Philothea or An Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis De Sales
$14.95
(No reviews yet)
As no sensible person would make a long road trip without first
consulting a map, so the person intent upon gaining Heaven should
first resort to a competent guide to reach that Goal of all goals.
And no better guide to Heaven exists than An Introduction to the
Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Doctor of the
Church. It is at once easy to read, being laid out in short chapters,
yet thorough, authoritative, reliable, kind and gentle a mirror of
its author. It is a book, moreover, for all, because all are called
to the devout life. True devotion to God, the author points out,
adorns every vocation. The devout life, moreover, is a lovely, a
pleasant, and a happy life. (p. 5)
Addressed as a personal
letter to Philothea, the lover of God which genuinely represents the
reader the book covers: our first desire to lead a devout life to our
full resolution to do so, how we should approach God in prayer and
the Sacraments, the practice of 16 important virtues, remedies
against ordinary temptations, and becoming confirmed in our practice
of devotion. St. Francis says, Devotion is spiritual agility and
vivacity, by means of which charity works in us, or we in her, with
love and readiness; and as charity leads us to obey and fulfill all
God's Commandments, so devotion leads us to obey them with
promptitude and diligence. (p. 3)
An Introduction to the
Devout Life is a book to be read with pencil in hand. It is a book to
be read again and again. It is a book to make your guide for the rest
of your life. It goes to the heart of becoming good. Its aim is to
help you be rid of sin and even the inclinations to sin. Alone, its
10 brief meditations in Part I will orient you toward God for the
rest of your life. No one will come away without being profoundly
impressed and without being motivated to enter upon the devout life .
. . which leads ultimately to God and to Heaven.
Product Details:
- Paperback
- 326 pages
