INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVOUT LIFE (Elijah Kawinzi)

Name: Elijah malinda kawinzi

Regno. 11061T

INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVOUT LIFE

The connection between Francis de Sales
and Vincent de Paul

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

St.Francis de Sales was born in 1567 near annecy in savoy. He was from a noble and catholic background.He was ordained priest in 1593 and served as bishop of Geneva. He showed himself to be a true minister by working hard in the renaissance of faith in his country. He guided and helped many through his works. He died in 28th dec 1622 in lyons. St. Francis de sales was beatified in 1661, canonized four years later and declared a doctor of the church in 1877. His personal devotional life included private prayer as well as frequent mass, confession, and communion .

MOTIVATION

My great motivation was due to the great spiritual relationship between St. Francis de sales and St. Vincent de paul who happens to be the founder of my congregation. He moulded St. Vincent hence moulding his spirituality.I was also motivated by the mystical way of writing in which he uses images from nature in addition to his powerful insights and references to the scripture to sent his points home.

REFLECTION: DEVOUT LIFE FOR WHO? (26th September)

       By the virtue of one being a human being he stands to be a good soil for devout life. but the virtue of one being a religious does not follow necessarily that it is a walkover for him or her to live a devout life.As mother Theresa asserted, Jesus calls us not to be successful but to be faithful, st. Francis calls each one to live the devout life within his or her means and capability. The worst mistake one can make is to compare his or her way of life with another for all are called in different ways and we are advised to bite what we can swallow. I say this because a housewife will be called to exercise her spiritual activity as a housewife but not as a brother in the carmelite community for her profession,duties, time and environment will not allow her to live such a life.