The spirit of s. Francis de Sales, tr. [and abridged] by the author of 'Life of s. Francis de Sales'.

Jean Pierre Camus (bp. of Belley.)

1880

Contents

• True devotion is to be found in every state of life: 6
• It is possible to lead a saintly life in the world: 7
• True devotion avoids singularity: 8
• The grace of a good example: 10
• On Mental PRAYER I The importance of frequent meditation on the Passion of our Lord: 11
• It is not well to multiply acts of the affections in prayer: 12
• Simplicity in prayer: 13
• Concerning good resolutions: 15
• Of spiritual dryness: 16
• Necessity of combining selfdenial with prayer: 17
• His sy mpathy: 18
• On The Last Things 1 The fear of death: 19
• On long life and the wish for death: 21
• On the wish to: 22
• The best preparation for death: 23
• The memory of the departed: 24
• On the Word of God AND ON SPIRITUAL: 34
• ON THE SACRAMENTS OF PENANCE AND: 40
• ON DEVOTION to the Blessed Virgin: 46
• Dn the practice of Holiness CHAPTER I GenERAL REMARKS PAGE: 48
• Natural disposition and its use in attaining holiness: 49
• Inward amendment the first essential: 50
• Progress consists less in doing much than in doing a little well: 51
• Natural impetuosity to be resisted: 52
• Hurry a foe to holiness: 53
• Of the virtues to be specially preferred: 55
• Of little virtues: 56
• Magdalene at the foot of the Cross: 58
• Of faithfulness in little things XI Attention to trifling matters: 59
• ON CHARITYTHE Root AND FOUNDATION OF ALL VIRTUE I Charity the test of holiness: 62
• Charity in trifles: 63
• Charity before all things: 64
• The miracles of love: 65
• Of the benefit of vows VI Wherein true love consists: 66
• The love of complaisance: 67
• The love of benevolence: 68
• Desire for Divine Love the best means of spiritual progress: 69
• Holy longings: 70
• The true signs of holy love: 71
• The fear of God and its close union with pure love: 72
• The measure of love of: 73
• The purity of Francis own love of: 74
• Ou mourir ou aimer: 75
• On Purity Of INTENTION PAGE I We must cast aside earthly longings: 77
• Selflove and love of self: 78
• How to supply the lack of intention in good works: 81
• On Conformity to Gods Will I Nothing can happen to us save through Gods Will: 83
• Selfabandonment in Gods Hands: 84
• A saying of Tauler: 85
• Evenness of mind V Resignation holy indifference and simple waiting on Gods Will: 86
• Inward peace amid trials: 87
• Calmness in danger: 88
• Calm amid storm IX Waiting on the Lord amid troubles: 90
• Rest in God amid earthly losses: 91
• God our Refuge in calumny XII Resignation in illness: 92
• Perfect resignation knows no exceptions: 94
• The Bishops calmness in sickness: 95
• On Patience I Impatient murmurs: 97
• Complaint a sign of impatience: 98
• The Bishop checks M de Belleys complaints: 99
• A similar rebuke: 100
• de Belley complains again: 102
• How to make a good use of unjust accusations: 105
• An instance of the Bishops own patience: 106
• The Bishops forbearance: 107
• How to encounter calumny: 109
• Patience under misrepresentation ΙΙΟ: 110
• Concerning long illnesses: 114
• The Bishops reverence for the sick: 115
• His own patience in sickness: 116
• On Humility: 117
• ON CHRISTIAN Poverty: 144
• ON MORTIFICATION: 154
• ON Chastity: 167
• How to bear our neighbours burden: 181
• Importunity: 182
• Reproof: 183
• How to test the charity of our reproofs: 184
• Ibid xix Loving rebuke a proof of friendship: 186
• XXII The Bishops ingenuity in excusing others: 189
• Holiness better than learning: 190
• Love of our enemies: 192
• Dislikes: 193
• Reconciliation: 195
• Justice: 197
• ON RECREATION AND Society ca 1 How Francis used everything as a means to draw nearer to God: 199
• The Bishops sad time: 201
• Society and conversation: 202
• Fraternal correction: 203
• Our words: 204
• How to speak of God: 205
