Monday 17 September 2012

HE JOURNEY OF THE MIND TO GOD (Samuel Njoroge Louis)


NAME: SAMUEL NJOROGE LOUIS (11059T)
TITLE: THE JOURNEY OF THE MIND TO GOD (BY BONAVENTURE)

About the author of the spiritual classic
St. Bonaventure was born at Bagnoregio in Latium. Almost nothing is known of his childhood. However, he was born sometime in the year 1221, by Giovanni di Fidanza his father and the mother is Maria Ritella. In his early childhood he was stricken with a grave malady which threatened his life? His mother had the inspiration to entrust him to a more potent doctor: she invoked St. Francis of Assisi and the child recovered. Thus he grew into young manhood under the sign of St. Francis and never took back from him the life that he felt he owned him. Saint Bonaventure, Friar Minor, entered the Franciscan Order in 1243 and was an Italian medieval scholastic theologian and philosopher. He was the seventh Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, he was also a Cardinal Bishop of Albano. He was canonized on 14 April 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV and declared a Doctor of the Church in the year 1588 by Pope Sixtus V. He is known as the "Seraphic Doctor". Bonaventure died suddenly and in suspicious circumstances. St. Bonaventure has a definitive system of mystical theology and has conceived it as something different from theology in general, though, of course, intimate connection with it. Like his father Saint Francis, the Seraphic Doctor Saint Bonaventure is deeply impressed by the conviction that the life of men and women here upon earth is a pilgrimage and that the acute consciousness of it prepares one for the contemplative life. That is, our hearts deeply desire for peace and ultimately for ecstatic peace.  

My motivation (why I decided to study this book)
All throughout my life time, I have sincerely desired to have peace of mind. Unfortunately, after searching for peace of mind for so long, I have been making friends but all I received from them it is all disappointments. In addition, throughout this journey I have never found what it is termed by people as “true love”. It was at last when I went for my spiritual direction when my spiritual director proposed me read this book (the journey of the mind to God, by Bonaventure). Unfortunately, nothing was or even could make sense for me at that time. Therefore, when I saw it in the list of the books for summary, I thought it was be good time that the lord has finally visited me to read this book. After reflecting, in love, as many people would say, it is a matter of mutual relationship (just as God to man and man to God), but in this world few people experience this mutual relationship. However, the failure of this mutual relationship, what we experience is that everybody is just trying to favor his or her own interest only, no one would wish to risk for his partner. Therefore, summing up with the desire that drove me to the review of this book, it is also an inspiration from Saint Augustine’s work, which states that “our hearts are restless until they rest in God”.


Summary and Reflection

Introduction
In this paper, we are going to look at the soul journey into God by Bonaventure. Bonaventure in his emphasis is that happiness is nothing other than the enjoyment of the highest good. And so the highest good is above, so we need to rise above ourselves. Something to note here is that, it is not the ascent of the body, but of the Heart. However, we cannot rise above ourselves unless a higher power lifts us up, that is, by the help of the divine aid. Hence, this calls us to have a fervent prayer which is the mother and source of the ascent.

