Book Categories

Introduction to the Devout Life

p.n8 This Book presents Catholic Teachings simply Rearranged as a Bouquet

p.n9 The Devout Life is for Everyone, Without Exception

p.n10 The Origin of This Book

p.n11 The Structure and Purpose of This Book

p.n13 This Book is Written with Fatherly Love and Attention

p.n15 This Book Written that Both He and We May Become Devout

p.2 The relationship between Charity and Devotion

p.2 We must distinguish True from False Devotion

p.3 Devotion is not only not unpleasant, but most pleasant

p.6 True devotion is never incompatible with our state of life, but enriches it

p.6 Devotion should be practiced differently in each vocation

p.7 Examples of the Devotion of Saints in various States of Life

p.8 The necessity of a Guide to conduct us on the way of Devotion

p.9 How to well choose and to entrust yourself to a Spiritual Director

p.10 We must begin the Spiritual Life with Purification and Courage

p.12 The How and Why of General Confessions

p.14 We must purify our hearts from love of sin

p.15 How to purify ourselves from love of sin

p.17 First Meditation: The Creation

p.19 Second Meditation: On the end for which we were created

p.21 Third Meditation: On the Benefits of God

p.23 Fourth Meditation: On Sin

p.25 Fifth Meditation: On Death

p.27 Sixth Meditation: On Judgment

p.29 Seventh Meditation: On Hell

p.30 Eighth Meditation: On Heaven

p.32 Ninth Meditation: On the choice of Heaven

p.34 Tenth Meditation: Choice between the life of the World and the Devout Life

p.36 Confession turns the Ugliness of Sin into the Beauty of Humility

p.38 A profession of renewed loyalty toward God, to be made after a General Confession

p.40 The Effects of this Profession of Renewed Loyalty toward God

p.41 We must purify ourselves from all affection to venial sins

p.43 We ought to purify ourselves from an affection for useless and dangerous things

p.45 We must purify ourselves from our natural imperfections

p.46 On prayer, and meditation on the Life and Passion of Jesus

p.47 General Instructions on Prayer

p.49 How to Place Ourselves in the Presence of God

p.52 How to Consider the Mystery of a Meditation

p.52 How to Beseech God’s Inspirations during Meditation

p.54 Affections and Resolutions: the third part of the Meditation

p.54 On Considerations: the second part of the Meditation

p.55 The Conclusion of each Meditation, and the Spiritual Nosegay

p.56 Profitable advice on the practice of Meditation

p.59 The dryness which we sometimes experience in Meditation

p.60 The Morning Exercise

p.62 The Evening Exercise and Examination of Conscience

p.63 Spiritual Recollection

p.66 Aspirations, prayers, and good thoughts.

p.72 How to benefit from the Holy Mass

p.74 Devotions, Angels, and Saints

p.77 How we should do Holy Reading

p.78 How we ought to receive Inspirations

p.81 How to make a good Confession

p.84 Frequent Communion

p.87 How to receive Holy Communion well

p.90 How to practice a variety of virtues

p.95 Using prudence when discerning virtues to practice

p.97 Gifts of God are not virtues, nor to be aspired to

p.98 Enduring with Patience everything that befalls us

p.100 How to practice Patience amidst various problems

p.103 Examples and Folly of Vanity

p.104 Being careful but not anxious for our own honor

p.106 Obtaining Humility by Considering God’s Benefits

p.107 Avoiding False Humility, with Examples

p.108 True devotion does not reject God’s gifts and graces

p.110 Humility allows charity to reveal our gifts

p.111 Examples and explanations of practicing humility

p.115 Humility and our Reputation or Good Name

p.119 Meekness Towards our Neighbor, and Remedies for Anger

p.123 Meekness Towards Ourselves

p.126 We must treat of our affairs with diligence, but without eagerness or solicitude.

p.128 Obedience, Chastity, and Poverty

p.129 Practicing Necessary Obedience

p.130 Practicing Voluntary Obedience

p.131 The Necessity of Chastity

p.133 How to preserve Chastity

p.135 Poverty of Spirit to be observed by the Rich

p.138 How to practice Poverty amidst Riches

p.143 How to practice Richness of Spirit in real Poverty

p.145 Concerning evil and frivolous friendships

p.147 Concerning sensual friendships

p.151 Concerning true friendship

p.154 True vs vain friendships

p.156 Remedies against evil friendships

p.159 More advice on friendship

p.162 The Exercise of Exterior Mortification

p.168 Conversation and Solitude

p.173 How we must speak of God

p.175 Modesty in words, and respect towards others

p.176 Rash judgments

p.182 Of detraction

p.188 Other counsels touching Discourse

p.190 Lawful and Commendable Pastimes and Recreations

p.191 Prohibited Games

p.192 Lawful but dangerous Pastimes

p.196 Being faithful in things great and small

p.199 How to keep your mind just and reasonable

p.202 Regulating all our desires

p.204 Instructions for Married People

p.212 Widows must be Firm in their Resolve to Remain Widows

p.214 The True Widow must Give Herself Entirely to God

p.215 How True Widows must Live in Devotion

p.217 A Word to Virgins.

