Catholic Thought discussion
Introduction to the Devout Life
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Part 5
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St. Francis answers to two objections, which may be made to this book in Chapter XVII: The first that all these counsels and exercises are so numerous that they would fill up all our time leaving none for anything else. St. Francis agrees that if we only did them we would do nothing else but he advises it is only necessary to “use them according to time and place as they are wanted” or from time to time as opportunity or circumstances arise. St. Francis gives example of St. Louis who found the time to attend two masses daily, visit the sick on Fridays, run the administration of his court, and participated in many other affairs. St. Francis challenges us to “be bold and resolute” and God will give us strength for all our duties to do enough with His help. (p. 224)The second objection may be that St. Francis takes for granted that we all have the gift of mental prayer which nevertheless not all people possess. St. Francis writes that this is a gift which almost everyone can obtain with a good director and take the time needed to acquire it. A wise spiritual father can teach us to learn by reading and listening to meditations provided in this book and elsewhere.
Mod
I agree, Manny. This is definitely a book to keep at hand and not one to try reading all at once.
Mod
From Chapter 23:
If you are able to fast, you will do well to observe some days beyond what are ordered by the Church, for besides the ordinary effect of fasting in raising the mind, subduing the flesh, confirming goodness, and obtaining a heavenly reward, it is also a great matter to be able to control greediness, and to keep the sensual appetites and the whole body subject to the law of the Spirit; and although we may be able to do but little, the enemy nevertheless stands more in awe of those whom he knows can fast. The early Christians selected Wednesday, Friday and Saturday as days of abstinence.
From Chapter 27:
Saint James says, "If any man offend not in word, the same is, a perfect man." Beware most watchfully against ever uttering any unseemly expression; even though you may have no evil intention, those who hear it may receive it with a different meaning. An impure word falling upon a weak mind spreads its infection like a drop of oil on a garment, and sometimes it will take such a hold of the heart, as to fill it with an infinitude of lascivious thoughts and temptations. The body is poisoned through the mouth, even so is the heart through the ear; and the tongue which does the deed is a murderer, even when the venom it has infused is counteracted by some antidote preoccupying the listener's heart. It was not the speaker's fault that he did not slay that soul. Nor let any one answer that he meant no harm. Our Lord, Who knoweth the hearts of men, has said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." And even if we do mean no harm, the Evil One means a great deal, and he will use those idle words as a sharp weapon against some neighbour's heart. It is said that those who eat the plant called Angelica always have a sweet, pleasant breath; and those who cherish the angelic virtues of purity and modesty, will always speak simply, courteously, and modestly. As to unclean and light-minded talk, Saint Paul says such things should not even be named among us, for, as he elsewhere tells us, "Evil communications corrupt good manners."
From Chapter 35:
When I read in the Life of Saint Catherine of Sienna of her ecstasies and visions, her wise sayings and teaching, I do not doubt but that she "ravished" her Bridegroom's heart with this eye of contemplation; but I must own that I behold her with no less delight in her father's kitchen, kindling the fire, turning the spit, baking the bread, cooking the dinner, and doing all the most menial offices in a loving spirit which looked through all things straight to God. Nor do I prize the lowly meditations she was wont to make while so humbly employed less than the ecstasies with which she was favoured at other times, probably as a reward for this very humility and lowliness. Her meditations would take the shape of imagining that all she prepared for her father was prepared for Our Lord, as by Martha; her mother was a symbol to her of Our Lady, her brothers of the Apostles, and thus she mentally ministered to all the Heavenly Courts, fulfilling her humble ministrations with an exceeding sweetness, because she saw God's Will in each.
From Chapter 38:
Therefore, husbands, do you preserve a tender, constant, hearty love for your wives. It was that the wife might be loved heartily and tenderly that woman was taken from the side nearest Adam's heart. No failings or infirmities, bodily or mental, in your wife should ever excite any kind of dislike in you, but rather a loving, tender compassion; and that because God has made her dependent on you, and bound to defer to and obey you; and that while she is meant to be your helpmeet, you are her superior and her head. And on your part, wives, do you love the husbands God has given you tenderly, heartily, but with a reverential, confiding love, for God has made the man to have the predominance, and to be the stronger; and He wills the woman to depend upon him,--bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh,--taking her from out the ribs of the man, to show that she must be subject to his guidance. All Holy Scripture enjoins this subjection, which nevertheless is not grievous; and the same Holy Scripture, while it bids you accept it lovingly, bids your husband to use his superiority with great tenderness, lovingkindness, and gentleness. "Husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel."
From Chapter 40:
A devout widow should chiefly seek to cultivate the graces of perfect modesty, renouncing all honours, rank, title, society, and the like vanities; she should be diligent in ministering to the poor and sick, comforting the afflicted, leading the young to a life of devotion, studying herself to be a perfect model of virtue to younger women. Necessity and simplicity should be the adornment of her garb, humility and charity of her actions, simplicity and kindliness of her words, modesty and purity of her eyes,--Jesus Christ Crucified the only Love of her heart.
Chapter four:"...generally speaking, how is it with you as concerning your neighbour? Do you love him cordially, and for God’s Sake? In order to answer this fairly, you must call to mind sundry disagreeable, annoying people, for it is in such cases that we really practise the Love of God with respect to our neighbours, and still more towards them that do us wrong, either by word or deed. Examine whether your heart is thoroughly clear as regards all such, and whether it costs you a great effort to love them."
I should be mellowing out and growing more tolerant of people in general. But it seems more people today challenge my charity. Dear Lord Jesus, lend us your vision that we may see what you and our Father were thinking when you made these people.