The seven stages or steps of the soul into God
The first Stage of the Soul’s ascent into God is on contemplating Him through His vestiges in the universe. The whole world is presented as a mirror through which we may pass over to God, the supreme craftsman (I., BRADY, Bonaventure, 63). Confirming this, the Palmist would say, “from the beauty and greatness of created things, their creator can be known” (Ps. 13:5) just as some people in figurative speech would say, “By considering the work of art, then we will know the artist”. Hence, from this vestiges (visible things) we rises to consider the power, wisdom and goodness of God as existing, living, intelligent, purely spiritual, incorruptible and unchangeable (I., BRADY, Bonaventure, 65).
The second stage is on contemplating God in his vestiges in the sense world. It concern the mirror of things perceived through sensation, leading us to see God not only through them as through his vestiges, but also in them as He is in them by his essence, power and presence. This world (macrocosm) enters our soul (smaller world) though the doors of the five senses by three operations: that is, apprehension (perception), pleasure (enjoyment) and judgment (I., BRADY, Bonaventure, 72). In the vestiges we see God, as for the species apprehended is a likeness generated in a medium and then impressed on the organ itself. This impression leads us to its source, that is, the object to be known. As a mirror, then, we see God as the father, the fountain-source of the eternal world the image and Son eternally emanating from God who alone is the primordial and true delight and that in all our delight we are led to seek this delight.                                                                          
The thirds stage is on contemplating God through his image stamped upon our natural powers which leads us to the point of reentering into ourselves, that is, into our mind, where the divine image shines forth. In this stage, we enter into our very selves where we leave the outer court, and strive to see God through a mirror, inform of the sanctuary in the face of our mind, is the image of the most blessed Trinity shines in splendor (I., BRADY, Bonaventure, 79). Here we observe not with our bodily eye but with the eye of reason. In this case, Bonaventure argued that, all the sciences: natural philosophy; rational philosophy and moral philosophy have certain and infallible rules, like rays of light shining down upon our mind from the eternal law. Thus, our mind illumined and flooded by soul brilliance, unless it is blind, can be led through itself to contemplate that eternal light (I., BRADY, Bonaventure, 85). That is, as the soul (the image of God) considers its Triune principle through the trinity powers, it is aided by the light of science which perfects and inform it and represent the most blessed Trinity in threefold ways: the cause of being leading to the power of the Father; the basis of understanding leading to the wisdom of the word; and the last is the order of living leading to the goodness of the Holy Spirit (I., BRADY, Bonaventure, 85).  
The fourth Stage is on contemplating God in his image reformed by the gift of grace. We contemplate the first principle not only by passing through ourselves but also in ourselves. Because of our always fallen nature (holding to worldly cares), we fail to pass through ourselves. For this reason, the fourth stage deals principally with the works of reparation guided by the nature, Scripture and grace from which the soul is purged, illumined and purified - the three hierarchical acts of the soul – through Christ Jesus (I., BRADY, Bonaventure, 91). Therefore, our soul should be clothed with three theological virtues (Faith, Hope and Love) by which the soul apprehends the highest delight, in a spiritual ecstasy through: devotion, admiration and exultation.    
In the fifth Stage, we contemplate God, the divine unity, through its primary name which is being. That is, we can contemplate God not only outside us but also above us through the light which shines upon our minds, which is the light of eternal truth, since our mind itself is formed immediately by the Truth itself (I., BRADY, Bonaventure, 94). In contemplating these invisible things of God in the unity of His essence, we fix our attention first on being itself, and letting ourselves see that being itself is so certain that in itself it cannot be thought not to be. In this step, we realize the blindness of the intellect, which does not consider that which it sees first and without it can know nothing. The eye then, concentrating on various different colors, sees not the very light by which it see other things; and if it does see this light it does not advert to it. This is  because our mind is accustomed to the darkness of beings and the images of the things of senses, hence, when it glimpses the light of supreme Being, seems to itself to see nothing -  it does not realize that this very darkness is the supreme illumination of our mind (Ps. 138:11). From which is only realized by contemplating God with a pure mind.
The Sixth Stage is on contemplating the most Blessed Trinity in its name which is Good. After considering the essential attributes of God in the fifth stage, the eyes of our intelligence should be raised to look upon the most blessed Trinity. Just as being itself is the root principle of viewing the essential attributes of the name through which the others become know, so the Good itself is the principle foundation for contemplating the emanations. If an image is an expression of likeness, consequently, when our mind contemplates in Christ the son of God, who is the image of the invisible God by nature, our humanity so wonderfully exalted, so ineffably united when at the same time it sees united the first and last, the highest and the lowest just as creator and the creature is. That is, the book written within and without, it now reaches something perfect. It reaches its perfection of its illumination on the sixth day of creation; hence, what remains then is only the day of rest on which through mystical ecstasy the mind’s discernment comes to rest from all the work it has done (I., BRADY, Bonaventure, 109).
Finally, after the six stages from which our mind has beheld God form outside itself through the vestiges and in his vestiges; from within itself and through his image and in his image and above itself through the similitudes of the divine light shining above us and inter-light itself through exercise of our mind. Subsequently, the Seventh Stage is on spiritual and mystical ecstasy in which rest is given to our mind or soul when through ecstasy our affection passes over entirely into God. That is, these six considerations or steps we have passed on are like the six steps towards Solomon’s throne, at which we arrive at peace (I., BRADY, Bonaventure, 110). To sum up, these six considerations are referred to as the six steps of true contemplative ways with the illumination of heavenly wisdom we rest in God just as he rested on the seventh day after six days of creation.    

