Introduction to the Devout Life

Saint Francis de Sales (1567 - 1622)

First published in the early 17th century, it has proven its value as a daily spiritual guide and helpful reference for living an authentic Christian life. Written specifically for laymen, it began as letters from Saint Francis to a married woman who was seeking holiness amidst the distractions of her life of wealth and status. It contains treasures of wisdom for every reader, from eager beginner to lifelong Christian. Summary by Wikipedia and Phil Chenevert.

Genre(s): Christianity - Other

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 Preface by the Author Phil Chenevert
00:12:51
Play 01 Part I COUNSELS FOR THE SOUL'S GUIDANCE Ch 1: What True Devotion is Beth Thomas (1974-2020)
00:05:50
Play 02 Part 1 Ch 2. The Nature and Excellence of Devotion.. Dylan P. Straub
00:05:14
Play 03 Part 1 Ch 3 Devotion is suitable to every Vocation and Profession Sam Isaacson
00:04:39
Play 04 Part 1 Ch 4.The Need of a Guide for those who would enter upon and advance in the Devout Life. Sam Isaacson
00:05:54
Play 05 Part 1 Ch 5. The First Step must be Purifying the Soul. Sam Isaacson
00:04:39
Play 06 Part 1 Ch 6. The First Purification, namely, from Mortal Sin. Sam Isaacson
00:03:00
Play 07 Part 1 Ch 7. The Second Purification, from all Sinful Affections. Sam Isaacson
00:03:47
Play 08 Part 1 Ch 8. How to effect this Second Purification royalcrowncola
00:04:07
Play 09 Part 1 Ch 9. First Meditation Of the End for which we were Created Dylan P. Straub
00:03:54
Play 10 Part 1 Ch 10. Second Meditation-Of the End for which we were Created Dylan P. Straub
00:03:54
Play 11 Part 1 Ch 11. Third Meditation - On the Gifts of God. Dylan P. Straub
00:03:43
Play 12 Part 1 Ch 12. Fourth Meditation.- On Sin J A Carter
00:04:41
Play 13 Part 1 Ch 13. Fifth Meditation - Of Death J A Carter
00:05:33
Play 14 Part 1 Ch 14 - Sixth Meditation - Of Judgment J A Carter
00:05:07
Play 15 Part 1 Ch. 15 - Seventh Meditation - Of Hell J A Carter
00:03:50
Play 16 Part 1 Ch. 16 - Eighth Meditation - On Paradise J A Carter
00:04:16
Play 17 Part 1 Ch. 17 - Ninth Meditation - On the Choice Between Heaven and Hell Dylan P. Straub
00:03:40
Play 18 Part 1 Ch 18 - Tenth Meditation - How the Soul chooses the Devout Life. Dylan P. Straub
00:04:22
Play 19 Part 1 Ch 19 - How to make a General Confession. Dylan P. Straub
00:02:48
Play 20 Part 1 Ch 20 - A hearty Protest made with the object of confirming the Soul’s resolution to serve God, as a conclusion to its acts of Penitence. Cameopro77
00:04:53
Play 21 Part 1 Ch 21 - Conclusion of this First Purification. Sam Isaacson
00:02:32
Play 22 Part 1 Ch 22 - The Necessity of Purging away all tendency to Venial Sins. Sam Isaacson
00:04:37
Play 23 Part 1 Ch 23 - It is needful to put away all Inclination for Useless and Dangerous Things. Sam Isaacson
00:02:49
Play 24 Part 1 Ch 24 - All Evil Inclinations must be purged away. Sam Isaacson
00:02:26
Play 25 Part 2 COUNCILS ON THE NECESSITY OF UPLIFTING THE SOUL TO GOD - Ch 1 - The Necessity of Prayer. Dylan P. Straub
00:05:31
Play 26 Part 2 Ch 2 - A short Method of Meditation. And first, the Presence of God, the First Point of Preparation. Dylan P. Straub
00:04:48
Play 27 Part 2 Ch 3 - Invocation, the Second Point of Preparation. Dylan P. Straub
00:01:35
Play 28 Part 2 Ch 4 - the Third Point of Preparation, representing the Mystery to be meditated to Your Imagination. Dylan P. Straub
00:02:23
Play 29 Part 2 Ch 5 - Considerations, the Second Part of Meditation. Dylan P. Straub
00:01:40
Play 30 Part 2 Ch 6 - The Third Part of Meditation, Affections and Resolutions. Cameopro77
00:02:03
Play 31 Part 2 Ch 7 - The Conclusion and Spiritual Bouquet Cameopro77
00:02:04
