This early 17th century classic is a proven spiritual guide for living an authentic Christian life. “Philothea, to go with a good guide on this holy voyage of devotion, beseech God with great fervency to grant you one that may be according to his heart and doubt not, for he will rather send you an angel from heaven, as He did to young Tobias, than fail to give you a good and faithful guide. Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis de Sales The most popular Catholic self-help book of all time is written for laymen. In short, devotion is simply a spiritual activity and liveliness by means of which Divine Love works in us, and causes us to work briskly and lovingly and just as charity leads us to a general practice of all God's Commandments, so devotion leads us to practise them readily and diligently. “The first purification which ought to be made is from sin the means to make it is the sacrament of penance.” ( ) “I make use of a name applicable to all such as aspire to devotion for the Greek word, Philothea, signifies a soul loving, or in love with, God.” ( Pages viii–ix) “So, when the penitent hates his sin, but only with a light, though true contrition, he resolves indeed to sin no more but when he abhors it with a powerful and vigorous contrition, he then not only detests the sin, but all the affections, tendencies, and occasions of it.” ( ) “The ordinary purifying and healing, be it of the body or the soul, is only effected little and little, going on by degrees, with pain and labour.” ( )
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