Devout Life - A Deep Dive into Chapter 1

What True Devotion Really Means
by Saint Francis de Sales

My dear Philothea, you want to live a devout life because you are a Christian and know that devotion is very pleasing to God. But before beginning, you must understand what true devotion really is.

A small mistake made at the beginning can grow into a much larger mistake later. There is only one true devotion, but there are many false kinds. Unless we know the difference, we may fool ourselves into believing we are devout when we are not.

People often imagine devotion according to their own likes and habits.

One person may fast often and think this makes him devout, while his heart is still filled with anger and bitterness. He may refuse even a little wine out of self-denial, yet speak cruelly about his neighbor through gossip and false accusations.

Another person may say many prayers every day, but afterward speak harshly and proudly to the people in his home.

Someone else may gladly give money to the poor, but refuse to forgive an enemy.

Another may forgive his enemies, but refuse to pay what he owes unless he is forced to do so.

People may call such persons devout, but they are not truly devout.

In the Bible, King Saul’s servants came looking for David. David’s wife placed a statue in his bed and covered it with his clothes, making the servants believe David was there.

In the same way, some people cover themselves with outward signs of devotion. They may say prayers, fast, or perform religious acts so that others believe they are holy. But inside, they may have little true love for God. They are only pretending to be devout.

True devotion begins with a complete and sincere love of God.

God’s love within the soul is called grace because it makes us pleasing to Him. It is called charity because it gives us strength to do good. When this love becomes so strong that we do good willingly, often, quickly, and cheerfully, it is called devotion.

Think about different kinds of birds.

An ostrich does not fly. A hen flies only a little, and does so slowly and heavily. But eagles, doves, and swallows fly high, swiftly, and often.

Sinners are like birds that do not fly toward God at all. Their hearts remain close to earthly things.

Good people who have not yet grown in devotion do turn toward God through good works, but sometimes they do so slowly or unwillingly.

Devout souls are different. They rise toward God quickly, often, and lovingly. They are eager to do what pleases Him.

Devotion is the joyful strength within us that makes us ready and willing to serve God. Charity helps us obey all God’s commandments. Devotion helps us obey them cheerfully and faithfully.

A person who refuses to obey God’s commandments cannot truly be called good or devout. A good person must possess charity. A devout person must also carry out loving actions with joy and eagerness.

Devotion not only helps us obey God’s commandments. It also encourages us to do other good things that God may gently inspire us to do.

A person recovering from an illness walks only as much as necessary and usually walks slowly. In the same way, a sinner who has only recently turned away from sin may obey God, but still do so slowly and with difficulty.

As that person grows in devotion, he becomes like someone who has regained full health. He no longer merely walks along God’s path. He begins to run joyfully. He eagerly follows God’s commandments, His counsels, and the good inspirations placed within his heart.

Charity and devotion are like fire and flame.

Charity is the holy fire of God’s love within us. When that fire burns brightly and becomes a flame, it is called devotion.

Devotion does not add a different love to charity. It makes love bright, active, willing, and eager. It helps us obey God and joyfully follow every good inspiration He sends us.

Devout Life - Chapter 1

 

 
This well-loved copy of St. Francis de Sales’ An Introduction to a Devout Life is estimated to have been printed between 1885 and 1910, making it well over a century old. Inside is the original library stamp of Convent High School, Alnwick, England, a Catholic girls’ school conducted by the Sisters of Mercy. For many years this little book likely rested on the convent library shelves, where Sisters and students turned to its gentle wisdom as they sought to grow closer to God.

By God’s providence, the book eventually came into the hands of an English bookseller who sold old books from his family farm. From one quiet countryside to another, he sent this treasured volume across the ocean to Sister Mary Claire and her little sister Kathy at Camp Littlemore.

Now its journey continues. Once read in an English convent school, it is again being opened for prayer, study, and reflection. As we begin each chapter, we join a conversation that has encouraged faithful souls for more than a hundred years, allowing St. Francis de Sales’ timeless words to guide us, one chapter at a time.

