Do I need to go into full-time ministry to live a truly Christian life? Am I really a Christian if I'm not out preaching the gospel in dangerous places where people have never heard of Christ? Can secular work benefit the kingdom of God? All Christians struggle to discern God's call on their life, but God does call all to live a Christ-centered life. St. Francis of Sales attempts to help Christians discern what it means to be a child of God in a secular world. We can glorify God in a secular world, and be a testimony to the world of God's abounding grace and love.
- Preface by the Author
- PART I. COUNSELS AND PRACTICES SUITABLE FOR THE SOUL’S GUIDANCE FROM THE FIRST ASPIRATION AFTER A DEVOUT LIFE TO THE POINT WHEN IT ATTAINS A CONFIRMED RESOLUTION TO FOLLOW THE SAME.
- CHAPTER I. What true Devotion is.
- CHAPTER II. The Nature and Excellence of Devotion.
- CHAPTER III. Devotion is suitable to every Vocation and Profession.
- CHAPTER IV. The Need of a Guide for those who would enter upon and advance in the Devout Life.
- CHAPTER V. The First Step must be Purifying the Soul.
- CHAPTER VI. The First Purification, namely, from Mortal Sin.
- CHAPTER VII. The Second Purification, from all Sinful Affections.
- CHAPTER VIII. How to effect this Second Purification.
- CHAPTER IX. FIRST MEDITATION.
- CHAPTER X. SECOND MEDITATION.
- CHAPTER XI. THIRD MEDITATION.
- CHAPTER XII. FOURTH MEDITATION.
- CHAPTER XIII. FIFTH MEDITATION.
- CHAPTER XIV. SIXTH MEDITATION.
- CHAPTER XV. SEVENTH MEDITATION.
- CHAPTER XVI. EIGHTH MEDITATION.
- CHAPTER XVII. NINTH MEDITATION.
- CHAPTER XVIII. TENTH MEDITATION.
- CHAPTER XIX. How to make a General Confession.
- CHAPTER XX. A hearty Protest made with the object of confirming the Soul’s resolution to serve God, as a conclusion to its acts of Penitence.
- CHAPTER XXI. Conclusion of this First Purification.
- CHAPTER XXII. The Necessity of Purging away all tendency to Venial Sins.
- CHAPTER XXIII. It is needful to put away all Inclination for Useless and Dangerous Things.
- CHAPTER XXIV. All Evil Inclinations must be purged away.
- PART II. CONTAINING SUNDRY COUNSELS AS TO UPLIFTING THE SOUL TO GOD IN PRAYER AND THE USE OF THE SACRAMENTS.
- CHAPTER I. The Necessity of Prayer.
- CHAPTER II. A short Method of Meditation. And first, the Presence of God, the First Point of Preparation.
- CHAPTER III. Invocation, the Second Point of Preparation.
- CHAPTER IV. The Third Point of Preparation, representing the Mystery to be meditated to Your Imagination.
- CHAPTER V. Considerations, the Second Part of Meditation.
- CHAPTER VI. The Third Part of Meditation, Affections and Resolutions.
- CHAPTER VII. The Conclusion and Spiritual Bouquet.
- CHAPTER VIII. Some Useful Hints as to Meditation.
- CHAPTER IX. Concerning Dryness in Meditation.
- CHAPTER X. Morning Prayer.
- CHAPTER XI. Evening Prayer and Examination of Conscience.
- CHAPTER XII. On Spiritual Retirement.
- CHAPTER XIII. Aspirations, Ejaculatory Prayer and Holy Thoughts.
- CHAPTER XIV. Of Holy Communion, and how to join in it.
- CHAPTER XV. Of the other Public Offices of the Church.
- CHAPTER XVI. How the Saints are united to us.
- CHAPTER XVII. How to Hear and Read God’s Word.
- CHAPTER XVIII. How to receive Inspirations.
- CHAPTER XIX. On Confession.
- CHAPTER XX. Of Frequent Communion.
- CHAPTER XXI. How to Communicate.
- PART III. CONTAINING COUNSELS CONCERNING THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE.
- CHAPTER I. How to select that which we should chiefly Practise.
- CHAPTER II. The same Subject continued.
- CHAPTER III. On Patience.
- CHAPTER IV. On Greater Humility.
- CHAPTER V. On Interior Humility.
- CHAPTER VI. Humility makes us rejoice in our own Abjection.
- CHAPTER VII. How to combine due care for a Good Reputation with Humility.
- CHAPTER VIII. Gentleness towards others and Remedies against Anger.
- CHAPTER IX. On Gentleness towards Ourselves.
