francis de sales introduction to the devout life

–Michael Joseph GrossYOU aim at a devout life, dear child, because as a Christian you know that such devotion is most acceptable to God’s Divine Majesty. Each chapter (such as “How to Combine Due Deal with a Good Reputation with Humility”) is frank, uncannily modern, and precise. But it is most distinguished by its discussion of how to live a holy life in the secular world.

The book includes long sections about prayer, temptation, and how to take care of and renew devotion to God. The book collects passages from many of those letters, organized as one message addressed to the allegorical character Philothea (which means that “lover of God”). He used to be a popular minister and a prolific letter creator whose correspondence used to be cherished for its clear and direct instruction in the ways of piety. Francis served the church at a dangerous time in a dangerous place: throughout the Reformation, in Calvinist areas of France, when celebrating mass used to be punishable by death. This used to be the central insight of Saint Francis de Sales, a 16th-century priest whose Introduction to the Devout Life has not gone out of print in almost four centuries. The work is also used as a guide in Christian spiritual direction.ĭevout life does not require withdrawal from the world. Like The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, it is thought of as a spiritual classic in the Christian tradition. It is in most cases categorized as a form of reading referred to as lectio divina or divine reading, based on the Christian monastic practice of spiritual reading. It enjoyed wide popularity, evidenced by its translation into all major languages of the day.

Francis de Sales, the first edition being published in 1609.

Introduction to the Devout Life used to be written by St. Includes an Active Index, Table of Contents and Layered NCX Navigation Includes Over 200 Active Linked Endnotes Other Religions, Practices and Sacred Texts (1).

Francis de sales introduction to the devout life