 60 How to possess a rich Spirit amid real Poverty
- 61 On Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship
- 62 On Frivolous Attachments
- 63 Of Real Friendship
- 64 Of the Difference between True and False Friendship
- 65 Remedies against Evil Friendships
- 66 Further Advice concerning Intimacies
- 67 On the Practice of Bodily Mortification
- 68 Of Society and Solitude
- 69 On Modesty in Dress
- 70 Of Conversation; and, first, how to Speak of God
- 71 Of Unseemly Words, and the Respect due to Others
- 72 Of Hasty Judgments
- 73 On Slander
- 74 Further Counsels as to Conversation
- 75 Of Amusements and Recreations: what are allowable
- 76 Of Forbidden Amusements
- 77 Of Balls, and other Lawful but Dangerous Amusements
- 78 When to use such Amusements rightly
- 79 We must be Faithful in Things Great and Small
- 80 Of a Well-balanced, Reasonable Mind
- 81 Of Wishes
- 82 Counsels to Married People
- 83 The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed
- 84 Counsels to Widows
- 85 One Word to Maidens
- 86 We must not trifle with the Words of worldly Wisdom
- 87 The need of a Good Courage
- 88 Of Temptations, and the difference between experiencing them and consenting to them
- 89 Two striking illustrations of the same
- 90 Encouragement for the Tempted Soul
- 91 When Temptation and Delectation are Sin
- 92 Remedies for Great Occasions
- 93 How to resist Minor Temptations
- 94 How to remedy Minor Temptations
- 95 How to strengthen the Heart against Temptation
- 96 Anxiety of Mind
- 97 Of Sadness and Sorrow
- 98 Of Spiritual and Sensible Consolations, and how to receive them
- 99 Of Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness
- 100 In Illustration
- 101 It is well yearly to renew Good Resolutions by means of the following Exercises
- 102 Meditation on the Benefit conferred on us by God in calling us to His Service
- 103 Examination of the Soul as to its Progress in the Devout Life
- 104 Examination of the Soul's Condition as regards God
- 105 Examination of your Condition as regards yourself
- 106 Examination of the Soul's Condition as regards our Neighbour
- 107 Examination as to the Affections of the Soul
- 108 The Affections to be excited after such Examination
- 109 Reflections suitable to the renewal of Good Resolutions
- 110 Second Consideration--On the Excellence of Virtue
- 111 The Example of the Saints
- 112 The Love which Jesus Christ bears to us
- 113 The Eternal Love of God for us
- 114 The Impressions which should remain after this Exercise
- 115 Three Important and Final Counsels