p.219 Don’t mind what the children of the world say

p.222 Have courage when abandoning follies and vanities

p.224 The nature and discernment of temptations

p.229 Encouragement to souls under temptation

p.230 How temptations begin to become sinful

p.232 Remedies against temptations

p.234 Dealing with small temptations

p.237 How to fortify our hearts against temptations

p.238 Of ungodly fear of evil

p.241 Of sadness

p.243 Our holy anchor in all things

p.245 True devotion must penetrate the heart

p.247 Heavenly consolations sometimes draw us to God

p.248 How to properly respond to heavenly consolations

p.248 Discerning true from false consolations

p.250 Spiritual dryness, and its various causes

p.252 How to properly handle spiritual drynesses

p.256 Further instructions on spiritual dryness

p.262 Annual Retreat: We ought every year to renew our good resolutions by the following exercises

p.263 Annual Retreat Exercise #1: This protestation is noble and much to be desired

p.264 Annual Retreat Exercise #1: God in his goodness and sweet love called us to repentance

p.264 Annual Retreat Exercise #1: God in his generous mercy called us to him before it was too late

p.264 Annual Retreat Exercise #1: How all Heaven rejoices at our renewed pledge to God

p.265 Annual Retreat Exercise #1: The effects of God’s grace in our souls should make us more grateful and loving of God

p.266 Annual Retreat Exercise #2: How and when to do the second part of the annual spiritual exercises

p.267 Annual Retreat Exercise #2: How to begin the self-examination of the annual spiritual exercises

p.268 Annual Retreat Exercise #3: An examination of the state of your soul towards God

p.270 Annual Retreat Exercise #4: An examination of our state with regard to ourselves

p.271 Annual Retreat Exercise #5: An examination of the state of our soul towards our neighbour

p.272 Annual Retreat Exercise #6:An examination of the affections of your soul

p.273 Annual Retreat Exercise #7: Affections to be exercised after this examination

p.274 Annual Retreat Exercise #8: Consideration of the excellence of our soul

p.275 Annual Retreat Exercise #9: Consideration of the excellence of virtue

p.276 Annual Retreat Exercise #10: Consideration of the example of the Saints

p.278 Annual Retreat Exercise #11: Consideration of the love that Jesus Christ bears us

p.279 Annual Retreat Exercise #12: Consideration of the eternal love of God towards us

p.280 Annual Retreat Exercise #13: General affections on the preceding considerations

p.281 Annual Retreat Exercise #14: Conclusion of these exercises

p.282 The advice in this book are not too numerous in practice

p.282 Annual Retreat Exercise #15: The sentiments we must preserve after the conclusion

p.283 The exercises in this book are suitable even for those not accustomed to prayer

p.284 We must cling closely to God through our Protestation, which will protect us from the world, the devil, and the flesh

p.285 We must keep our eyes on eternal bliss, and not forsake it for anything at all

Letters to Persons in the World

p.n328 Fear nothing when God is with you

Mystical Explanation of the Canticle of Canticles, and Canonization Deposition of St. Francis de Sales

p.161 The devotion of St. Francis de Sales to Mary

p.163 A Saint’s Love of his Enemies

Practical Piety Set Forth by St Francis de Sales

p.17 Why we should humbly obey our superiors

p.20 How St. Anselm was obedient to everyone

The Life of St. Francis de Sales

p.148 How St. Francis de Sales dealt with heretics

p.258 St. Francis de Sales calmly enforces authority

The Month of Mary According to the Spirit of St. Francis De Sales

p.137 May 15th: The three Unions that occurred at the Incarnation

p.139 May 17th: Mary not only practiced perfect obedience, but recommended it to all in the Gospel

p.139 May 15th: The union of Humility and Charity in the Blessed Virgin Mary

p.201 Mary’s love was greater than any angel’s or saint’s as much as the moon is bigger and brighter than any star

p.202 Mary only slept in order to love and serve God better

The Sinner’s Guide

p.n306 Who can love a world that has the devil as its governor?

