Part 1, Chapter 1
Today begins a series of writings on the Book Introduction to the Devout Life, by St. Francis De Sales. It is a classic and lots could be said. For more information on St. Francis De Sales click on the link provided. Short Biography of St. Francis De Sales. The intention of this blog is to write a little about each chapter of the book to further our understanding. My intention is to work on the blog until we have journeyed through the book. So if all goes well I will finish the blog on the last day of April 2017.
Here is what St. Francis looked like:
Each day I plan to write on a chapter from the book. It is my hope that those who read this (God willing someone reads this) will read the chapter the day before they read this blog. So today we begin with Part 1, chapter 1.
I remember when I was younger, that Coke Cola Company would advertise that it is the real thing versus Pepsi. They are both pop (soda) and both of have rich flavor. It is a matter of personal taste which of these is better. Still, the Devout Life is different. Devotion is the real thing, and everything else is not. Many times we look at people and think that they are devout or they are not devout. We look at the external signs, but devotion comes from the internal, what we call the heart. And it is in the heart that we love. This is the heart of the matter.
But, in fact, all true and living devotion presupposes the love of God—and indeed it is neither more nor less than a very real love of God, though not always of the same kind; for that love one while shining on the soul we call grace, which makes us acceptable to his divine majesty—when it strengthens us to do well, it is called charity—but when it attains its fullest perfection, in which it not only leads us to do well, but to act carefully, diligently, and promptly, then it is called devotion (St. Francis De Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life 2).
There is a difference in living charity (love) and living a devout life. You can live a devout life which means you are living charity. But because someone is living in charity does not mean that they are necessarily living a devout life. There are many people who live out charity in their lives, who do good works, but who have little flaws in their character. These people are living charity and yet have not made it to true devotion. Their hearts are not yet burning with love of God. They are like a flame.
 |
 |
When our hearts are on fire (like a bonfire) with the love of God and we act with charity and the three conditions that St. Francis De Sales laid out above are present (“to act carefully, diligently and promptly”) than we are living a devout life.
Living a devout life will not happen in a day, but if we heed the counsel of St. Francis De Sales we will avoid many of the pitfalls and we will grow in virtue. Our lives will begin to live a devout life and so we will want to do God’s will right away.
To live a devout life is to live the life God intended us to.
PS. I am taking my quotes from the book Introduction to the Devout Life, published by Ignatius Press & the Augustine Institute in 2015.