Personal reflection
In the first place, Bonaventure was searching deeply for peace, the ecstatic peace. This ecstatic peace is that mystical union with God the father through our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as his Seraphic Father Francis, Bonaventure went up to Mount La Verna, where he experienced this mystical union with the crucified Christ. Hence, on my case too, after reflecting on the journey of the soul into God, I agree with St. Bonaventure that all things are created by God to be pointers to God.  Therefore, among many things that drove me write this reflection was an inspiration from Saint Augustine’s work, which states that “our hearts are restless until they rest in God”. In this way, our soul to rest in God’s hands is exactly what is reflected in the journey of the soul into God by Bonaventure.
For me, I took this reflection as a divine call to every individual person or rather this soul’s journey into God by Bonaventure was and is a reminder to us all that we need to be perfect exemplars pointing to God for the rest of the universe to know, love and serve God. More importantly, is that human beings are wonderful exemplars for they are created in the images and likeness of God and so, we are called to respect them, not for what we want from them but rather for their human dignity. In fact, more significantly is us who have been called to be religious, since we are called to witness the gospel way of life. That is, living a life of doing the mighty will of God no matter what condition (being sign post reflecting the kingdom peace).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church in answer to the question “why are we created?” it gives an affirmation to the above idea that we are created to know, love and serve God. In a very special way then, am called today to know God through these vestiges, images and in the divine similitides from which other people will Know God by my example (my way of life) and in this case, they will definitely Love him by serving him from the expression they see in my life. Nonetheless, most of these vestiges are being destroyed day by day for instance through environmental crisis: deforestation, soil and air pollutions, in case of the image of God, people are committing suicides, abortions and lot of killing all over in the world in form of terrorism for instance in Kenya of resent. 
On a practical level, then, we would be proud of ourselves to say that we serve and Love God only when we become one with him. Love of neighbor is the best expression of love of God and in this sense for Francis and Bonaventure, all what God created in this universe is our neighbor, no wonder Francis went to extent of calling nature and all in this world as brothers and sisters.  Therefore, all things including the human beings, I have come to understand that I need them all as pointers to God but I don’t need to attach myself to them or rather, I do not need to enslave myself to these worldly things. For me to succeed, then, I need to fall in love with Prayers because Prayer is the mother and source of all contemplations. Whereby, this aspect of prayer, we are challenged by Francis of Assisi from whom Bonaventure got his inspiration, to prayer until at last we become the prayer itself. That is one with God himself. 
   Subsequently, all throughout my life time, like Saint Bonaventure, I have sincerely desired to have peace of mind. Unfortunately, (like many people today looking their happiness in pleasures of this world, from which we cannot achieve true happiness by possession of material worth or from sexual pleasure) after searching for peace of mind for so long, I have been making friends but all I received from them it is all disappointments. In addition, throughout this journey I have never found what it is termed by people as “true love”. It was at last when I went for my spiritual direction when my spiritual director proposed me read this book (the journey of the mind to God, by Bonaventure). Unfortunately, nothing was or even could make sense for me at that time. Therefore, when I saw it in the list of the books for summary, I thought it was be good time that the lord has finally visited me to read this book. After reflecting, in love, as many people would say, it is a matter of mutual relationship (just as God to man and man to God), but in this world few people experience this mutual relationship. No wonder that is why we have lot of Divorce cases in our families and many committing suicide since they lose meaning in this life here on earth.
 However, the failure of this mutual relationship, what we experience is that everybody is just trying to favor his or her own interest only (using others just as means to their goal but not as end in themselves), in fact, no one would wish to risk his life for the sake of his partner. Therefore, we need to relate with everybody equally and always be free to everybody in the sense that, no possession but rather all should lead us into God. Though by human nature, we desire to possess for our security purpose, conversely, we need to be sufficient without holding unto them but very much connected to them for they are our brothers and sisters by the virtue of our origin, who is God the father of us all.

Conclusion
Bonaventure divides the Journey of the soul into six stages, taking the Seraph as the symbolic matrix of the description, and these stages take us from the condition of the mortal man to that of the Contemplative residing in the mystical experience of the "Super-luminous Darkness" of God. In passing over all the six steps, it is only through the crucified Christ who becomes our ladder, our mediator, the way and the door. He is the ladder and the vehicle like the mercy seat placed above the ark of God and mystery hidden from eternity. Therefore, we succeed only when we turn our face fully to the mercy seat and with faith, hope and love, devotion, admirations, praised and joy in Christ Jesus. This passing over is to be perfect only when all intellectual activities are left behind and the height of our affection totally transformed and transferred into God. We arrive at this point when with a pure (unblemished) heart we desire God by leaving everything else behind although we do this only when we are inflamed by the Holy Spirit (I., BRADY, Bonaventure, 115). To sum up the, whoever wishes to ascent into God (into mystical union with God) or being one with God, must avoid sin – that deforms our nature – pray very hard to receive restoring grace, and by living an exemplar life, that is a good life to receive purifying justice, by meditating to receive illuminating knowledge and finally, by contemplating to receive perfecting wisdom.
Bibliography
BRADY, I., Bonaventure: The Soul’s Journey into God, The Tree of Life and The Life of St. Francis, Paulist Press, New York 1978. 

Monday 10 September 2012

The Imitation of Christ (Lawrence Samba)


NAME:  Samba Lawrence Kwame John
REGISTRAION NO. 11086T
TITLE: The Imitation of Christ
AUTHOR: Thomas a Kempis Haemenken
I wish to follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ
    Thomas a Kempis is the son of John and Gertrude. He was born at Kempen, a village not far from Cologne, in 1379 or 1380. His Father was a blacksmith and his mother ran a school for a small children. At the age of thirteen Thomas was placed in the school conducted by the society of brothers and sisters of the common life at Deventer in Holland. After he had completed he joined the Order of St. Augustine at the monastery of Mount St.Agnes, near Zwolle, of which his elder brother John was prior. He took the three vows: poverty, chastity and obedience. He was ordained a priest at the age of thirty three. He remained faithful till his death. He wrote many books but this had been one of the inspired one. He was very dedicated to his work and that was why he was loved by his family and the people.
   MOTIVATION
    As the title of the book suggests, it is that which every Christian would love to read. The title is very attracting and charming. However, l am motivated, inspired and moved to read and study this book because l will like to follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ, the one through whom we are saved.