p.3 Introduction to the Sinner’s Guide

p.13 Justice and Profit most help move the Will to good

p.14 Reasons why Justice demands we Love and Serve God

p.14 The Infinite Goodness and Perfection of God is the first and chief reason to Love and Serve Him

p.16 The love we owe to God will not move hearts that dwell upon the earth

p.17 Reasons and ways God is far superior to any created thing or being

p.18 God’s perfections are infinitely above our understanding

p.19 The perfections of God are infinitely beyond our senses

p.21 The order and beauty of creation gives us an idea of the power and greatness of God

p.22 St. Thomas Aquinas arguing the greatness of God

p.23 The madness of loving or serving anything more than God

p.24 Our obligates or offenses against God are infinitely more than those against men

p.26 The folly of those who live as though they created themselves for their own purposes

p.26 We are obliged to serve God because He created us

p.28 God demands for our own sake that we acknowledge his benefits, especially of our creation

p.30 If even pagans are grateful for their creation, how much more should a Christian be

p.31 God created us in need so we might humbly turn to him to finish the work of our creation

p.31 Whoever says they received life from nature is only giving God another name

p.33 We are only rich when we have God and always poor when we don’t

p.34 God also deserves our service because he continually sustains our existence

p.35 The pure madness of offending the All-Powerful Giver of Life, Breath, and Everything

p.36 All creation was given to us by God for our benefit, which we should be grateful to Him for

p.38 If pagan philosophers knew we should be grateful to God for everything, shouldn’t Christians be far more so?

p.39 Shall we be less grateful to God than wild beasts without even the light of reason are to us?

p.42 The extreme madness of using God’s own gifts against him

p.44 The benefit of our Redemption is almost beyond our ability to praise

p.46 God’s unfathomable compassion on humanity after the Fall led Him to reconcile us to himself in the greatest way possible

p.47 The manner of our redemption might be more marvelous than our redemption itself

p.48 Jesus underwent such excessive torture out of his abundantly excessive Love for us

p.50 The Passion of Jesus should move us to deepest gratitude and Love for God

p.51 St. Anselm on the gratitude we owe God

p.52 God’s immense love for us, especially on the Cross, should draw us away from sin

p.53 If God has given us everything and even Himself, how can we outrage him by using his benefits to crucify him by sin?

p.56 The benefit of no longer being God’s enemy, but rather his own dear child

p.56 The 7 degrees of our Justification by the Holy Spirit

p.58 By justifying us, God spared us from the many pains of Hell we deserved

p.59 How by justifying man, God recreates and restores him from the damage of sin

p.61 By justifying a soul, God not only imparts immeasurable beauty, strength and other gifts to it, but even dwells Himself within it

p.62 By justification, we are made living members of the Body of Christ, and may confidently ask for whatever we need for His sake and benefit

p.63 In justifying us, God also grants us the right to eternal life

p.64 The change in our lives from our continuous justification should make us ever more grateful to God

p.65 Some effects of the Holy Spirit in a just soul

p.66 We owe the Holy Spirit both for maintaining our virtues and being prevented from sins

p.68 The gratitude we ought to have for God for giving us Himself in the Sacraments

p.70 The benefit of being chosen by God should motivate us to gratitude and to practice virtue

p.72 We should be grateful if God has chosen us in his love from all eternity

p.73 The various circumstances of our being Chosen should move us to deep gratitude and joy

p.76 The Four Last Things are extremely powerful incentives to practice virtue and avoid sin

p.77 Reflecting on our death and judgement will help us avoid sin

p.78 Meditations on Death and its terrible circumstances

p.81 Meditations on the fear of Death and our Judgment before God

p.82 An example told by a Saint of the dreaded Judgment we will all have to face

p.84 St. Gregory on the dread Judgment after death

p.85 Now is the only time we have to prepare for the terrible Day of Judgment before God

p.87 The severity and rigor of the Final Judgment should make every soul tremble with fear

p.89 Some idea of the terror we will feel if condemned to Eternal Hell

p.91 Our riches, honors, and pleasures will not help us in Hell but only increase our eternal torments

p.93 If we continue to ignore God’s warnings, we forfeit our souls permanently to Hell

p.94 We should do everything to avoid Hell while we still can

p.96 We should practice virtue because the abode of the infinitely perfect God will be our reward

p.98 If God gives such great honor to his saints on earth, how much more in heaven?

p.100 If God so freely paid the steep price for our salvation, how freely must his bountifulness flow in heaven for us?

p.100 If God so richly rewards us on earth for our good deeds, how much more will he in heaven?

p.102 If God placed so much beauty in this creation, how much more in Heaven?

p.103 Eternal life is far better than this life in every possible way

p.103 More reasons eternal life is greater than this life

p.105 The peace, company, glory, harmony, and beauty of Heaven are more than worth some pains on earth.

