Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. —Francis de Sales
Divine Friendships, a monthly series exploring Christian contemplative and devotional classics, continues Monday, August 9 with Introduction to the Devout Life, written by Francis de Sales in 1609. Francis was the Catholic bishop of Geneva, but his cathedral was actually located in Annecy in modern France, due to the religious opposition in Geneva at the time. His Introduction was based on a compilation of letters and notes on spiritual direction aimed primarily at Christians living in the world, rather than those in religious life. DeSales’ approach emphasizes everyday holiness consisting in practicing little virtues with patience, gentleness and love.
Choosing the Devout Life
The Introduction to the Divine Life is primarily a practical how to book, an instructional manual in living a devout life. It is divided into five parts. The first part is about choosing the devout life. What is the devout life? De Sales defines devotion as simply the true love of God. When devotion adorns the soul it is called grace. When it strengthens us to do good it is called charity, or love of neighbor. Charity and devotion are no different from each other than fire and flame. Charity, or love in action, is spiritual fire and devotion is this same fire burst into flames. Devotion consists of a certain spiritual agility and vivacity to do the works of love.
The world tends to vilify devotion, but Francis states that it is actually sweet, happy and lovable. It is “true spiritual sugar” that removes bitterness from suffering and sweetens consolations. Devotion is the delight of delights and queen of the virtues since it is the perfection of charity. (Part I, Ch. 2.)
The Introduction was addressed to each and every Christian regardless of vocation, stage in life, age or temperament. Holiness is a vocation for everyone. Devotion (holiness) must be exercised in different ways by each particular person and must be adapted to the strengths, activities and duties of each particular person. True devotion (holiness) perfects all things. It does no injury to one’s vocation or occupation, but rather adorns and beautifies it. Every vocation becomes more agreeable when united with devotion. (Part I, Ch 3.)
If you are serious about choosing the road of devotion, Francis strongly recommends finding a good spiritual director. Such a “faithful friend” is a treasure of wisdom in sorrow and affliction, medicine to ease our hearts when spiritually afflicted. Francis counsels praying over finding a good spiritual director, one after God’s own heart. They are one in ten thousand, but if you pray for one with a sincere heart, God will provide one for you. Francis goes on to say that a good spiritual director is the means by which God will befriend you and speak to you. Trust him as you would an angel — a messenger from God.
Francis identifies purification as the first necessary step on the road to the devout life, but it should be approached gently. Purification and healing take time, difficulty and patience. The work of purging the soul neither can nor should end except with your life itself. We must not be disturbed at our imperfections, since our perfection comes in fighting against them. (Part I, Ch. 5.)
Imperfections and venial sins cannot deprive us of spiritual life; it is lost only by mortal sin. Therefore, it only remains for us not to lose courage. . . . Fortunately for us, in this war we are always victorious provided that we are willing to fight. (Part I, Ch. 5.) We can only lose if we stop trying, if we give up.
In the bulk of the first part, Francis provides a program of ten exercises to purify the soul to prepare for a general confession culminating in a resolution to serve God.
Feeding the Devout Life
Once chosen, the devout life must be continuously nourished. The second part of the Introduction deals with prayer and the sacraments as means of developing the devout life. Since prayer places our intellect in the brilliance of God’s light and exposes our will to the warmth of his heavenly love, nothing else so effectively purifies our intellect of ignorance and our will of depraved affections. It is a stream of holy water that flows forth and makes the plants of our good desires grow green and flourish and quenches the passions within our hearts. (Part II, Ch. 2.)
Francis especially counsels mental prayer centered on the life of Jesus using imagination, intellect and affections. Although his instructions for prayer are rather detailed and structured, the main aim is to kindle the affections — the heart rather than the head. Francis says don’t be disturbed if you encounter dryness or sterility or if this prayer regimen seems difficult. Be gentle with yourself.
As to the sacraments, Francis recommends daily communion and weekly confession. Francis calls the Mass, the sum of all spiritual exercises. . . center of Christian religion, heart of devotion and soul of piety, the ineffable mystery that comprises within itself the deepest depths of divine charity, the mystery in which God really gives himself and gloriously communicates his graces and favors to us. Prayer made in union with the divine sacrifice has inestimable power. (Part II, Ch. 14.)