Summary and Reflection


Introduction 
The book imitation of Christ by Thomas A kembis is a Christian devotional book. This book is one of the most widely read book in the world. This book is regarded as devotional and religious classic. The Imitation of Christ is divided into four books which provide us with explanation of spiritual instructions. I have tried to give the summary of this book. I have not covered all the points from the book.  I took to myself what inspired me as I read the book. I have also given my reflection at the end as what inspired me. But I have tried my best to produce from the book imitation of Christ. I would like to acknowledge my source. I used the book the imitation of Christ and some internet resources.
Thomas a kempis
Thomas a kembis was born at the Lower Rhine region in Kempen, Germany, County of Cleves ca.1380. His paternal name was Hemerken, Kleverlandish means little hammer. His father John was a blacksmith and his mother, Gertrude was a school-mistress. In 1392 he followed his brother, Jan, to Deventer, Netherlands in order to attend the city school. While attending school in Deventer, Thomas encountered the Brethren of the Common Life, followers of Gerard Groote's Modern Devotion. He attended school in Deventer from 1392 to 1399. 
After leaving school, Thomas traveled to Zwolle, Netherlands to visit his brother again, after Jan had become the prior of the Mount St. Agnes monastery. Thereafter, Thomas was invested at the Mount St. Agnes monastery in 1406. He did not become ordained as a priest, however, until almost a decade later. He became a prolific copyist and writer. Thomas received priest's orders in 1413 and was made sub-prior of the monastery in 1429. The monastery was disturbed for a time because of the pope's rejection of the bishop-elect of Utrecht, Rudolf van Diepholt; otherwise, Thomas's life was a quiet one, his time being spent between devotional exercises, composition, and copying. He copied the Bible no fewer than four times, one of the copies being preserved at Darmstadt, Germany in five volumes. In its teachings he was widely read and his works abound in Biblical quotations, especially from the New Testament .
The Imitation Of Christ
Book one: Admonitions useful for a spiritual life
The book one has twenty five chapters.  The first chapter itself calls us to follow Christ rejecting the vanities of the world. Thomas tells that the holy teaching of Jesus is greater than anything else in the world. He says “all that is in the world is vanity except to love God and to serve Him only” .  The imitation of Christ is following Christ “He who follows Me, says Christ our saviour, walks not in darkness, for he will have the light of life” . The book one considers the intellectual as less compared to the following the teachings of Christ. A humble farm labourer who serves God is more acceptable to Him than an inquisitive philosopher who, constellations of heaven, wilfully forgets himself. He who knows himself well is mean and abject in his own sight, and takes no delight in the vain praise of men. We ought to also seek in Holy Scripture spiritual profit rather than elegance of style, and to read simple and devout books as gladly as books of high learning and wisdom . So Almighty God speaks to us in His scriptures in various manners, without regard for persons, but our curiosity often hinders us in reading scripture when we reason and argue things we should humbly and simply pass away.
Kempis writes that having affair with the material world will not give security. Seeking one’s own conscience will bring security.  He tells that “The most holy men and women who ever lived fled, as far as they could, the company of worldly-minded men, and chose to serve God in the secret of their hearts” .  Therefore silence is very important because in silence the conscience is not disturbed but it remains in the sight of God. He tells therefore that our Lord and His Angels will draw near and abide with those who, for the love of virtue, withdraw themselves from their acquaintances and from their worldly friends. This world of earth in which we live is not permanent. It can pass by any time. Therefore one must conduct oneself well during life on the earth.
The book one also deals with the day of judgement. We all will stand on the judgement day and have to be responsible for our acts on the earth. On the judgement day it will be a good and pure hearts that will give joys. All those who are deceived by devil will experience suffering. “Humble obedience will be exalted more highly than all worldly wisdom and policy, and a good clean conscience will make us more glade and merry that knowledge of all philosophy” . 
Kempis asks us to be awake and diligent in the service of God. We need to move to perfection. He tells that “if you remain faithful and fervent in good deeds, without doubt our lord will be faithful and liberal to you in His reward” . Take heed to yourself, and stir yourself always to devotion. Admonish yourself, and whatever you do for others, do not forget yourself. You will profit in virtue just as far as you can break your own will and follow the will of God.
Book Two: Admonitions Leading To The Inner Life.
The book two continues the theme of the book one and emphasises the “inner rest”. “The kingdom of God is within you, says Christ, our saviour. Turn yourself, therefore with all your heart to God, and forsake this wretched world, and you will soon find great inward rest” . One must give to Christ, therefore free entrance into his heart and keep out all things that withstand his entrance. One should not be comforted with the worldly things. One needs to embrace the love of God in his life. Keeping one’s heart will bring favour from God. Being humble brings favours from God.