p.107 If we consider the pains of Hell we gain by our sins, we would have stronger reason to avoid sin

p.109 The sheer power of God makes the threat of Hell all the more dreadful

p.111 God’s justice toward the impenitent will be as intense as his mercy has been

p.111 The punishments recorded in Scripture ought to make us fear Hell

p.114 The fear we ought to have if we purposely trample under foot the Innocent Blood of Christ our Savior

p.115 What Revelation says about the demons who will torture us in Hell

p.117 The thought of the eternity of Hell can deter us from sinning

p.119 A short penance in this life is far better than eternal torment

p.121 People continue to sin because they think there’s no punishment, and to avoid virtue thinking there’s no benefit

p.123 Virtue is not practiced because people think it’s difficult, but don’t know its secret beauty and hidden value

p.124 Even in this life, God rewards and provides for those who practice His Virtues

p.127 How Jesus rewards virtue a hundred-fold even in this life

p.128 A short story about spiritual riches vs worldly pleasures

p.130 God’s Fatherly Care for the Just is the greatest Privilege of Virtue

p.132 Proofs from the Bible of God’s Fatherly Care for the Just

p.133 God’s Fatherly care for the Just looks past our sins, and reaches even to our descendants

p.134 Biblical descriptions of God’s Paternal Care for the Just

p.136 God is the Good Shepherd of the Just

p.137 Studying the various titles of God will comfort and encourage us

p.139 Those who have God have everything

p.140 If we sin, God will withdraw his Fatherly Protection and Care

p.141 Those who Love Sin should be moved at least by Fear of God’s Providence being Armed Against Them

p.144 What Grace is and does

p.145 The many wonderful Effects of Grace in the Soul

p.148 Grace enables us to know what we ought to do and not to do, and to act accordingly

p.150 The Light of God can instruct our Understanding differently and better than Nature or Schools can

p.151 The Wisdom of God explained and extolled in the Old Testament

p.154 Those who love sin, live in thick darkness

p.154 Everyone must submit to the teachings of the Catholic Church

p.156 The Joyful Consolations of the Holy Spirit toward the Just

p.158 The sweetness of God overwhelms the souls of the Just with Joy

p.160 The Just enjoy the sweetest, loveliest joys especially during Prayer

p.161 God helps and encourages beginners in virtue, by sparing them many sufferings, and giving them many joys

p.162 God is generous even to those beginning in virtue, so why should we wait to begin?

p.164 Conscience

p.165 The conscience is a torment to the wicked

p.166 The Book of Job describing the torments of an accusing conscience

p.167 The Fathers and other ancient teachers on the torment of a guilty conscience

p.169 The peace of a good conscience is already a taste of Heaven on earth

p.170 Even the pagan philosophers understood the value of a good conscience, and the torment of a guilty one

p.172 A clear conscience produces hope, which brings courage

p.173 The Bible and Saints on Hope and the Confidence it brings

p.175 The Just can rely on God, but Egypt will fail the guilty

p.177 Everyone hopes in something, but hope in anything but God will fail us

p.179 The True Liberty of the Just

p.181 Slavery to Sin

p.182 How degrading and yet common it is to hand our reason over to our instinct!

p.184 Examples of the Tyranny of Slavery to Sin

p.186 The effects of slavery to Lust

p.187 The effects of slavery to Honors and Riches

p.188 The state of those in Slavery to Sin

p.190 Jesus has freed us from the cruel tyranny of Satan

p.192 The grace of God frees us from slavery to sin

p.193 The liberty we gain by subduing the flesh to reason

p.193 A clear conscience and its effects helps free us from slavery to sin

p.194 The joy experienced by those freed from slavery to sin

p.195 Three kinds of peace that arise from Virtue

p.196 Those who run after the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, never know peace in this life

p.197 The prodigal son as an illustration of the tormenting anxieties of those without virtue

p.198 The gratifications of this life can never satisfy our hearts, but only increase our hunger

p.200 The peace of the virtuous in contrast with the torment and anxiety of the wicked

p.202 Peace comes from our virtue, mastery over our desires, the gift of spiritual consolations, and confidence in God’s loving protection

p.204 The sin of Adam and Eve left all humanity in deep misery

p.205 In our misery, we have recourse only to God, as the Prophets, Apostles, and Jesus teach us

p.207 The immeasurable promises of Jesus to the Just

p.208 How God hears the prayers of the Just and Virtuous

p.210 God consoles us in the hour of affliction

p.212 Examples from the Bible of how God protects the Just in the hour of trial

p.213 Virtue strengthens and encourages us under all tribulations

p.215 Without virtue, tribulations overwhelm us and we act even more self-destructively

p.218 God cares for the temporal needs of the Just

p.221 The Virtuous are always restful and have all their needs met to a healthy degree

