St. Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life | Full
"Be sure that wherever our lot is cast we may and must aim at the perfect life." Written over 400 years ago, Introduction to the Devout Life is still one of the most popular books for those pursuing holiness. St. Francis de Sales explains how to turn that desire for sanctity into resolutions that yield grace-filled results. Themes include: Pursuing a devout life whole-heartedly Incorporating prayer and sacraments into a busy schedule Growing in virtue Battling wisely against temptation Making spiritual progress through daily, monthly, and yearly exercises Whether you are just beginning your spiritual journey or are more advanced in the spiritual life, you’ll be able to apply this timeless wisdom immediately. Let St. Francis de Sales illumine the path to holiness and strengthen your desire to walk that road with the Lord. St. Francis de Sales (1567–1622) was the Bishop of Geneva and a renowned spiritual director. Preaching during the Counter-Reformation, he is estimated to have converted 70,000 Calvinists in his lifetime. He was a fervent proponent of the universal call to holiness and spent much of his time guiding lay people on the road to sanctity. Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1877, St. Francis is still helping to form saints through his many writings, of which Introduction to the Devout Life is the most famous. —description from the publisher Introduction to the Devout Life full text: https://watch.formed.org/introduction-to-the-devout-life-by-st-francis-de-sales SUBSCRIBE to Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-culture-audiobooks/id1482214268 SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter http://www.catholicculture.org/newsletter DONATE at http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio Theme music: "2 Part Invention", composed by Mark Christopher Brandt, performed by Thomas Mirus. ©️2019 Heart of the Lion Publishing Co./BMI. 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Timestamps 00:38 Preface 12:26 Part 1 – Counsels and Exercises for the Guidance of the Soul from Its First Desire After a Devout Life unto a Full Resolution of Pursuing the Same 12:38 True Devotion Explained 18:19 The Nature and Excellence of Devotion 23:17 Devotion is Suitable to Every Vocation and Profession 27:26 The Need of a Guide for those who would Enter Upon and Advance in the Devout Life 33:35 The First Step: Purifying the Soul 38:22 The First Purification: From Mortal Sin 40:56 The Second Purification: From All Sinful Affections 44:17 How to Affect This Second Purification 46:56 First Meditation, On Creation 53:26 Second Meditation, On the End for Which We Were Created 59:26 Third Meditation, On the Gifts of God 1:05:20 Fourth Meditation, On Sin 1:11:39 Fifth Meditation, On Death 1:19:00 Sixth Meditation, On Judgment 1:24:59 Seventh Meditation, On Hell 1:29:02 Eighth Meditation, On Paradise 1:34:05 Ninth Meditation, On the Choice Open to You Between Heaven and Hell 1:39:26 Tenth Meditation, On How the Soul Chooses the Devout Life 1:46:40How to Make a General Confession 1:49:23 A Sincere Protest Made with the Object of Confirming the Soul’s Resolution to Serve God as a Cojnclusion to its Acts of Penitence 1:53:58 Conclusion of This First Purification 1:55:53 The Necessity of Purging Away All Tendency to Venial Sins 2:00:35 It Is Necessary to Put Away All Inclination for Useless and Dangerous Things 2:03:14 All Evil Inclinations Must Be Purged Away 02:05:29 Part 2 – Counsels as to Uplifting the Soul to God in Prayer and the Use of the Sacraments 2:05:38 The Necessity of Prayer 2:11:30 A Short Method of Meditation in the Presence of God: The First Point of Preparation 2:17:05 Invocation: The Second Point of Preparation 2:18:38 Representing the Mystery to Be Meditated to Your Imagination: The Third Point of Preparation 2:20:49 Considerations: The Second Part of Meditation 2:22:16 Affections and Resolutions: The Third Part of Meditation 2:24:01 The Conclusion and Spiritual Bouquet 2:25:44 Some Useful Hints on Meditation 2:30:40 Concerning Dryness in Meditation 2:33:15 Morning Prayer 2:36:05 Evening Prayer and Examination of Conscience 2:38:03 