Chapter 1 - The Description of True Devotion

You aspire to devotion, my dearest Philothea, because, being a Christian, you know it to be a virtue extremely pleasing to the Divine Majesty. But since small faults, committed in the beginning of any business, grow in the progress infinitely greater, and become in the end almost irreparable, you must first know what the virtue of Devotion is: for since there is but one true Devotion, and many vain and counterfeit, if you cannot distinguish that which is true, you may easily deceive and amuse yourself, in following some fantastical and superstitious Devotion.

As Aurelius painted all the faces of his pictures to the air and resemblance of the woman he loved, so every one paints Devotion according to his own passion and fancy. He that is addicted to fasting, thinks himself very devout if he fasts, though his heart be at the same time full of rancour: and scrupling to moisten his tongue with wine, or even with water, through sobriety, he makes no difficulty to drink deep of his neighbour’s blood by detraction and calumny. Another accounts himself devout for reciting daily a multiplicity of prayers, though he immediately afterwards utters the most disagreeable, arrogant, and injurious words amongst his domestics and neighbours. Another cheerfully draws an alms out of his purse to relieve the poor, but cannot draw meekness out of his heart, to forgive his enemies. Another readily forgives his enemies, but never satisfies his creditors but by constraint. These, by some, are esteemed devout, when, in reality, they are by no means so.

As Saul’s servants sought David in his house—but Michol laying a statue in his bed, and covering it with David’s clothes, made them believe it was David himself—so many persons, by covering themselves with certain external actions belonging to Devotion, make the world believe them truly devout; whereas they are actually nothing but statues and phantoms of Devotion.

True Devotion, O Philothea, presupposes, not a partial, but a thorough love of God. For inasmuch as Divine love adorns the soul, it is called grace, making us pleasing to the Divine Majesty: inasmuch as it gives us the strength to do good, it is called charity; but when it is arrived at that degree of perfection, by which it not only makes us do well, but also work diligently, frequently, and readily, then it is called Devotion.

As ostriches never fly; as hens fly low, heavily, and but seldom; and as eagles, doves, and swallows fly aloft, swiftly and frequently, so sinners fly not towards God, but direct all their courses on the earth, and towards worldly objects: and good people who have not as yet attained to Devotion, fly towards God by their good works, but rarely, slowly, and heavily; whereas devout souls fly up to him by more frequent, prompt, and lofty flights. In short, Devotion is nothing else but that spiritual agility and vivacity, by which charity works in us, or we by her, with alacrity and affection; and as it is the business of charity to make us observe all God’s commandments generally and without exception, so it is the part of Devotion to make us observe them cheerfully and with diligence. Wherefore, he who observes not all the commandments of God, cannot be esteemed either good or devout; since to be good, he must be possessed of charity, and to be devout, besides charity, he must show a cheerfulness and alacrity in the performance of charitable actions.

As Devotion, then, consists in a certain excellent degree of charity, it makes us not only active and diligent in the observation of God’s commandments but it also excites us to the performance of every good work with an affectionate alacrity, though not commanded, but only counselled. For as a man newly recovered from any infirmity, walks as much as is necessary for him, but yet slowly and at his leisure, so a sinner just healed of his iniquity, walks as fast as God commands him, yet slowly and heavily, till such time as he attains to Devotion: for then, like a man in sound health, he not only walks, but runs, and springs forward in the way of God’s commandments: and moreover, advances with rapidity in the paths of his heavenly counsels and inspirations.

To conclude: charity and Devotion differ no more one from the other, than the fire does from the flame; for charity is a spiritual fire, which, when inflamed, is called Devotion. Hence it appears so that devotion adds nothing to the fire of charity, but the flame, which makes it ready, active, and diligent, not only in the observance of the commandments of God, but also in the execution of his heavenly counsels and inspirations.