p.222 God’s Curses on Sinful Nations, and Examples from the Bible and History

p.227 Some reasons why the death of sinners is most terrible

p.229 St. Peter Damian describes the Hour of Death

p.231 Neither Riches, Honors, Pleasures, or Friends can help us at the Hour of Death; only Virtues will avail us then

p.232 The virtuous Christian soul does not fear death, but embraces it with joy

p.234 The Pearl of Great Price is more than worth seeking

p.237 People who make excuses to continue in sin do so because they just want to sin

p.238 We should not wait to turn to God, since we can’t promise ourselves even one more moment of life

p.239 The many reasons why waiting to turn to God until later will be much harder

p.241 If we wait to turn to God until later, our sins will be even heavier

p.242 Lazarus’s Resurrection shows the strength of God’s grace needed to save us from strong habits of sin

p.243 Reasons against quitting our sins later instead of now

p.245 The foolishness of waiting until old age to quit sin

p.246 How gravely unjust it is to defer our conversion to God until some later time

p.247 The Bible exhorts us to give God our service in our youth, not to wait until old age

p.249 St. Augustine on deathbed conversions

p.251 Four Fathers and Doctors of the Church on deathbed penances

p.254 Four reasons given by Blessed Duns Scotus on the danger of deathbed conversions

p.257 Warnings from the Bible and Jesus against death-bed repentances

p.260 Reasons the Good Thief and Ninevites are not meant to encourage deferring our conversion

p.262 Although there’s not much hope in death-bed repentances, there is Hope now while we still have time to turn to God and away from sin

p.264 The foolishness of continuing in sin, trusting in God’s mercy

p.264 Of Those who Continue in Sin trusting in God’s Mercy

p.266 An Example of God’s Terrifying Justice in the Fall of the Angels

p.267 Examples of God’s Horrifying Justice in the Fall of Man

p.269 God’s Justice allows sinners to fall into deeper and deeper blindness and destruction

p.270 If we presume upon God’s Mercy without sight of His Justice, we may be lost to Hell

p.272 We are inclined against Virtue because of the Fall of Man

p.273 The Grace of God Encourages and Strengthens us to Practice Virtue

p.275 Our sinful nature should not discourage us, since God has promised to help us

p.278 The number of our sins should not discourage us, for God can and will help us if only we are willing

p.279 Love of God makes virtue and self-sacrifice easy and pleasant

p.281 The hardship of Virtue is less than the suffering of Hell, or the efforts of the Saints

p.282 How the path of virtue is much easier than that of sin

p.284 The grace of God makes the yoke of virtue easy, light, and pleasant

p.285 Examples of changes in a soul by the grace of God

p.286 The effects of the grace of Baptism on St. Cyprian, in his own words

p.288 St. Augustine’s conversion shows us that God’s grace is within everyone’s reach

p.291 Six drawbacks of the illusory happiness found in this life

p.292 The happiness of this life is brief

p.293 The happiness of this life is subject to innumerable sudden changes

p.295 God’s Justice often punishes sin even in this life

p.296 The happiness of this life is ruined even by our own passions

p.298 The happiness of this life is full of snares and miseries caused by the darkness and blindness of the world

p.299 The happiness of this life is ruined by universal injustice and madness

p.302 The happiness of this world is delusive and treacherous

p.302 Further reasons worldly happiness should not be trusted

p.304 The sorrows of this life far outweigh its joys

p.305 The happiness of this world is false, and it resembles Hell

p.306 Reasons man’s happiness can only be found in God

p.308 True happiness is not found in corporal or sensible pleasures

p.309 An example of the emptiness of the happiness of this world from King Solomon

p.310 The happiness this life promises is vanity and lies

p.312 Virtue contains all the good we can desire in this world, and more perfectly

p.313 Virtue will obtain for us God as our reward, and every good thing with him

p.314 We ought to be persuaded by obligation, benefits, interest, and pursuit of happiness, to seek after God

p.315 To abandon sin is of the utmost importance, and the flesh, the world and the devil will wage war against those who attempt it

p.317 If we firmly resolve to abandon sin, the Angels, the Saints, and God Himself will be our defense

p.318 Victory begins by maintaining a firm resolution never to commit mortal sin

p.319 Examples from the Bible and Saints who refused to commit mortal sin

p.320 The aim of our prayers and devotions must be an absolute resolution never to sin

p.321 We must understand the true nature of virtue and sin if we would practice virtue and avoid sin

p.323 Summary of the 7 Deadly Sins and their sources

p.324 That Pride is the chief sin, and reflections on what it has done to Lucifer and his army

p.325 Considerations of the birth, life, and death of man, to combat Pride

p.327 The danger of vainglory, and considerations to remedy it

p.328 The danger of ambition, and considerations to remedy it

p.329 Pride makes us displeasing to everyone: the good, the bad, and even ourselves