Play 32 Part 2 Ch 8 - Some Useful Hints as to Meditation. Cameopro77
00:05:09
Play 33 Part 2 Ch 9 - Concerning Dryness in Meditation. Cameopro77
00:02:48
Play 34 Part 2 Ch 10 - Morning Prayer. Cameopro77
00:03:16
Play 35 Part 2 Ch 11 - Evening Prayer and Examination of Conscience Dylan P. Straub
00:02:05
Play 36 Part 2 Ch 12 - On Spiritual Retirement. Dylan P. Straub
00:04:25
Play 37 Part 2 Ch 13 - Aspirations, Ejaculatory Prayer and Holy Thoughts. Dylan P. Straub
00:09:57
Play 38 Part 2 Ch 14 - Of Holy Communion, and how to join in it. Dylan P. Straub
00:04:30
Play 39 Part 2 Ch 15 - Of the other Public Offices of the Church. Dylan P. Straub
00:02:14
Play 40 Part 2 Ch 16 - How the Saints are united to us. Dylan P. Straub
00:03:02
Play 41 Part 2 Ch 17 - How to Hear and Read God’s Word. Dylan P. Straub
00:02:26
Play 42 Part 2 Ch 18 - How to receive Inspirations. Dylan P. Straub
00:05:26
Play 43 Part 2 Ch 19 - On Confession Dylan P. Straub
00:06:55
Play 44 Part 2 Ch 20 - Of Frequent Communion. Dylan P. Straub
00:05:46
Play 45 Part 2 Ch 21 - How to Communicate. Dylan P. Straub
00:04:29
Play 46 Part 3 THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE - Ch 1 - How to select that which we should chiefly Practice. Jibchmarl
00:10:09
Play 47 Part 3 Ch 2 - The same Subject continued. Jibchmarl
00:08:25
Play 48 Part 3 Ch 3 - On Patience. Lisa57
00:10:45
Play 49 Part 3 Ch 4 - On Greater Humility Lisa57
00:06:59
Play 50 Part 3 Ch 5 - On Interior Humility. fshort
00:10:56
Play 51 Part 3 Ch 6 - Humility makes us rejoice in our own Abjection. fshort
00:08:12
Play 52 Part 3 Ch 7 - How to combine due care for a Good Reputation with Humility fshort
00:08:43
Play 53 Part 3 Ch 8 - Gentleness towards others and Remedies against Anger. fshort
00:09:24
Play 54 Part 3 Ch 9 - On Gentleness towards Ourselves fshort
00:05:23
Play 55 Part 3 Ch 10 - We must attend to the Business of Life carefully, but without Eagerness or Over-anxiety. Phil Chenevert
00:05:54
Play 56 Part 3 Ch 11 - On Obedience. Phil Chenevert
00:06:41
Play 57 Part 3 Ch 12 - On Purity. Kenita
00:03:59
Play 58 Part 3 Ch 13 - How to maintain Purity. Kenita
00:04:21
Play 59 Part 3 Ch 14 - On Poverty of Spirit amid Riches. Kathrine Engan
00:05:58
Play 60 Part 3 Ch 15 - How to exercise real Poverty, although actually Rich. Twinkle
00:08:27
Play 61 Part 3 Ch 16 - How to possess a rich Spirit amid real Poverty. Twinkle
00:04:13
Play 62 Part 3 Ch 17 - On Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship. Twinkle
00:04:33
Play 63 Part 3 Ch 18 - On Frivolous Attachments Twinkle
00:06:02
Play 64 Part 3 Ch 19 - Of Real Friendship. Kathrine Engan
00:06:00
Play 65 Part 3 Ch 20 - Of the Difference between True and False Friendship. Kathrine Engan
00:04:29
Play 66 Part 3 Ch 21 - Remedies against Evil Friendships. Kathrine Engan
00:07:07
Play 67 Part 3 Ch 22 - Further Advice concerning Intimacies. Kathrine Engan
00:04:58
Play 68 Part 3 Ch 23 - On The Practice of Bodily Mortification. Stephen
00:10:45
Play 69 Part 3 Ch 24 - Of Society and Solitude. Stephen
00:06:31
Play 70 Part 3 Ch 25 - On Modesty in Dress. Stephen
00:04:48
Play 71 Part 3 Ch 26 - Of Conversation; and, first, how to Speak of God fshort
00:03:16
Play 72 Part 3 Ch 27 - Of Unseemly Words, and the Respect due to Others. TriciaG
00:05:04
Play 73 Part 3 Ch 28 - Of Hasty Judgments. Phil Chenevert
00:11:50
Play 74 Part 3 Ch 29 - On Slander. fshort
00:12:27
Play 75 Part 3 Ch 30 - Further Counsels as to Conversation. John
00:04:58
Play 76 Part 3 Ch 31 - Of Amusements and Recreations: what are allowable. John
00:03:33
Play 77 Part 3 Ch 32 - Of Forbidden Amusements. John
00:02:34
Play 78 Part 3 Ch 33 - Of Balls, and other Lawful but Dangerous Amusements. John
00:06:17
Play 79 Part 3 Ch 34 - When to use such Amusements rightly. John