Spiritual Refreshment 2:42:42 Aspirations, Brief Prayer, and Holy Thoughts 2:53:34 Holy Communion, and How to Receive It 2:58:17 The Other Public Offices of the Church 3:00:13 How the Saints Are United to Us 3:02:58 How to Hear and Read God’s Word 3:05:05 How to Receive Inspirations 3:10:31 Confession 3:17:35 Frequent Communion 3:23:09 How to Communicate 03:28:01 Part 3 – Counsels Concerning the Practice of Virtue 03:28:08 How to Select That Which We Should Chiefly Practice 03:36:56 The Same Subject Continued 03:43:55 Patience 03:53:08 Greater Humility 03:59:02 Interior Humility 04:08:28 Humility Makes Us Rejoice in Our Own Abjection 04:15:11 How to Combine Due Care for a Good Reputation with Humility 04:22:40 Gentleness Towards Others and Remedies Against Anger 04:31:05 Gentleness Towards Ourselves 04:35:35 We Must Attend to the Business of Life Carefully, but Without Eagerness or Over-Anxiety 04:40:18 Obedience 04:45:43 Purity 04:49:05 How to Maintain Purity 04:52:48 Poverty of Spirit amid Riches 04:58:28 How to Exercise Real Poverty although Actually Rich 05:06:08 How to Possess a Rich Spirit amid Real Poverty 05:09:50 Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship 05:13:31 Frivolous Attachments 05:18:48 Real Friendship 05:24:40 The Difference between True and False Friendship 05:28:57 Remedies against Evil Friendships 05:35:47 Further Advice concerning Intimacies 05:40:22 The Practice of Bodily Mortification 05:50:59 Society and Solitude 05:56:24 Modesty in Dress 06:00:20 Conversation: First, How to Speak of God 06:02:52 Unseemly Words and the Respect Due to Others 06:07:18 Hasty Judgments 06:17:28 Slander 06:28:27 Further Counsels as to Conversation 06:32:24 Amusements and Recreations: What Are Allowable 06:34:56 Forbidden Amusements 06:36:53 Balls and Other Lawful but Dangerous Amusements 06:41:59 When to Use Such Amusements Rightly 06:43:49 We Must Be Faithful in Things Great and Small 06:49:23 - A Well-Balanced, Reasonable Mind 06:53:33 - Wishes 06:58:15 - Counsels to Married People 07:11:47 - The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed 07:13:15 - Counsels to Widows 07:22:31 - One Word to Maidens 07:23:51 Part 4 – Counsels Concerning Some Ordinary Temptations 07:23:58 - We Must Not Trifle with the Words of Worldly Wisdom 07:29:29 - The Need of Good Courage 07:32:09 - Temptations and the Difference Between Experiencing Them and Consenting to Them 07:37:19 - Two Striking Illustrations of the Same 07:40:56 - Encouragement for the Tempted Soul 07:43:26 - When Temptation and Pleasure are Sin 07:47:23 - Remedies for Great Occasions 07:50:15 - How to Resist Minor Temptations 07:52:26 - How to Remedy Minor Temptations 07:55:02 - How to Strengthen the Heart Against Temptation 07:57:40 - Anxiety of Mind 08:03:27 - Sadness and Sorrow 08:08:40 - Spiritual and Sensible Consolations and How to Receive Them 08:23:23 - Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness 08:33:49 - An Illustration 08:41:07 Part 5 - Counsels and Practices for Renewing and Confirming the Soul in Devotion 08:41:15 - It Is Well Yearly to Renew Good Resolutions by Means of the Following Exercises 08:43:58 - Meditation on the Benefit Conferred on Us by God in Calling Us to His Service 08:48:55 - Examination of the Soul as to Its Progress in the Devout Life 08:52 :13 - Examination of the Soul's Condition as Regards God 08:56:52 - Examination of Your Condition as Regards Yourself 08:59:16 - Examination of the Soul's Condition as Regards Our Neighbor 09:00:43 - Examination as to the Affectations of the Soul 09:03:10 - The Affections to Be Excited After Such Examination 09:04:36 - Reflections Suitable to the Renewal of Good Resolutions 09:05:23 - First Consideration, On the Worth of Souls 09:08:13 - Second Consideration, On the Excellence of Virtue 09:10:01 - The Example of the Saints 09:11:48 - The Love That Jesus Christ Bears to Us 09:15:05 - The Eternal Love of God for Us 09:16:36 - General Affections That Should Result from These Considerations and Conclusion of the Exercise 09:19:16 - The Impressions That Should Remain After This Exercise 09:20:53 - An Answer to Two Objections That May Be Made to This Book 09:23:45 - Three Important and Final Counsels