p.329 Our good works are no cause for pride, since they are rarely perfect and pure

p.330 Humility comes from knowledge of ourselves, pride from ignorance of ourselves

p.331 Considerations to cure a pride that considers ourselves better than others

p.332 General considerations to cure pride and obtain humility

p.334 Against Covetousness in General

p.336 Worldly riches are far worse than spiritual riches, and they cannot both dwell in one heart

p.337 Riches cannot satisfy our hearts, and God will never fail our needs

p.338 We must part from our riches at death, so we might as well use them for our spiritual profit in this life

p.339 Whatever riches God has given us are meant to help others, and we will give account for it all

p.340 Not riches themselves, but our disposition to riches, is what profits or harms our souls

p.341 Theft also consists in unjustly keeping someone else’s things from them

p.342 Counsels against various types of covetousness

p.344 Lust is a most fierce enemy, that stains our souls, defiles our bodies, and ruins our neighbor

p.345 Lust catches souls easily and they only escape rarely and with great difficulty

p.346 Some of the many evil effects of Lust

p.346 Lust is insatiable, and its punishment far outweighs its pleasure

p.347 Lust destroys the purity of the soul which renders us as beautiful as the Angels

p.348 We must strive to maintain or at least restore our purity by resisting Lust

p.349 To protect ourselves from Lust, we must guard our hearts, eyes, ears, and tongue from Lustful objects

p.350 To guard against Lust, remember your Guardian Angel, the Devil, your final Judgment, and Hell

p.351 To guard against Lust, absolutely avoid unnecessary familiarities

p.351 A story from St. Gregory’s Dialogues to encourage us to guard against Lust

p.353 The general nature and history of Envy

p.355 Envy makes us resemble demons, and actually profits us nothing

p.356 Considerations to cure our Envy

p.358 Gluttony attempts to conquer us from within, and Jesus gave us an example of conquering it

p.359 Considerations to cure our Gluttony

p.360 Further considerations to remedy Gluttony

p.362 Anger is not found even among the animals, yet is fitting only for a wild beast

p.364 If we do not forgive others, God will neither forgive us nor accept any sacrifice we make

p.365 Anger and hatred are always self-defeating

p.366 We must not do or say anything wrong when angry, but wait until the anger goes away

p.368 As Jesus and the Saints were so diligent, we should also avoid Sloth

p.369 Examples of Diligence from Nature to encourage us to avoid Sloth and labor for Heaven

p.370 We must labor for our eternal reward

p.371 Have Courage on the Battle Field of Virtue vs Temptation

p.374 Against the sin of saying “I swear to God” and other such uses of God’s name in vain or falsely

p.376 How easy and common it is to seriously offend God when speaking of the faults of others

p.377 Many evil effects of speaking evil of others

p.378 Advice against the sin of speaking evil of others

p.380 Speaking evil against virtuous souls, or against consecrated persons, is especially evil

p.381 Some basics about making Rash Judgments

p.382 Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation

p.384 The dangers of Venial Sins

p.385 Short remedies against the 7 deadly sins during temptation

p.387 Short remedies against pride, vain-glory, and hypocrisy

p.388 Short remedies against rebellion, disobedience, envy, and hatred

p.390 Short remedies against detraction, anger, arrogance, and imprudence

p.391 Short remedies against sloth, covetousness, gluttony, talkativeness, and impurity

p.394 The threefold obligation to virtue

p.395 Virtuous persons should have an outward bearing of gravity, humility, and sweetness

p.397 Modesty preserves devotion and purity in the soul, and makes us fit for society; whereas immodesty ruins all these things

p.399 General advice against Temperance

p.401 Considerations against Temptations of Taste and Feeling

p.402 Advice for drinking alcohol and against using drugs

p.404 Advice against other forms gluttony and intemperance

p.405 Why we should especially guard our eyes and ears

p.407 How to govern the Tongue

p.409 The Mortification of the Passions

p.412 The Reformation of the Will

p.414 The Government of the Imagination

p.416 Some Hows and Whys of Prudence

p.419 Prudence in Temporal Affairs

p.421 Three Ways to Get More Prudence

p.423 Man’s Duty to his Neighbor is Charity and Mercy

p.424 How much charity is praised and recommended in the New Testament Letters

p.425 Practical proofs of charity

p.426 How we can love our neighbor even though they’re not relatives

p.429 Our duty to God, and how to generally fulfill it

p.430 The Fear of God

p.432 Confidence in God

p.433 Zeal for the Glory of God

p.434 Purity of Intention

p.436 Basics of Prayer and Gratitude

p.437 Obedience to God’s Counsels

p.438 Obedience to Divine Inspirations

p.441 Conforming ourselves to God’s will in all things, good or bad

p.441 If we prefer good deeds in secret, our souls will be safer and better rewarded by God

p.444 If sufferings are allowed by such a Good Father, why should we be afraid of it?