The glory of a good man is God’s testimony that he has a good conscience. Kempis gives importance to good conscience. A good conscience can bear many wrongs and is constandly merry and glad in adversities, but an evil conscience is always fearful and unquiet. The joy and gladness of a goon man is in his own conscience.  Man sees the face, but God beholds the heart. Man beholds the deeds, but God beholds the intention of the deeds. The greatest reason why the gifts of grace do not easily come to us is that we are ungrateful to the Giver, and render no thanks to Him from all good things come. Grace is always given to those ready to give thanks for it, what is given to the humble man is taken away from a proud man.  Whatever God permits to come to us is for our spiritual health. We should be ready to take up the cross gladly. There will be always cross in our lives. If we ignore any cross because it is heavy, be sure there will be harder one to carry.  
Book Three: The Inward Speaking Of Christ To A Faithful Soul
This book is the longest among the four books. This book explains the instruction of Jesus to his disciples. The words of God must be heard with humility. My words are spiritual and cannot be comprehended fully by man’s intelligence. God expects us to be faithful until the end. Man has to offer himself fully to God. When the man can come to a perfect and full contempt and despising of himself, then he will have a full abundance of rest and peace in joy everlasting, according to the measure of his gift. My son , as much as you can abandon yourself and your own will, so much will you enter into Me. And as to desire nothing outwardly brings peace to a man’s soul, so a man, by an inward forsaking of himself, joins himself to God.
Book Four: Which Treats Especially Of The Sacrament Of The Altar 
This book is based on the Blessed Sacrament. “The grace of this sacrament is marvellously and secretly hidden, and only the faithful people of God know it, for infidels and those who live in sin can have no sort of experience of it” .  Those who cannot abandon all that is worldly, they cannot be true follower of Jesus. The one who receives communion ought to prepare himself for it with great diligence. One has to renounce all the sinful ways in order to become the disciples of Jesus. Kempis writes that bewares of much speaking, abide in some secret place, and keep yourself with your Lord God, for you have Him whom all the world cannot take from you. We have to offer our sinless life to God. We should be pure and completely surrender to God.
My Personal Reflection 
     Honestly I did not have any idea about this book before I started to read. I only knew about this book but never read it. I am very much impressed by this book. I started to read like a novel in the beginning. But as I was going through I really was inspired by the writing. As the book focuses on how to follow Christ I want to commit myself totally to God. After studying many things if I do not love God then all my studies is waste. This book has given me great inspiration to be a real follower of Jesus in my life. So far I took things for granted but now I have a new spirit of God that would enable me to abide with Christ. 
As the world is moving with technological things it is also not easy to leave out the material world. I am so much attached to the material things that the teachings of Christ are not given much importance. But this book written in the 14th century invites me to detach myself from the worldly things and attach to God in all aspects of my life. Furthermore, I am not going to keep what I have learnt to myself alone but to let the whole world or my brothers and sisters know of the good news proclaimed by Kempis. In fact just as I have seen light through the reading of this book I will make sure the same light is given to those who are still in the darkness. It is said in the Gospels that the repentance of one sinner brings a great joy in heaven. Finally, I will like to express my profound gratitude to my Lecturer, Rev.Dr. Kocholickal who in many occasions encouraged me to read at least one of the spiritual books in order to increase my intimate relationship with God. In fact his piece of advice has made a lot of imparts on me. However, I invite everybody to read this book for the enrichment of his or her spiritual faculty and for his or her own spiritual growth.
Conclusion
This inspirational book the imitation of Christ is one of the widely read in the world. It explains how one can be attached to follow Christ in all circumstances. I was inspired by this book and I am sure many people have already been inspired by this book. This book invites everyone to take every situation of life as being in the presence of God. The great thing we can do in this world is to follow Christ. This is the best we can do in this world. As I was reading about this book I came across that Swami Vivekananda, the 19th century Hindu philosopher and founder of Vedanta Society, drew a number of parallels between the teachings of the Imitation and the Bagavad Gita. He would always carry a copy of the Bagavad Gita and the Imitation. Filipino national Hero Jose Rizal reportedly read this book while in prison in Manila, in the Philippines before his execution . This in fact inspired me to continue reading this book to be a real follower of Jesus.
Bibliography 
KEMPIS,T. The Imitation Of Christ, New York: Hanover House, 1955.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Imitation_of_Christ.

