Salesian Literature
A Spirituality for Everyone
St. Francis de Sales presents a spirituality that can be practised by everyone in all walks of life
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INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVOUT LIFE
Preface by St. Francis de Sales
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My dear Reader, please read this preface for your satisfaction and for mine.
The flower seller, Glycera, had such great skill in arranging flowers, that with the same sort of flowers she would make a great variety of bouquets. In fact, the painter Pausias wanting to make drawings of Glycera’s different bouquets was unable to do so, as he could not match his skill in painting to the profusion of bouquets she had prepared.[1]
In the same way, the Holy Spirit inspires and sets out the teaching on devotion in such a great variety, presenting it through the words and writings of his servants. While the doctrine is always one and the same, yet the compositions in which it is set out are very different according to the variety of ways used in putting them together.
Certainly, I cannot write, nor do I want to write, nor should I write in this Introduction anything else than what has been published already on this subject by our predecessors. My dear Reader, I offer you the same flowers but the bouquet that I have made is different from theirs, because the arrangement is not the same.
Those who have written about devotion have nearly all had in mind the instruction of persons completely separated from life in the world. At least, they have taught a kind of devotion leading to such a complete separation. My purpose is to instruct people living in towns, the married, and those at princely courts. These are obliged by their state of life to lead an ordinary life to all outward appearances. Very often such persons do not even want to think of venturing on the devout life, finding an excuse in the false claim that it is impossible.
These people are of the opinion that just as no animal dares to taste of the seed of the plant called “palm of Christ”[2] so no one caught up in the rush of living in the world should reach out for the palm of Christian devotion. But I want to make them understand that, just as the pearl oysters live in the sea without letting a single drop of salt water enter, and that there are springs of fresh water in the sea close to the Chelidonian islands,[3] and that a certain insect can fly about in the fire without burning its wings,[4] so anyone with courage and determination can live in the world without being tainted by its spirit, finding springs of fresh water of devotion in the world’s salty waves and able to fly amid the flames of the temptations of the world without losing the wings of the holy desires of a devout life.
The task is difficult, it is true, and that is why I should like many to give it their attention with greater earnestness tan has been shown till now. In spite of my great imperfection, I am trying to provide by means of this book, some help to those who will take up this worthy task with a generous heart.
However, it is not through my own choice or desire that this Introduction is being published. A very respectable and virtuous person who, some time back, had received from God the grace to want to seek the devout life asked me for a special help in this regard.[5] As I was indebted to here in many ways, and as I had noted long before that she was very well disposed for the devout life, I took great care to instruct her thoroughly. So I led her through various spiritual exercises suited to her purpose and her condition in life. About these I gave her written notes so that she could refer to them when needed. Later, she showed these notes to an important, learned and devout religious.[6] He made an earnest request that I get them published, as he was of the opinion that many would find them very helpful. He easily convinced me about this, since I was very much influenced by his friendship and had a great respect for his judgment.
In order to make the whole work more useful, as well as easy to read, I have revised the notes to ensure some kind of continuity, adding a number of counsels and instructions relevant to my purpose. But I have done all this with hardly any leisure. So this is not a thorough presentation but rather a collection of instructions[7] given in all sincerity and presented in simple and clear words, at least that is what I have had in mind. And I decided not even to think about other aspects that make language appealing as I had so many things to attend to.
My words are directed to “Philothea”. In fact, I want to present for the general benefit of many persons what I had written in the first place for only one. So I use a name which can be given to anyone who wants to lead a devout life. “Philothea” means “one who loves God” or “one who is in love with God.”
In all this my concern is for anyone who desires to be devout and so seeks to love God. Hence I have arranged this Introduction in five parts:
In the First Part, I make use of various counsels and exercises to change one’s simple desire for the devout life into a total commitment. One does this by concluding with a firm resolution after a general confession. Holy Communion follows when, entrusting oneself to the Saviour and welcoming him, one enters joyfully into his holy love.
After this, to help in advancing further, I give instruction about the two great means of uniting oneself ever more closely to God: the Sacraments, by which God comes to us, and Prayer by which he draws us to himself. In this consists the Second Part.
In the Third Part, I explain the practice of various virtues which are specially suitable for one’s progress, giving more attention to some specific counsels which one would not get easily from elsewhere or discover by oneself.
In the Fourth Part, I help to find out certain snares of the enemies and show how one can escape them and continue on one’s way.
Finally, in the Fifth Part, I teach how to withdraw for a while in order to refresh oneself, recover breath and renew one’s strength and so afterwards be able to gain ground with greater joy and so make further progress in the devout life.
