Introduction to the Devout Life
CHAPTER I. What true Devotion is. CHAPTER I. What true Devotion is.
CHAPTER IX. FIRST MEDITATION. CHAPTER IX. FIRST MEDITATION.
CHAPTER X. SECOND MEDITATION CHAPTER X. SECOND MEDITATION
CHAPTER XI. THIRD MEDITATION. CHAPTER XI. THIRD MEDITATION.
CHAPTER XII. FOURTH MEDITATION. CHAPTER XII. FOURTH MEDITATION.
CHAPTER XIII. FIFTH MEDITATION. CHAPTER XIII. FIFTH MEDITATION.
CHAPTER XIV. SIXTH MEDITATION. CHAPTER XIV. SIXTH MEDITATION.
CHAPTER XV. SEVENTH MEDITATION. CHAPTER XV. SEVENTH MEDITATION.
CHAPTER XVI. EIGHTH MEDITATION. CHAPTER XVI. EIGHTH MEDITATION.
CHAPTER XVII. NINTH MEDITATION. CHAPTER XVII. NINTH MEDITATION.
CHAPTER XVIII. TENTH MEDITATION. CHAPTER XVIII. TENTH MEDITATION.
CHAPTER XIX. How to make a General Confession. CHAPTER XIX. How to make a General Confession.
CHAPTER I. The Necessity of Prayer. CHAPTER I. The Necessity of Prayer.
CHAPTER VIII. Some Useful Hints as to Meditation. CHAPTER VIII. Some Useful Hints as to Meditation.
CHAPTER IX. Concerning Dryness in Meditation. CHAPTER IX. Concerning Dryness in Meditation.
CHAPTER X. Morning Prayer. CHAPTER X. Morning Prayer.
CHAPTER XII. On Spiritual Retirement. CHAPTER XII. On Spiritual Retirement.
CHAPTER XVI. How the Saints are united to us. CHAPTER XVI. How the Saints are united to us.
CHAPTER XVII. How to Hear and Read God's Word. CHAPTER XVII. How to Hear and Read God’s Word.
CHAPTER XVIII. How to receive Inspirations. CHAPTER XVIII. How to receive Inspirations.
CHAPTER XIX. On Confession. CHAPTER XIX. On Confession.
CHAPTER XX. Of Frequent Communion. CHAPTER XX. Of Frequent Communion.
CHAPTER XXI. How to Communicate. CHAPTER XXI. How to Communicate.
PART III. CONTAINING COUNSELS CONCERNING THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE.
CHAPTER II. The same Subject continued. CHAPTER II. The same Subject continued.
CHAPTER III. On Patience. CHAPTER III. On Patience.
CHAPTER IV. On Greater Humility. CHAPTER IV. On Greater Humility.
CHAPTER V. On Interior Humility. CHAPTER V. On Interior Humility.
CHAPTER IX. On Gentleness towards Ourselves. CHAPTER IX. On Gentleness towards Ourselves.
CHAPTER XI. On Obedience. CHAPTER XI. On Obedience.
CHAPTER XII. On Purity. CHAPTER XII. On Purity.
CHAPTER XIII. How to maintain Purity. CHAPTER XIII. How to maintain Purity.
CHAPTER XIV. On Poverty of Spirit amid Riches. CHAPTER XIV. On Poverty of Spirit amid Riches.
CHAPTER XVIII. On Frivolous Attachments. CHAPTER XVIII. On Frivolous Attachments.
CHAPTER XIX. Of Real Friendship. CHAPTER XIX. Of Real Friendship.
CHAPTER XXI. Remedies against Evil Friendships. CHAPTER XXI. Remedies against Evil Friendships.
CHAPTER XXIV. Of Society and Solitude. CHAPTER XXIV. Of Society and Solitude.
CHAPTER XXV. On Modesty in Dress. CHAPTER XXV. On Modesty in Dress.
CHAPTER XXVIII. Of Hasty Judgments. CHAPTER XXVIII. Of Hasty Judgments.
CHAPTER XXIX. On Slander. CHAPTER XXIX. On Slander.
CHAPTER XXX. Further Counsels as to Conversation. CHAPTER XXX. Further Counsels as to Conversation.
CHAPTER XXXII. Of Forbidden Amusements. CHAPTER XXXII. Of Forbidden Amusements.
CHAPTER XXXVII. Of Wishes. CHAPTER XXXVII. Of Wishes.
CHAPTER XXXVIII. Counsels to Married People. CHAPTER XXXVIII. Counsels to Married People.
CHAPTER XXXIX. The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed. CHAPTER XXXIX. The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed.