Introduction to the Devout Life (Marc Nkulu)


1. Name: NKULU NGOMBANDA MARC 11103T
2. TITLE OF THE BOOK: INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVOUT LIFE
                                                                                                                                 About the author of the spiritual classic: 
Saint Francis de Sales was born in Savoy on the 21th August 1567. He was the son of Francois de Sales de Boisy and Francoise de Sionnaz. He was the eldest of six brothers and showed at his early age the inclination for the ecclesiastical state. At the age of 11 just after his tonsure he left to Paris/France for his philosophical and theological studies. In Paris he studied at the University of  Padua and was honored with a doctorate in Canon Law and Civil Law. While his Father was planning and selected him in order to become one of the noblest heiresses of Savoy fur his future life, Francis expressed his desire to serve God in ecclesiastical life and he joined the priesthood. In the year 1594 he presented himself as volunteer to take upon  him the mission of Chablais at that time where the Calvinist had obtained already the stronghold. He converted a good number of them through his preaching, his zeal, kindness and holiness until he went to stay at the chief town called Thonon.
We are called to holiness
At his return to Paris he preached the Lenten  retreat by the demand of the King which was very well given and the king wanted to keep him in France so that he will be teaching to other souls the way they should live and behave in this world and how to have confidence to the Lord. He worked as Coadjutor to the Bishop of Geneva, whom he succeeded as bishop in the Year 1602. In 1610 he founded a congregation known as the Order of the visitation with the help of Baroness de Chantal. He had time to write a book that has made him great for centuries called “Devout Life” which is going to be our main book on writing this work. He really showed a “Pastoral Zeal for the sanctification of laity and the adaptation of the religious life to the new needs, that marks a turning point in the history of spirituality. He died in 1622 with the word Jesus on his lips and was canonized in 1665.”[1] His feasted is celebrated on 24th January.                                       
Paragraph on my motivation: I have decided to chose this book because of the conviction that I have that we are all call to a holiness of life. And for us to be holy we need to have a complete love of God and an absolute confidence in Him. So, Saint Francis de Sales presents to the “diversity of men and women ways and means to attain holiness of life that are perfectly adapted to their varying conditions of life.”[2]  Great Saints as well as lesser souls have learned from this book…



[1] H. Hoever,Lives of the Saints, 45.
[2] J. Ryan, Editor’s Introduction  to the Devout Life



Reflection
The Introduction to the Devout Life is one of the books that made St. Francis great. The audience to which St. Francis addresses this book is very wide, not only to the Catholics around the world but to all humanity because it answers some of the fundamental questions of human existence. This instructs all those who are in towns, families or even at court. This book leads everybody who reads it to the practical ways of attaining a devout life without renouncing the world. He writes: “a vigorous and resolute Soul may live in the world without being infected by any of its moods.”[1] St. Francis also gives prayers and meditations as ways to strengthen devotion in the face of temptation and hardship. The central focus of Saint Francis in this book is to show us that Devout life is not to run away from the world but to be in the world without losing focus in Christ, being in the world and living a holy life. Many passages point to Philothea which signifies, “a soul loving, or in love with God.”[2]



[1] J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 29.
[2] J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 31.  

Summary and Reflection

What is Devotion?

Saint Francis defines devotion as: “the delight of delights and queen of the virtues since it is the perfection of charity. If charity is milk, devotion is its cream; if it is a plant, devotion is its flowers; if it is a precious stone,  devotion is its luster; if it is a rich balm, devotion is its odor; yes the odor sweetness, which comforts men and rejoices angels.”[1]         According to St. Francis, the world sees devout people, “fast, pray, suffer injuries serve the sick, give alms to the poor, watch over themselves…without discerning the interior and heartfelt devotion that renders all these actions agreeable, sweet and easy.”[2]  Therefore, the true picture of Devout life is seen in Jacob’s ladder but prayer calls done God’s love and sacraments confer it. True devotion gives perfection to all things, that is why it will be as St. Francis says, “an error, or rather a heresy to try to banish the devout life from the regiment of soldiers, the shop of the mechanic, the court of princes, or the home of married folk.”[3]                                                                                                                   From the devout life to be affective, we need to purify our souls and this purification comes little by little and by moving from one degree to another with labor and patience. Our perfections consist in fighting our imperfections or venial sins. The way to come out of our mortal sins is the holy sacraments of penance which calls to seek for a good confessor. Sins remove God’s grace in us. And general confession calls us to the knowledge of ourselves. Whoever desires a devout life must cleanse his/her heart from all affection for sin. He gives us 10 meditations in order to obtain the perfect contrition.




[1] J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 43.
[2] Cf. J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 37.
[3] J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 40.


