Introduction to the Devout Life, Part 3

This is part of a series on St. Francis de Sales’ Introduction to the Devout Life.  You can read Part 1 here.  

Part 2 here.  

Part III: “The Practice of Virtue,” Chapters 1 through 22

1. How to Select That Which We Should Chiefly Practise

2. The Same Subject Continued

3. Patience

4. Exterior Humility

5. Interior Humility

6. Humility Makes Us Rejoice in Our Own Abjection

7. How to Combine Due Care for a Good Reputation with Humility

8. Gentleness Towards Others and Remedies Against Anger

9. Gentleness Towards Ourselves

10. We Must Attend to the Business of Life Carefully, but Without Eagerness or Over-Anxiety

11. Obedience

12. Purity

13. How to Maintain Purity

14. Poverty of Spirit Amid Riches

15. How to Exercise Real Poverty, Although Actually Rich

16. How to Possess a Rich Spirit Amid Real Poverty

17. Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship

18. Frivolous Attachments

19. Real Friendship

20. The Difference Between True and False Friendship

21. Remedies Against Evil Friendships

22. Further Advice Concerning Intimacies

Part III delves into the maintenance, practice, and perfection of various virtues.  In the first half of the chapter, he provides insight and guidance for the virtues of patience, humility, gentleness, obedience, purity, poverty, and friendship. 

I haven't commented much on the book.  That's because I don't really don't have much to say.  It's an incredible handbook to spiritual direction.  I don't know how much of the book will stick with me.  It's probably good to keep the book at arms reach and randomly peruse it every so often.  I am finding this book way more enriching than The Imitation of Christ.

Some notable quotes from Part III

From Chapter 1:

When we are beset by any particular vice, it is well as far as possible to make the opposite "En son beau vestement de drap d'or recame, Et d'ouvrages divers a l'aiguile seme." virtue our special aim, and turn everything to that account; so doing, we shall overcome our enemy, and meanwhile make progress in all virtue. Thus, if I am beset with pride or anger, I must above all else strive to cultivate humility and gentleness, and I must turn all my religious exercises,--prayer, sacraments, prudence, constancy, moderation, to the same object.

From Chapter 3:

Be patient, not only with respect to the main trials which beset you, but also under the accidental and accessory annoyances which arise out of them. We often find people who imagine themselves ready to accept a trial in itself who are impatient of its consequences. We hear one man say, "I should not mind poverty, were it not that I am unable to bring up my children and receive my friends as handsomely as I desire." And another says, "I should not mind, were it not that the world will suppose it is my own fault;" while another would patiently bear to be the subject of slander provided nobody believed it. Others, again, accept one side of a trouble but fret against the rest--as, for instance, believing themselves to be patient under sickness, only fretting against their inability to obtain the best advice, or at the inconvenience they are to their friends. But, dear child, be sure that we must patiently accept, not sickness only, but such sickness as God chooses to send, in the place, among the people, and subject to the circumstances which He ordains;--and so with all other troubles. If any trouble comes upon you, use the remedies with which God supplies you.

From Chapter 9:

One important direction in which to exercise gentleness, is with respect to ourselves, never growing irritated with one's self or one's imperfections; for although it is but reasonable that we should be displeased and grieved at our own faults, yet ought we to guard against a bitter, angry, or peevish feeling about them. Many people fall into the error of being angry because they have been angry, vexed because they have given way to vexation, thus keeping up a chronic state of irritation, which adds to the evil of what is past, and prepares the way for a fresh fall on the first occasion. Moreover, all this anger and irritation against one's self fosters pride, and springs entirely from self-love, which is disturbed and fretted by its own imperfection. What we want is a quiet, steady, firm displeasure at our own faults.

From Chapter 13:

Be exceedingly quick in turning aside from the slightest thing leading to impurity, for it is an evil which approaches stealthily, and in which the very smallest beginnings are apt to grow rapidly. It is always easier to fly from such evils than to cure them.

From Chapter 19:

Do you, my child, love every one with the pure love of charity, but have no friendship save with those whose intercourse is good and true, and the purer the bond which unites you so much higher will your friendship be. If your intercourse is based on science it is praiseworthy, still more if it arises from a participation in goodness, prudence, justice and the like; but if the bond of your mutual liking be charity, devotion and Christian perfection, God knows how very precious a friendship it is! Precious because it comes from God, because it tends to God, because God is the link that binds you, because it will last for ever in Him. Truly it is a blessed thing to love on earth as we hope to love in Heaven, and to begin that friendship here which is to endure for ever there. I am not now speaking of simple charity, a love due to all mankind, but of that spiritual friendship which binds souls together, leading them to share devotions and spiritual interests, so as to have but one mind between them. Such as these may well cry out, "Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is, brethren, to dwell together in unity!"