p.445 All the suffering God allows us, is for our own good, and comes from his Love and Mercy

p.445 The sufferings of this life are not worthy of comparing to the Rewards of Eternal Life

p.447 Some considerations to encourage us in our sufferings

p.449 The three degrees of Obedience

p.450 When we obey our superiors, we obey God

p.451 How Mothers and Fathers should discharge their duties to God and to their family

p.454 Some distinctions between types of virtues

p.455 The interior virtues serve God, and the exterior virtues serve the interior virtues

p.457 How to preserve Devotion, which will preserve the other Virtues

p.459 We need both the interior and exterior virtues

p.460 We must prefer the virtues more pleasing to God than to men

p.461 Virtues that are Less must sometimes yield to those that are Greater

p.462 True and False Justice before God

p.464 God hates virtues and sacrifices not motivated by Love of God

p.465 Some hypocrisy comes from self-deception

p.467 Those who are self-content are in more spiritual danger than others

p.468 Timeless examples of hypocrisy in a great many Catholics

p.469 Each person has their own spiritual needs

p.470 There are many forms of devotion

p.471 Devotions and virtues are only greater than each other within a subject, not objectively

p.472 The diversity of gifts and grace comes from God

p.473 Examples of God’s variety in vocation, grace, nature

p.475 Diversity in Virtue by analogy of diversity in the Church and the Human Body

p.477 The vigilance and care necessary in the practice of virtue

p.479 The courage necessary in the practice of virtue

p.482 Reasons why we should have courage in the pursuit of virtue

p.483 The lives of the Saints and Martyrs should give us courage in the practice of virtue

p.485 The sufferings of Christ and the Saints should encourage and inspire us

The Spirit of St. Francis de Sales

p.49 Losing everything but having God is having more than everything

p.50 Love of God is the purpose and goal of Christian Perfection

p.51 Advice of St. Francis de Sales on how to love God better

p.53 What Love of God and Love of Neighbor are

p.55 We must love God, not fear him

p.55 Love of God should be the highest motive of all our works

p.57 God’s love is behind everything bad that happens to us

p.58 St. Francis de Sales on love and freedom

p.61 On the love of God’s goodness itself

p.64 A Short Story of the Disinterested Love of God

p.65 St. Francis de Sales on the Fire of Love and of Charity

p.66 St. Francis de Sales on entrusting all our love to God

p.67 St. Francis de Sales on the Law and the Just Man

p.69 How to increase or diminish our Love for God

p.70 St. Francis de Sales on Love of God being greater than Faith and Hope

p.74 St. Francis de Sales on the Love of God in relation to the Passion of Christ

p.76 The emptiness of non-Christian Philosophy

p.77 St. Francis de Sales on two different motives for love of others

p.79 St. Francis de Sales on bearing patiently with one another

p.80 St. Francis de Sales on correcting others gently

p.82 St. Francis de Sales on speaking the Truth

p.84 Examples of how St. Francis de Sales handled fault-finding in others

p.86 St. Francis de Sales on not judging others

p.88 How and when we can judge others

p.89 St. Francis de Sales on Judging Ourselves instead of Others

p.90 Slander and Detraction

p.93 Judging whether our neighbor has the habits of virtue or vice

p.95 Upon ridiculing one’s neighbour

p.97 Against speaking badly of others for any reason

p.99 Upon Loving our Enemies

p.101 A short story about Forgiving our Enemies

p.103 We ought to help others out of sin, but with charity and prudence

p.104 How St. Francis de Sales interacted with unbelievers

p.106 How St. Francis de Sales dealt with those in error

p.109 How to love those we are in charge of

p.113 St. Francis de Sales giving advice on discerning marriage

p.116 Those who call Almsgiving by the name “Charity” are very mistaken

p.117 How St. Francis de Sales treated those in error before and after their conversion

p.120 How much St.Francis de Sales trusted in the goodness of God towards sinners

p.121 St. Francis de Sales on Justice and Mercy

p.122 St. Francis de Sales on the small number of the Elect

p.123 To love to be hated, and to hate to be loved

p.124 St. Francis de Sales on Obedience

p.126 How superiors can practice Obedience

p.127 How St. Francis de Sales obeyed superiors and encouraged others to do the same

p.129 St. Francis de Sales practicing poverty

p.131 St. Francis de Sales on how poverty is happier than riches

p.132 St. Francis de Sales on poverty and presumption

p.134 St. Francis de Sales explaining the superiority of poverty

p.137 Upon Poverty of Spirit

p.138 St. Francis de Sales’ love for the poor

p.139 St. Francis de Sales on loving poverty in practice

p.140 Prosperity vs Divine Providence

p.141 We must avoid the near occasion of sin, especially chastity, when our duty before God allows it

p.142 Purity is not Chastity

p.143 On Humility and Chastity, and speaking of them

p.144 How Modesty preserves the sweet perfume of our Virtues

p.146 St. Francis de Sales on being an organ donor

p.147 Examples of St. Francis de Sales’ humility.