CHAPTER XL. Counsels to Widows. CHAPTER XL. Counsels to Widows.
CHAPTER XLI. One Word to Maidens. CHAPTER XLI. One Word to Maidens.
PART IV. CONTAINING NEEDFUL COUNSELS CONCERNING SOME ORDINARY TEMPTATIONS.
CHAPTER II. The need of a Good Courage. CHAPTER II. The need of a Good Courage.
CHAPTER V. Encouragement for the Tempted Soul. CHAPTER V. Encouragement for the Tempted Soul.
CHAPTER VII. Remedies for Great Occasions. CHAPTER VII. Remedies for Great Occasions.
CHAPTER VIII. How to resist Minor Temptations. CHAPTER VIII. How to resist Minor Temptations.
CHAPTER IX. How remedy Minor Temptations. CHAPTER IX. How remedy Minor Temptations.
CHAPTER XI. Anxiety of Mind. CHAPTER XI. Anxiety of Mind.
CHAPTER XII. Of Sadness and Sorrow. CHAPTER XII. Of Sadness and Sorrow.
CHAPTER XIV. Of Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness. CHAPTER XIV. Of Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness.
CHAPTER XV. An Illustration. CHAPTER XV. An Illustration.
PART V. CONTAINING COUNSELS AND PRACTICES FOR RENEWING AND CONFIRMING THE SOUL IN DEVOTION.
CHAPTER XII. The Example of the Saints. CHAPTER XII. The Example of the Saints.
CHAPTER XIV. The Eternal Love of God for us. CHAPTER XIV. The Eternal Love of God for us.
AS daylight waxes, we, gazing into a mirror, see more plainly the soils and stains upon our face; and even so as the interior light of the Holy Spirit enlightens our conscience, we see more distinctly the sins, inclinations and imperfections which hinder our progress towards real devotion. And the selfsame light which shows us these blots and stains, kindles in us the desire to be cleansed and purged therefrom. 58 You will find then, my child, that besides the mortal sins and their affections from which your soul has already been purged, you are beset by sundry inclinations and tendencies to venial sin; mind, I do not say you will find venial sins, but the inclination and tendency to them. Now, one is quite different from the other. We can never be altogether free from venial sin,—at least not until after a very long persistence in this purity; but we can be without any affection for venial sin. It is altogether one thing to have said something unimportant not strictly true, out of carelessness or liveliness, and quite a different matter to take pleasure in lying, and in the habitual practice thereof. But I tell you that you must purify your soul from all inclination to venial sin;—that is to say, you must not voluntarily retain any deliberate intention of permitting yourself to commit any venial sin whatever. It would be most unworthy consciously to admit anything so displeasing to God, as the will to offend Him in anywise. Venial sin, however small, is displeasing to God, although it be not so displeasing as the greater sins which involve eternal condemnation; and if venial sin is displeasing to Him, any clinging which we tolerate to mortal sin is nothing less than a resolution to offend His Divine Majesty. Is it really possible that a rightly disposed soul 59 can not only offend God, but take pleasure therein?
These inclinations, my daughter, are in direct opposition to devotion, as inclinations to mortal sin are to love:—they weaken the mental power, hinder Divine consolations, and open the door to temptations;—and although they may not destroy the soul, at least they bring on very serious disease. “Dead flies cause the ointment to send forth a stinking savour,” says the Wise Man. [1] He means that the flies which settle upon and taste of the ointment only damage it temporarily, leaving the mass intact, but if they fall into it, and die there, they spoil and corrupt it. Even so venial sins which pass over a devout soul without being harboured, do not permanently injure it, but if such sins are fostered and cherished, they destroy the sweet savour of that soul—that is to say, its devotion. The spider cannot kill bees, but it can spoil their honey, and so encumber their combs with its webs in course of time, as to hinder the bees materially. Just so, though venial sins may not lose the soul, they will spoil its devotion, and so cumber its faculties with bad habits and evil inclinations, as to deprive it of all that cheerful readiness which is the very essence of true devotion; that is to say, if they are harboured 60 in the conscience by delight taken therein. A trifling inaccuracy, a little hastiness in word or action, some small excess in mirth, in dress, in gaiety, may not be very important, if these are forthwith heeded and swept out as spiritual cobwebs;—but if they are permitted to linger in the heart, or, worse still, if we take pleasure in them and indulge them, our honey will soon be spoilt, and the hive of our conscience will be cumbered and damaged. But I ask again, how can a generous heart take delight in anything it knows to be displeasing to its God, or wish to do what offends Him?