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.
HOWEVER much we may admire and crave for light, it is apt to dazzle our eyes when they have been long accustomed to darkness; and on first visiting a foreign country, we are sure to feel strange among its inhabitants, however kindly or courteous they may be. Even so, my child, your changed life may be attended with some inward discomfort, and you may feel some reaction of discouragement and weariness after you have taken a final farewell of the world and its follies. Should it be so, I pray you take it patiently, for it will not last,—it is merely the disturbance caused by novelty; and when it is gone by, you will abound in consolations. At first you may suffer somewhat under the loss what you enjoyed among your vain, frivolous 295 companions; but would you forfeit the eternal gifts of God for such things as these? The empty amusements which have engrossed you hitherto may rise up attractively before your imagination, and strive to win you back to rest in them; but are you bold enough to give up a blessed eternity for such deceitful snares? Believe me, if you will but persevere you will not fail to enjoy a sweetness so real and satisfying, that you will be constrained to confess that the world has only gall to give as compared with this honey, and that one single day of devotion is worth more than a thousand years of worldly life.
But you see before you the mountain of Christian perfection, which is very high, and you exclaim in fearfulness that you can never ascend it. Be of good cheer, my child. When the young bees first begin to live they are mere grubs, unable to hover over flowers, or to fly to the mountains, or even to the little hills where they might gather honey; but they are fed for a time with the honey laid up by their predecessors, and by degrees the grubs put forth their wings and grow strong, until they fly abroad and gather their harvest from all the country round. Now we are yet but as grubs in devotion, unable to fly at will, and attain the desired aim of Christian perfection; but if we begin to take shape through 296 our desires and resolutions, our wings will gradually grow, and we may hope one day to become spiritual bees, able to fly. Meanwhile let us feed upon the honey left us in the teaching of so many holy men of old, praying God that He would grant us doves’ wings, so that we may not only fly during this life, but find an abiding resting-place in Eternity.