- CHAPTER X. We must attend to the Business of Life carefully, but without Eagerness or Over-anxiety.
- CHAPTER XI. On Obedience.
- CHAPTER XII. On Purity.
- CHAPTER XIII. How to maintain Purity.
- CHAPTER XIV. On Poverty of Spirit amid Riches.
- CHAPTER XV. How to exercise real Poverty, although actually Rich.
- CHAPTER XVI. How to possess a rich Spirit amid real Poverty.
- CHAPTER XVII. On Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship.
- CHAPTER XVIII. On Frivolous Attachments.
- CHAPTER XIX. Of Real Friendship.
- CHAPTER XX. Of the Difference between True and False Friendship.
- CHAPTER XXI. Remedies against Evil Friendships.
- CHAPTER XXII. Further Advice concerning Intimacies.
- CHAPTER XXIII. On The Practice of Bodily Mortification.
- CHAPTER XXIV. Of Society and Solitude.
- CHAPTER XXV. On Modesty in Dress.
- CHAPTER XXVI. Of Conversation; and, first, how to Speak of God.
- CHAPTER XXVII. Of Unseemly Words, and the Respect due to Others.
- CHAPTER XXVIII. Of Hasty Judgments.
- CHAPTER XXIX. On Slander.
- CHAPTER XXX. Further Counsels as to Conversation.
- CHAPTER XXXI. Of Amusements and Recreations: what are allowable.
- CHAPTER XXXII. Of Forbidden Amusements.
- CHAPTER XXXIII. Of Balls, and other Lawful but Dangerous Amusements.
- CHAPTER XXXIV. When to use such Amusements rightly.
- CHAPTER XXXV. We must be Faithful in Things Great and Small.
- CHAPTER XXXVI. Of a Well-Balanced, Reasonable Mind.
- CHAPTER XXXVII. Of Wishes.
- CHAPTER XXXVIII. Counsels to Married People.
- CHAPTER XXXIX. The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed.
- CHAPTER XL. Counsels to Widows.
- CHAPTER XLI. One Word to Maidens.
- PART IV. CONTAINING NEEDFUL COUNSELS CONCERNING SOME ORDINARY TEMPTATIONS.
- CHAPTER I. We must not trifle with the Words of Worldly Wisdom.
- CHAPTER II. The need of a Good Courage.
- CHAPTER III. Of Temptations, and the difference between experiencing them and consenting to them.
- CHAPTER IV. Two striking Illustrations of the same.
- CHAPTER V. Encouragement for the Tempted Soul.
- CHAPTER VI. When Temptation and Delectation are Sin.
- CHAPTER VII. Remedies for Great Occasions.
- CHAPTER VIII. How to resist Minor Temptations.
- CHAPTER IX. How remedy Minor Temptations.
- CHAPTER X. How to strengthen the Heart against Temptation.
- CHAPTER XI. Anxiety of Mind.
- CHAPTER XII. Of Sadness and Sorrow.
- CHAPTER XIII. Of Spiritual and Sensible Consolations, and how to receive them.
- CHAPTER XIV. Of Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness.
- CHAPTER XV. An Illustration.
- PART V. CONTAINING COUNSELS AND PRACTICES FOR RENEWING AND CONFIRMING THE SOUL IN DEVOTION.
- CHAPTER I. It is well yearly to renew Good Resolutions by means of the following Exercises.
- CHAPTER II. Meditation on the Benefit conferred on us by God in calling us to His Service.
- CHAPTER III. Examination of the Soul as to its Progress in the Devout Life.
- CHAPTER IV. Examination of the Soul’s Condition as regards God.
- CHAPTER V. Examination of your Condition as regards yourself.
- CHAPTER VI. Examination of the Soul’s Condition as regards our Neighbour.
- CHAPTER VII. Examination as to the Affectations of the Soul.
- CHAPTER VIII. The Affections to be excited after such Examination.
- CHAPTER IX. Reflections suitable to the renewal of Good Resolutions.
- CHAPTER X. First Consideration—of the Worth of Souls.
- CHAPTER XI. Second Consideration—on the Excellence of Virtue.
- CHAPTER XII. The Example of the Saints.
- CHAPTER XIII. The Love which Jesus Christ bears to us.
- CHAPTER XIV. The Eternal Love of God for us.
- CHAPTER XV. General Affections which should result from these Considerations, and Conclusion of the Exercise.
- CHAPTER XVI. The Impressions which should remain after this Exercise.
- CHAPTER XVII. An Answer to Two Objections which may be made to this Book.
- CHAPTER XVIII. Three Important and Final Counsels.
- Index of Scripture References.
- Notas al pie
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