As this age is very peculiar, I expect that many will say that only members of religious orders and persons concerned with devotion should give such special guidance regarding the devout life; that this work requires more leisure than is at the disposal of a Bishop who is entrusted with a diocese as burdensome as mine; that it is too great a distraction for the mind which should be used for important matters. My dear Reader, I tell you with St. Denis that guiding people to perfection is the task of Bishops, all the more so since their order is the highest among men as that of the Seraphim is among the angels, and so their leisure cannot be put to better use than this.
The Bishops of ancient times and the Fathers of the Church had at least as much concern for their responsibilities as we have. Even so, as can be gathered from their letters, they did not neglect taking care to give individual guidance to many persons who came to them for help. In this they imitated the Apostles who, while gathering the harvest in the whole world, picked up nevertheless with a special and particular affection certain outstanding ears of corn. Everyone knows that St. Paul had Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Onesimus, St. Tecla and Appia as his special disciples, just as St. Peter had St. Mark and st. Petronilla. St. Petronilla was not in fact St. Peter’s own child but only his spiritual daughter, as Baronius and Galonius have learnedly proved. And St. John wrote one of his epistles to the devout woman named Electa[8] (2 Jn. 1:1).
The guidance of persons individually is a difficult task, I admit, but one which brings comfort as in the case of people gathering crops or picking grapes, who are happiest when they have plenty of work to do and heavy burdens to carry. It is a task that refreshes and enlivens the heart by the delight it brings to those who take it up, just as in Arabia those who carry cinnamon are refreshed.
A tigress, it is said,[9] on finding one of her cubs which the hunter has left behind to distract her attention while he carries away the others, places it on her back even it is big. Rather than feeling its weight she finds it very light as she runs off to keep it safe in here den, because her natural love makes her burden less heavy. Much more gladly will someone with fatherly heart take charge of a person, whom he finds with a desire for holiness, showing tender love for such a one like a mother carrying her little child in her bosom without being weary of this burden which she loves so well. But definitely the fatherly heart has to be there. Hence, the Apostles, and those like them call their disciples not just “children” but even more lovingly “little children” (1 Jn. 2:1, 12).
My dear Reader, in spite of all that I have said, it is true that I am writing about the devout life without being devout myself. But I certainly want to be devout and it is this very desire that encourages me to give you instruction. In fact, to quote a great and learned man[10], “A good way to learn is to study; a better way is to listen, and the best is to teach.” St. Augustine writing to Florentina, one of his disciples, says, “It often happens that giving to others prepares us to receive.” The work of teaching is the foundation for learning.
Alexander loved very much Campaspe and he asked the great painter Apelles to draw a picture of her. Apelles was compelled to look a long time at Campaspe, and as he drew her features in his painting, love for her was impressed on his heart. He became so enamoured of her that Alexander, realising it and taking pity on him, let him marry her. For the love of Apelles, he gave up the woman he loved most, and as Pliny notes, “By this he showed the greatness of his heart, as much as he would have done by a very great military victory.”
Now my dear Reader, I am of the opinion that as Bishop it is God’s will that I should paint on the hearts of people not only the ordinary virtues but also His most dear and greatly loved devotion. And I take up this work gladly, as much to obey and fulfil my duty as in the hope that while engraving devotion on the minds of others, my own would become filled with a holy love for it. And if God ever sees me enamoured of devotion, he will give her to me in an everlasting marriage.
The beautiful and chaste Rebecca, watering Isaac’s camels, was chosen to be his wife and received from him earrings and golden bracelets (Gen. 24:20-22). In the same way, I await from the infinite goodness of God that while I lead his sheep to the saving waters of devotion, he will make me wholly his own. He will put in my ears the golden words of his holy love and in my arms the strength to practise them well, for in this consists the essence of true devotion. I humbly ask God to grant this devotion to me and to all the children of his Church. And to this church I want to submit always my writings, my actions, my words, my desires and my thoughts.
Annecy,
8 August 1608
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+ Francis de Sales
Bishop of Geneva
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[1] Pliny
[2] The castor oil plant. It was called ‘palm of Christ’ from the hand-like shape of its large leaves. Its seed is extremely poisonous if eaten, but the oil extracted from it is medicinal.
[3] Pliny
[4] Aristotle
[5] Madame Louise de Charmoisy
[6] Fr. Jean Fourier, Jesuit
[7] In spite of St. Francis’ self-effacing word, his Introduction presented from its first edition, an excellent summary of the principles of Christian living.
[8] It is now agreed that St. John’s Second Letter is addressed to a Church of Asia and not to any single person.
[9] Pliny
[10] In his letter on Preaching, St. Francis attributes the last part of this quotation to Erasmus (1466-1536). [See Pulpit and Pew, translated by Fr. Vincent Kerns msfs, SFS Publications, Bangalore, India, 1976. p. 33]
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