p.148 An example of true humility in the life of St. Francis de Sales

p.150 Humility in Word vs Deed

p.151 Humility cannot be in knowledge only, but must also be in the will

p.152 We ought to love the humiliations God sends us, since by it He will draw nearer to us

p.153 Those with greater charity prefer humiliations to honors

p.154 The relationship between Humility and Obedience

p.155 Speaking in praise or blame of ourselves both usually come from pride

p.156 True and false humility

p.157 Even when we are not guilty, we are not innocent

p.159 Accusing and Excusing Ourselves

p.161 We should guard our reputation only for God’s service

p.161 Upon our Good Name

p.162 Reasons we should be content with the contempt of others

p.164 What to do when we are falsely accused

p.165 More virtues to practice when we are falsely spoken evil of

p.166 Humility in regards to our neighbor and ourselves

p.168 Fatherly reproaches to a man-child’s whining

p.172 Virtues to practice when we are insulted or accused

p.174 Reasons we should be patient with those who annoy us

p.175 How to endure various sufferings for love of God

p.177 When and how we are allowed to complain

p.179 The calm we should have during tribulation

p.180 An example of the true virtue of patience

p.181 The patience needed for a long illness or to help one through it

p.183 How St. Francis de Sales bore painful illnesses

p.185 Enduring the Cross out of Love of God

p.186 On having the Cross of Jesus in our hearts

p.188 Jesus the Gardener sows seeds of mortification in our souls, that he may also make them blossom into flowers of glory

p.189 An example of justice and mercy in meekness

p.191 How St. Francis de Sales converted a sinful priest by meekness and humility

p.193 How St. Francis de Sales won over a malicious creditor with patience and charity

p.195 How St. Francis de Sales defended his relative poverty against accusations

p.197 The fearlessness of St. Francis de Sales in receiving insults and contempt

p.199 St. Francis de Sales patiently refuses a demand to bestow a benefice unjustly

p.201 A short debate about whether we will actually turn the other cheek

p.202 Those who suffer for righteousness’ sake are very blessed and dear to God

p.203 The effects of affability, gravity, and devotion in a saintly soul

p.204 How St. Francis de Sales converted a hardened criminal sentenced to death and without hope in God

p.207 The devil doesn’t fear our austerities or mortifications, but our obedience to God

p.208 Penances too severe may weaken our ability to effectively fight temptations

p.210 We must love the crosses God gives us more than the ones we choose

p.211 We may pause our sacrifices to fulfill brotherly love and to conceal our virtues

p.213 Advice from St. Francis de Sales on whether to fast as a personal mortification

p.219 It is a good sign of spiritual health to welcome correction

p.219 A convent is a hospital for the spiritually sick

p.221 Perfection of consecrated life is not in austerities but purely in Love of God

The Spiritual Combat

p.5 Holiness is not based on what practices we have

p.5 Differences between false and true devotion

p.8 Examples and Effects of False Devotion

p.10 What the Spiritual Life really is and consists of

p.95 How we are to govern the tongue

p.98 We must keep peace of soul admist spiritual battles

p.104 What to do after having fallen into sin

p.107 Some of the devil’s strategies

p.108 The bottomless pit of sin, and the way out

p.109 The devil often tempts us to defer our repentance to the unforeseen future

p.110 We must trust both in God’s goodness and our weakness

p.111 We must be Realistic, Selfless, and Courageous in the Pursuit of Virtue

p.113 The error of thinking we are saintly, and how to avoid it

p.115 The trap of falsely pious desires, and how to avoid it

p.140 We must accept opportunities to practice virtues

p.169 An Example of Meditating on Christ’s Passion

p.172 A method of Prayer grounded on the intercession of our Blessed Lady

The Spiritual Conferences of St. Francis de Sales

p.112 God is not pleased by our eagerness but with the love with which we entrust our devotions to him

p.113 The faithfulness and love with which we do our devotions is what brings us to perfection

p.115 True fervor and true humility

p.117 Our submission to God’s will during afflictions is far more pleasing to him and helpful to us than our good works in prosperity

p.118 One single act done with dryness of spirit is worth more than many done with great fervour and sensible devotion

p.120 We should have the same song of praise for God whether we receive good or bad

Treatise on the Love of God

p.302 The old man and the new man