After you have received him, excite your heart to do homage to the King of Salvation. Converse with him concerning your inmost concerns. Reflect that he is within you and has come there for your happiness. In fine, make him as welcome as you possibly can and conduct yourself in such manner that by your actions all may know that God is with you. (Part II, Ch. 21.)
The Devout Life in Practice
In the third part III of the Introduction, Francis addresses living the devout life in practice. He recommends we practice a particular virtue, not try to practice all of them at once, but focusing on one to keep the mind better ordered and occupied. Undertake all your affairs with a calm mind and try to despatch them in order one after the other. If you make an effort to do them all at once or without order, your spirits will be so overcharged and depressed that they will likely sink under the burden without affecting anything.” (Part III, Ch. 10.)
Francis advises following the little virtues of patience, meekness, humility, poverty, and forbearance towards neighbors. We have more opportunities to practice the little virtues rather than great ones of fortitude and magnanimity.
Francis puts a great stress on patience in the devout life, and in particular patience with ourselves. The more perfect our patience, the more completely do we possess our souls. (Part III, Ch. 3.) In correcting our own faults, we must deal with them in a calm, settled way. Anger should be avoided. It does not serve justice well. A father’s gentle loving rebuke has far greater power to correct a child than rage and passion. (Part III, Ch. 9.)
Friendship is of particular importance to the devout life, and requires close communication between friends. Love everyone with charity, Francis insists, but form friendships only with those you can share virtuous things. The higher the virtues you share and exchange with others, the more perfect your friendship will be. . . . If your mutual and reciprocal exchanges concern charity, devotion and Christian perfection, O God, how precious this friendship will be! It will be excellent because it comes from God, excellent because it leads to God, excellent because its bond will endure eternally in God. How good it is to love here on earth as they love in heaven and to learn to cherish one another in this world, as we shall also eternally in the next. (Part III, Ch. 19.)
Francis implores his reader to engrave and inscribe on her heart the holy and sacred motto, Live, Jesus! (Part III, Ch. 23.) If Jesus lives in your heart, He will live in your conduct and be revealed in your appearance.
Dealing with Obstacles to the Devout Life
In the fourth part of the Introduction, Francis offers advice on how to deal with temptations that present themselves as obstacles to the devout life. No matter what temptations may come to you and no matter what pleasure accompanies them, as long as your will refuses consent not only to the temptation but also to the pleasure, they should not disturb you since God is not offended by them. (Part IV, Ch. 5.)
Nevertheless, temptation can lead to anxiety, and With the single exception of sin, anxiety is the greatest evil that can happen to a soul. (Part IV, Ch. 11.)rancis says never look temptation in the face but instead look solely to the Lord. He also recommends opening your heart to your spiritual director when facing temptation.
The best defense against small temptations is not to be worried too much about them. Instead of struggling against small temptations do some contrary act of love. Don’t focus on small ordinary temptations, but turn to God instead. If you are at times of peace, perform many acts of virtue contrary to your weakness to strengthen yourself for the times of temptation. If opportunities to perform such acts do not present themselves, seek them out.
If the soul seeks escape from its troubles by love of God it will do so patiently, meekly, humbly and calmly looking to God for deliverance rather than its own efforts or industry. If it seeks escape out of self love, depending on self rather than God, it will excite and wear itself out searching for escape.
Renewing the Divine Life
In the fifth part of the Introduction, Francis recommends making a yearly re-examination of the heart and its affections to renew and dedicate itself to the devout life. The fifth part mirrors the first part in that it consists of exercises to purify the soul to prepare for a general confession culminating in a resolution to serve God.
Saint Francis de Sales quotes
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.
Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.
Be who you are and be that perfectly well.
Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself.
When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.
Friendships begun in this world will be taken up again, never to be broken off.
True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.
Want to learn more about Francis de Sales and the Introduction to the Devout Life? Join me online Monday, August 9, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm to discuss. Click here to register for the event.