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Part III: “The Practice of Virtue,” Chapters 23 through 41

23. The Practice of Bodily Mortification

24. Society and Solitude

25. Modesty in Dress

26. Conversation; and, First, How to Speak of God

27. Unseemly Words, and the Respect Due to Others

28. Hasty Judgments

29. Slander

30. Further Counsels as to Conversation

31. Amusements and Recreations: What are Allowable

32. Forbidden Amusements

33. Balls, and Other Lawful but Dangerous Amusements

34. When to Use Such Amusements Rightly

35. We Must be Faithful in Things Great and Small

36. A Well-Balanced, Reasonable Mind

37. Wishes

38. Counsels to Married People

39. The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed

40. Counsels to Widows

41. One Word to Maidens

St. Frances continues to explain the practice of virtues in the second half of Chapter III.  Here he delves into the topics of mortifications, dress, conversation and slander, amusements, and purity again, this time for married people and widows.

Some more notable quotes from Part III.

From Chapter 23:

If you are able to fast, you will do well to observe some days beyond what are ordered by the Church, for besides the ordinary effect of fasting in raising the mind, subduing the flesh, confirming goodness, and obtaining a heavenly reward, it is also a great matter to be able to control greediness, and to keep the sensual appetites and the whole body subject to the law of the Spirit; and although we may be able to do but little, the enemy nevertheless stands more in awe of those whom he knows can fast. The early Christians selected Wednesday, Friday and Saturday as days of abstinence.

From Chapter 27:

Saint James says, "If any man offend not in word, the same is, a perfect man." Beware most watchfully against ever uttering any unseemly expression; even though you may have no evil intention, those who hear it may receive it with a different meaning. An impure word falling upon a weak mind spreads its infection like a drop of oil on a garment, and sometimes it will take such a hold of the heart, as to fill it with an infinitude of lascivious thoughts and temptations. The body is poisoned through the mouth, even so is the heart through the ear; and the tongue which does the deed is a murderer, even when the venom it has infused is counteracted by some antidote preoccupying the listener's heart. It was not the speaker's fault that he did not slay that soul. Nor let any one answer that he meant no harm. Our Lord, Who knoweth the hearts of men, has said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." And even if we do mean no harm, the Evil One means a great deal, and he will use those idle words as a sharp weapon against some neighbour's heart. It is said that those who eat the plant called Angelica always have a sweet, pleasant breath; and those who cherish the angelic virtues of purity and modesty, will always speak simply, courteously, and modestly. As to unclean and light-minded talk, Saint Paul says such things should not even be named among us, for, as he elsewhere tells us, "Evil communications corrupt good manners."

From Chapter 35:

When I read in the Life of Saint Catherine of Sienna of her ecstasies and visions, her wise sayings and teaching, I do not doubt but that she "ravished" her Bridegroom's heart with this eye of contemplation; but I must own that I behold her with no less delight in her father's kitchen, kindling the fire, turning the spit, baking the bread, cooking the dinner, and doing all the most menial offices in a loving spirit which looked through all things straight to God. Nor do I prize the lowly meditations she was wont to make while so humbly employed less than the ecstasies with which she was favoured at other times, probably as a reward for this very humility and lowliness. Her meditations would take the shape of imagining that all she prepared for her father was prepared for Our Lord, as by Martha; her mother was a symbol to her of Our Lady, her brothers of the Apostles, and thus she mentally ministered to all the Heavenly Courts, fulfilling her humble ministrations with an exceeding sweetness, because she saw God's Will in each.

From Chapter 38:

Therefore, husbands, do you preserve a tender, constant, hearty love for your wives. It was that the wife might be loved heartily and tenderly that woman was taken from the side nearest Adam's heart. No failings or infirmities, bodily or mental, in your wife should ever excite any kind of dislike in you, but rather a loving, tender compassion; and that because God has made her dependent on you, and bound to defer to and obey you; and that while she is meant to be your helpmeet, you are her superior and her head. And on your part, wives, do you love the husbands God has given you tenderly, heartily, but with a reverential, confiding love, for God has made the man to have the predominance, and to be the stronger; and He wills the woman to depend upon him,--bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh,--taking her from out the ribs of the man, to show that she must be subject to his guidance. All Holy Scripture enjoins this subjection, which nevertheless is not grievous; and the same Holy Scripture, while it bids you accept it lovingly, bids your husband to use his superiority with great tenderness, lovingkindness, and gentleness. "Husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel."

From Chapter 40:

A devout widow should chiefly seek to cultivate the graces of perfect modesty, renouncing all honours, rank, title, society, and the like vanities; she should be diligent in ministering to the poor and sick, comforting the afflicted, leading the young to a life of devotion, studying herself to be a perfect model of virtue to younger women. Necessity and simplicity should be the adornment of her garb, humility and charity of her actions, simplicity and kindliness of her words, modesty and purity of her eyes,--Jesus Christ Crucified the only Love of her heart.