00:02:51
Play 80 Part 3 Ch 35 - We must be Faithful in Things Great and Small. sbelcher
00:06:13
Play 81 Part 3 Ch 36 - Of a Well-Balanced, Reasonable Mind. Sean Lally
00:04:42
Play 82 Part 3 Ch 37 - Of Wishes. Sean Lally
00:05:12
Play 83 Part 3 Ch 38 - Counsels to Married People. Heidi Olson
00:14:19
Play 84 Part 3 Ch 39 - The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed. Kathrine Engan
00:02:00
Play 85 Part 3 Ch 40 - Counsels to Widows. Jibchmarl
00:09:49
Play 86 Part 3 Ch 41 - One Word to Maidens. Jibchmarl
00:01:42
Play 87 Part 4 CONCERNING ORDINARY TEMPTATIONS - Ch 1 We must not trifle with the Words of Worldly Wisdom. fshort
00:07:16
Play 88 Part 4 Ch 2 - The need of a Good Courage Cyndy
00:03:48
Play 89 Part 4 Ch 3 - Of Temptations, and the difference between experiencing them and consenting to them. fshort
00:06:41
Play 90 Part 4 Ch 4 - Two striking Illustrations of the same Mich_elle
00:03:35
Play 91 Part 4 Ch 5 - Encouragement for the Tempted Soul. fshort
00:03:21
Play 92 Part 4 Ch 6 - When Temptation and Delectation are Sin. fshort
00:05:16
Play 93 Part 4 Ch 7 - Remedies for Great Occasions. royalcrowncola
00:04:46
Play 94 Part 4 Ch 8 - How to resist Minor Temptations. Dylan P. Straub
00:02:40
Play 95 Part 4 Ch 9 - How remedy Minor Temptations. Dylan P. Straub
00:02:54
Play 96 Part 4 Ch 10 - How to strengthen the Heart against Temptation. Dylan P. Straub
00:03:00
Play 97 Part 4 Ch 11 - Anxiety of Mind. Dylan P. Straub
00:05:43
Play 98 Part 4 Ch 12 - Of Sadness and Sorrow. Dylan P. Straub
00:05:16
Play 99 Part 4 Ch 13 - Of Spiritual and Sensible Consolations, and how to receive them. Dylan P. Straub
00:14:48
Play 100 Part 4 Ch 14 - Of Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness Dylan P. Straub
00:10:26
Play 101 Part 4 Ch 15 - An Illustration. Dylan P. Straub
00:07:17
Play 102 Part 5 PRACTICES FOR RENEWING AND CONFIRMING THE SOUL IN DEVOTION. Ch 1 - It is well yearly to renew Good Resolutions by means of the following Exercises. Keren Turton
00:03:11
Play 103 Part 5 Ch 2 - Meditation on the Benefit conferred on us by God in calling us to His Service. Keren Turton
00:04:59
Play 104 Part 5 Ch 3 - Examination of the Soul as to its Progress in the Devout Life royalcrowncola
00:04:33
Play 105 Part 5 Ch 4 - Examination of the Soul’s Condition as regards God. royalcrowncola
00:06:48
Play 106 Part 5 Ch 5 - Examination of your Condition as regards yourself. royalcrowncola
00:03:27
Play 107 Part 5 Ch 6 - Examination of the Soul’s Condition as regards our Neighbour. royalcrowncola
00:02:00
Play 108 Part 5 Ch 7 - Examination as to the Affectations of the Soul. royalcrowncola
00:03:34
Play 109 Part 5 Ch 8 - The Affections to be excited after such Examination. royalcrowncola
00:02:07
Play 110 Part 5 Ch 9 - Reflections suitable to the renewal of Good Resolutions. royalcrowncola
00:01:28
Play 111 Part 5 Ch 10 - First Consideration—of the Worth of Souls. discourser
00:03:22
Play 112 Part 5 Ch 11 - Second Consideration—on the Excellence of Virtue. discourser
00:02:17
Play 113 Part 5 Ch 12 - The Example of the Saints. Sean Lally
00:02:06
Play 114 Part 5 Ch 13 - The Love which Jesus Christ bears to us. Phil Chenevert
00:03:46
Play 115 Part 5 Ch 14 - The Eternal Love of God for us. Phil Chenevert
00:02:00
Play 116 Part 5 Ch 15 - General Affections which should result from these Considerations, and Conclusion of the Exercise. Gina Eltora
00:02:46
Play 117 Part 5 Ch 16 - The Impressions which should remain after this Exercise. Phil Chenevert
00:02:06
Play 118 Part 5 Ch 17 - An Answer to Two Objections which may be made to this Book. Phil Chenevert
00:03:37
Play 119 Part 5 Ch 18 - Three Important and Final Counsels. Phil Chenevert
00:04:22