I like this last part very much. St. Francis covers the bases in his examinations of conscience .
Mod
From Chapter 1:
The first point in these exercises is to appreciate their importance. Our earthly nature easily falls away from its higher tone by reason of the frailty and evil tendency of the flesh, oppressing and dragging down the soul, unless it is constantly rising up by means of a vigorous resolution, just as a bird would speedily fall to the ground if it did not maintain its flight by repeated strokes of its wings. In order to this, my child, you need frequently to reiterate the good resolutions you have made to serve God, for fear that, failing to do so, you fall away, not only to your former condition, but lower still; since it is a characteristic of all spiritual falls that they invariably throw us lower than we were at the beginning.
From Chapter 4:
With respect to Jesus Christ as God and Man--how does your heart draw to Him? Honey bees seek their delight in their honey, but wasps hover over stinking carrion. Even so pious souls draw all their joy from Jesus Christ, and love Him with an exceeding sweet Love, but those who are careless find their pleasure in worldly vanities.
From Chapter 8:
When you have quietly gone through each point of this examination, and have ascertained your own position, you will excite certain feelings and affections in your heart. Thank God for such amendment, however slight, as you may have found in yourself, confessing that it is the work of His Mercy Alone in you.
From Chapter 10:
Consider how noble and excellent a thing your soul is, endowed with understanding, capable of knowing, not merely this visible world around us, but Angels and Paradise, of knowing that there is an All-Mighty, All-Merciful, Ineffable God; of knowing that eternity lies before you, and of knowing what is necessary in order so to live in this visible world as to attain to fellowship with those Angels in Paradise, and the eternal fruition of God.
From Chapter 18:
Finally, my beloved child, I intreat you by all that is sacred in heaven and in earth, by your own Baptism, by the breast which Jesus sucked, by the tender Heart with which He loves you, and by the bowels of compassion in which you hope--be stedfast and persevere in this most blessed undertaking to live a devout life. Our days pass away, death is at hand. "The trumpet sounds a recall," says Saint Gregory Nazianzen, "in order that every one may make ready, for Judgment is near." When Saint Symphorian was led to his martyrdom, his mother cried out to him, "My son, my son, remember life eternal, look to Heaven, behold Him Who reigns there; for the brief course of this life will soon be ended." Even so would I say to you: Look to Heaven, and do not lose it for earth; look at Hell, and do not plunge therein for the sake of this passing life; look at Jesus Christ, and do not deny Him for the world's sake; amid if the devout life sometimes seems hard and dull, join in Saint Francis' song,--
"So vast the joys that I await,
No earthly travail seemeth great."
Glory be to Jesus, to Whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, now and ever, and to all Eternity. Amen.
Mod
Mod
First and foremost, this book is a manual, a manual on how seek, find, and create a devout life, a life devoted to God. The book speaks to what is devotion and why we need devotion. Saint Frances de Sales, great saint that he is and patron saint of writers, leads you through a purification of the soul, the purging of sin in one’s life and, indeed, in the cleansing of one’s soul. He teaches on how to perfect one’s lifestyle to make these changes permanent. He takes the reader through the finer points of meditation, establishing a prayer life, integrating with church life, connecting with saints, the use of frequent confession, mass, and partaking of the Eucharist. He delves into the maintenance, practice, and perfection of various virtues. He provides insight and guidance for the virtues of patience, humility, gentleness, obedience, purity, poverty, and friendship. St. Francis discusses the nature of temptation, what constitutes succumbing to temptation, how to fight off temptation, and how to strengthen oneself so that temptations never penetrate. He goes on to also discuss how one can become spiritually dry, and strategies to combat that dryness. He offers exercises to strengthen one’s resolution to the devout life, an annual personal examination to assess one's status, progress, or backsliding, and finally offers concluding counsels.
It's an incredible handbook to spiritual direction. If you don’t have or want a spiritual director, get this book. If you want to give spiritual direction, this book is the go-to-guide on how to do it. It is a marvel of clarity. Still, I don't know how much of the book will stick with me. There’s a lot in there. One can’t absorb it all. You need to digest it in stages and let it work in you. It's probably good to keep the book at arm’s reach and randomly peruse it every so often. I made the mistake of buying the Kindle version. A hardcover handbook to keep on one’s night stand is the perfect role for this treasure. I found this book way more enriching than Thomas à Kempis’ The Imitation of Christ.
Thank you so much, Manny. You manage to condense a work thoroughly with no loss of substance. That’s real dedication.
1. It is Well Yearly to Renew Good Resolutions by Means of the Following Exercises
2. Meditation on the Benefit Conferred on us by God in Calling us to His Service
3. Examination of the Soul as to its Progress in the Devout Life
4. Examination of the Soul's Condition as Regards God
5. Examination of your Condition as Regards Yourself
6. Examination of the Soul's Condition as Regards our Neighbour
7. Examination as to the Affections of the Soul
8. The Affections to be Excited After Such Examination
9. Reflections Suitable to the Renewal of Good Resolutions
10. First Consideration - On the Worth of Souls
11. Second Consideration - On the Excellence of Virtue
12. The Example of the Saints
13. The Love Which Jesus Christ Bears to Us
14. The Eternal Love of God for Us
15. General Affections Which Should Result From These Considerations, and Conclusion of the Exercise
16. The Impressions which should remain after this Exercise
17. An Answer to Two Objections Which may be Made to This Book
18. Three Important and Final Counsels
Part V offers more exercises to strengthen one’s resolution to the devout life, an annual personal examination to assess status, progress, or backsliding, and final concluding counsels.