Introduction                                                                                                                                       The “Introduction to the Devout Life” is one of the books that made St. Francis great. The audience to which St. Francis addresses this book is very wide, not only to the Catholics around the world but also to all humanity because it answers some of the fundamental questions of human existence. It instructs all those who are in towns, families or even at court how to live a holy life. This book leads everybody who reads it to the practical ways of attaining a devout life without renouncing the world. He writes, “a vigorous and resolute Soul may live in the world without being infected by any of its moods.”[1] St. Francis also gives prayers and meditations as ways to strengthen devotion in the face of temptation and hardship. The central focus of Saint Francis in this book is to show us that Devout life is not to run away from the world but to be in the world without losing focus in Christ, being in the world and living a holy life. Many passages point to Philothea which signifies, “a soul loving, or in love with God.”[2]
1. The Description of the True Devotion                                                                                        Francis defines devotion as “the delight of delights and queen of the virtues since it is the perfection of charity. If charity is milk, devotion is its cream; if it is a plant, devotion is its flowers; if it is a precious stone,  devotion is its luster; if it is a rich balm, devotion is its odor; yes the odor sweetness, which comforts men and rejoices angels.”[3] According to St. Francis, the world sees devout people, “fast, pray, suffer injuries serve the sick, give alms to the poor, watch over themselves…without discerning the interior and heartfelt devotion that renders all these actions agreeable, sweet and easy.”[4]  Therefore, the true picture of Devout life is seen in Jacob’s ladder but prayer calls on God’s love and sacraments confer it. True devotion gives perfection to all things, that is why it will be as St. Francis says, “it is an error, or rather a heresy to try to banish the devout life from the regiment of soldiers, the shop of the mechanic, the court of princes, or the home of married folk.”[5]                                                                                             From the devout life to be affective, we need to purify our souls and this purification comes little by little and by moving from one degree to another with labor and patience. Our perfections consist in fighting our imperfections or venial sins. The way to come out of our mortal sins is through the holy sacraments of penance which calls to seek for a good confessor. Sins remove God’s grace in us. And general confession calls us to the knowledge of ourselves. Whoever desires a devout life must cleanse his/her heart from all affection for sin. He gives us ten meditations in order to obtain the perfect contrition.
2. Of the Necessity of Prayer                                                                                                            Prayer is very important and is a means that leads our will to heavenly love. Among others, Francis recommends the mental prayer, prayer of the heart specially the one concerned with Jesus’ passion. Take one hour a day when your mind is not disturbed to pray. Every prayer starts by a short time that prepares you to enter into the presence of God. The rosary is a model of prayer and a useful one. While praying, if you feel a need for a mental prayer, stop the vocal and pray the mental. Preparation consists in placing yourself in the presence of God and to invoke His assistance.  That calls for four principal means which make you able to use in the beginning. The second step is the invocation where one is called to use some short, burning words, such as those of David, “Cast me not, O God, away from Thy face; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.”[6] Then comes the third step, that of calling the composition of place and other interior lessons. After the above, then comes the part on meditation, the act of understanding. It consists in “rising up our affections to God and heavenly things.”[7] Lastly, we must conclude the meditation by forming three acts: thanksgiving, act of offering and the act of supplication.[8] After the meditation, you need to remember and practice the resolutions and decisions you made on that day. Silence is required throughout this process of meditation, besides of which are added five other prayers: Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and Examination of Conscience, Spiritual Recollection, ejaculatory prayers and good thoughts.
On the Most Holy Mass, St. Francis says that, “when prayer is united to this divine Sacrifice, it becomes so unspeakably efficacious as to cause the soul to flow with heavenly delights, leaning upon her beloved.”[9]  To this he adds that you should assist at Holy Mass every day, that you may jointly with the priest offer up the Sacrifice of your Redeemer to God, His Father, for yourself and for the whole Church.”
3. Of the Choice We Ought to Make As to the Exercise of Virtue                                               Virtues being very important for human beings are of different types like general virtues and particular virtues. But according to St. Francis, it is good to make a choice between the most conformable and the most agreeable; He writes:  “in the exercise of the virtues we should always prefer that which is most conformable to our duty, not that which is most agreeable to our tastes.”[10] This practice of particular virtue is meant for every condition of love but they are never equal. Therefore everyone is called to practice in a very particular manner the virtues required by the state of life to which he is called: prelate, soldier, married woman, widows, etc. St. Francis acknowledges also certain virtues greatly esteemed and preferred by general run of men by the fact that they are near at hand and apparent to our senses; but does not encourage them to be practiced. He says, “many prefer corporal alms before spiritual; the hair shirt, fasting, going barefoot, using the discipline, and other such corporal mortifications, before meekness, mildness, modesty, and other mortifications of the heart, which are, nevertheless, more exalted.”[11] The best choice according to him is the one of the best virtues, “choose then, Philothea, the best virtues, not the most esteemed, the most noble, not the most apparent; those that are actually the best, not those that make the most show.”[12]
