introduction to the devout life
introduction to the devout life
Francis De Sales
OUR SUNDAY VISITOR PUBLISHING DIVISION
OUR SUNDAY VISITOR, INC.
HUNTINGTON, IN 46750
Except where noted, the Scripture citations used in this work are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible — Second Catholic Edition (Ignatius Edition), copyright © 1965, 1966, 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture citations marked Douay-Rheims are taken from the Douay-Rheims Version of the Holy Bible (revised by Bishop Richard Challoner, 1749–1752).
Where noted, some Scripture texts are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition (NABRE) © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Text of the Introduction to the Devout Life is adapted from the translation available through the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
Every reasonable effort has been made to determine copyright holders of excerpted materials and to secure permissions as needed. If any copyrighted materials have been inadvertently used in this work without proper credit being given in one form or another, please notify Our Sunday Visitor in writing so that future printings of this work may be corrected accordingly.
Copyright © 2018 by Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. Published 2018.
Preface and Archbishop John Francis Noll biography by Michael R. Heinlein, copyright © 2018 by Our Sunday Visitor.
Introduction by Pat Gohn, copyright © 2018 by Pat Gohn.
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Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.,
200 Noll Plaza, Huntington, IN 46750; 1-800-348-2440
ISBN: 978-1-68192-288-1 (Inventory No. T1968)
eISBN: 978-1-68192-289-8
LCCN: 2018942976
Cover and interior design: Lindsey Riesen
Interior art: Illustration of Saint Francis de Sales by Caroline Baker Mazure
Printed in the United States of America
A contemporary selection of Catholic classics, curated for the modern reader by Our Sunday Visitor in the spirit of our founder, Archbishop John Francis Noll.
Contents
Preface by Michael R. Heinlein
Introduction by Pat Gohn
Preface by Saint Francis de Sales
Chapter 1: What True Devotion Is
Chapter 2: The Nature and Excellence of Devotion
Chapter 3: Devotion Is Suitable to Every Vocation and Profession
Chapter 4: The Need of a Guide for Those Who Would Enter Upon and Advance in the Devout Life
Chapter 5: The First Step Must Be Purifying the Soul
Chapter 6: The First Purification, Namely, from Mortal Sin
Chapter 7: The Second Purification, from All Sinful Affections
Chapter 8: How to Bring About This Second Purification
Chapter 9: First Meditation — Of Creation
Chapter 10: Second Meditation — Of the End for Which We Were Created
Chapter 11: Third Meditation — Of the Gifts of God
Chapter 12: Fourth Meditation — On Sin
Chapter 13: Fifth Meditation — On Death
Chapter 14: Sixth Meditation — On Judgment
Chapter 15: Seventh Meditation — On Hell
Chapter 16: Eighth Meditation — On Paradise
Chapter 17: Ninth Meditation — On the Choice Between Heaven and Hell
Chapter 18: Tenth Meditation — How the Soul Chooses the Devout Life
Chapter 19: How to Make a General Confession