4. That We Must Disregard the Censures of Worldly People                                                       In this third Part of the Introduction to the Devout Life, St. Francis tells us that the world is always jealous of those involved in a devout life and it looks at those in Devout life as hypocrites. But that is not a reason to give up because we are in the world but not of the world. Therefore we are called to be courageous people, we also need a little patience in front of the disturbances of the world, and because they are desolations they are there for a short time.[13] St. Francis gave three steps in the descent into iniquity: temptation, delight, and consent. Temptations involve us in sin by the fact that we allow them ourselves. Against great temptations of life, he proposes that we should react like children do when they see a wolf or a bear in the country, “they immediately run to the arms of their father or mother, or at least they call out to them for help and assistance.”[14] The same applies to us so that we too should be turning to God and implore His help. St. Francis called it the remedy that our Lord has taught: pray that you do not enter into temptations…As long as the soul says no as girls do, it cannot sin.[15] Wining over small temptations is like wining the great since the small exceed in quantity; so it is not easy to refrain glances of eyes. The best defense given by St. Francis to the small temptations is not to give much trouble about them. Anxiety and Sadness are enemies of the soul. The enemy makes use of sadness to practice temptations on the just. Sharing the cause of your anxiety and being open in sharing to your Spiritual Director or Confessor all your feelings, affections, and suggestions that proceed from your sadness is a way to deal with them.                                             In times of Spiritual dryness and sterility St. Francis called to an examination of the sources from which the evil has come; often we are the cause of them. We need to be humble because, “God withholds consolations from us when we take a vain complacency in them and are subject to worms of presumption.”[16] In front of the way that the world looks and treats us, we cannot be separated from God but to turn ourselves to Him who is “the love, the creator, savior and the only one sovereign good… whether we die, says the apostle, if we are of God, who shall separate us from the love and charity of God?”[17]
5. That We Ought Every Year to Renew Our Good Resolutions by the Following Exercises               In order to keep up the Devout Life, one is called at least once a year to review or examine his affections and passions so that he or she can be able to repair all the defects that may be there. Then he or she is called to anoint it with the sacraments of confession and the Holy Eucharist. According to St. Francis, “this exercise will recruit your strength, which has been impaired by time, enkindle your heart, reanimate your good resolutions, and make the virtues of your soul flourish with fresh vigor.”[18] This is ought to be done at evening and soon you go to bed to rest the body and mind which is very important for the reflection.  To begin your examination in a very proper manner, St. Francis tells us that one needs to place himself or herself in the presence of God; then invokes the Holy Spirit, and not be cast down or grow cold from discouragement or despondency of any sort. Among the examinations process we have : 1.the examination of State of our Soul toward God (Pg.272); 2. Of our State with Regard to ourselves (Pg.274); 3. Of our State of our Soul toward our Neighbour (Pg.275), and of the Affections of our soul (Pg.275).                                                                                                                                           After these examinations, what we are called to do is that:  Affections to be formed after this Examination (Pg.276), and Considerations Proper for Renewing our God Resolutions (Pg.277). This last is done in five ways:1.On the Excellence of our Soul (Pg.277); 2. On the Excellence of Virtue (Pg.279); 3. On the example of the Saints (Pg.279); 4. On the Love that Jesus Christ bears us; and 5. On the Eternal love of God for us.                                          Finally, the very important are the three last and principal counsels for this Introduction to the Devout Life. It requires that, on the first day of every month repeat after your meditation the protestation inserted in the first part. (Pg.285); Confess openly that you desire to be devout (Pg.286), Continue and persevere in this blessed enterprise of devout life.                                       
6. My Personal Reflection on the book                                                                                           After reading this book of St. Francis de Sales entitled, “Introduction to the Devout Life”, I have come to know that Devout Life is a journey full of challenges that come from the world. It has been so in the past and it is still the same in our days. But challenges cannot remove in us the desire to love God because all of us are called to the fulfillment of life which can be found only in the love for our Creator. Devout Life is also a life of choice; it is a choice that brings one to the fulfillment; not the one that turns you away from the love of God. Therefore, everybody is called to a Devout Life no matter the race, sex, class, life style. Why this? It is because everyone should aspire to a live of perfection, to a holiness of life. The Church through Vatican II has put it as a central point in her teaching that all of us are called to this holiness (Cf. Lumen Gentium, # 39).  In the midst of our differences of race, religion, sex, class, etc, we need to know that loving God is a natural desire that is found in all peoples. Jesus Christ himself our master and Lord teaches us to reflect what our God is: “so be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mat.5:48).                                                                                                                    Conclusion                                                                                                                                               To sum up, The “Introduction to the Devout Life” as we have presented, is a guideline for all of us who are seeking for a holiness of life. As long as we follow and practice what St. Francis calls us to do, our lives will have a solid foundation. And for it to be effective we need to keep on praying, going for confession, spiritual direction and loving God, our Father in order to reflect what He is, i.e., holy. Difficulties and the spirit of the world should not mislead us but we need to be focused in Jesus our model of life.


[1]J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 29.
                  [2]J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 31.
[3]J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 43.
[4]Cf. J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 37.
[5]J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 40.
[6]J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 82.
[7]J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 84.
[8]Cf. J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 85.
[9]J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 99.
[10]K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 118.
[11]K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 118.
[12]K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 119.
[13]Cf. J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 232.
[14]J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 240.
[15]Cf. J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life,241.
[16]J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 257.
[17]J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 251.
[18]J. K. Ryan, St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, 268.