• Evil speaking: 206
• Contradiction: 207
• Ridicule: 208
• XII The Bishops playfulness: 209
• A playful rebuke: 210
• Falsehood: 211
• Duplicity: 212
• Prudence and simplicity: 213
• The Bishops dislike for politics: 214
• ON TEMPTATIONS PAGE 1 Temptation in general i: 216
• Counsels concerning temptation: 217
• Trifling temptations: 218
• How to rise after a fall: 219
• Discouragement: 220
• Patience towards oneself: 221
• Speculative minds: 223
• The just man falleth seven times aaa: 224
• Anxiety as to our state of grace: 225
• Hope and fear XI The signs of sanctifying grace: 226
• Francis de Sales own mental trials: 227
• Sensible devotion: 228
• How to accept spiritual dryness: 229
• Ibid: 231
• Inward consolations: 232
• Discontent with ones actual condition: 233
• Joy and sadness: 234
• PART III: 236
• He refuses the Archbishopric of Paris: 237
• His wish for retirement: 238
• The danger of high positions: 239
• Obedience as practised by Superiors: 241
• Did the Apostles go about in carriages?: 242
• The Bishops indifference to worldly goods: 244
• Characteristics of true zeal: 245
• Francis zeal for souls: 246
• He tranquillises M de Belleys fears: 247
• The episcopal charge: 248
• The difficulties of the pastoral office: 249
• Temptations to discouragement: 251
• God bears His servants burden: 252
• Bishop Camuss wish to resign: 254
• S Federigo Borromeo: 256
• Men must not shrink from the duties of their ministry: 259
• Precautions as to womens visits: 262
• Francis sought by women: 263
• ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS I Daily celebration: 265
• Preparation and thanksgiving: 266
• The Bishops readiness to receive little offerings: 268
• Diversity in direction: 269
• Encouragement to the penitent: 270
• The Bishops dealings with a despairing criminal: 271
• Francis dealings with penitents: 273
• The Bishops tenderness: 274
• His dealings with the sick: 275
• His dealings with the dying: 276
• ON PREACHING I Importance of frequent preaching: 279
• Francis zeal in preaching: 280
• Francis readiness to preach: 281
• Francis de Sales preaching in Paris: 282
• Indifference to the worlds opinion: 284
• Saying and doing: 285
• Magniloquence: 288
• XI The Bishop of Belley makes amends: 290
• The Bishop of Belley seeks to imitate Francis de Sales: 291
• IIltimed praise: 293
• How to use Holy Scripture in preaching: 294
• Short sermons: 295
• Small congregations: 296
• Scolding the absent: 297
• Incident in Annecy Cathedral 200: 298
• ON ECCLESIASTICAL ADMINISTRATION I The first duty of a Bishop is vigilance: 300
• All for love: 301
• The Bishops treatment of erring ecclesiastics: 302
• The power of gentleness: 303
• Conversion of a sinful priest: 304
• Competition for benefices: 305
• Difficulties of administration: 306
• Obedience to secular powers: 307
• A Bishops responsibility in temporal matters: 308
• Dispensations: 311
• A refusal: 312
• COUNSELS AS TO THE GUIDANCE OF COMMUNITIES 1 The Bishops opinion of monasteries: 314
• Advantages of solitude: 315
• The trials of solitude: 318
• The spirit of a religious life: 319
• The weak to be cared for: 320
• Reform: 322
• The value of labour: 323
• The Order of the Visitation: 325
• Madame de Chantal: 326
• The founder of the Visitation: 327
• Difficulty of finding good Superiors: 328
• Community life: 329
• A dying Religious: 330
• Government of religious houses: 332
• Superiors: 333
• Complaints of Superiors unlawful: 334
• Superiors themselves subject: 335
• Stedfastness in vocation: 337
• Obedience: 338
• Poverty: 339
• Simplicity: 340
• The signs of a true vocation: 341
• ON DEALINGS WITH HERESY I Francis gift of converting heretics: 343
• How to deal with controversy in preaching: 344
• Gentleness in controversy: 346
• Maréchal de Lesdiguières: 347
• A challenge: 348

Popular passages

Page 186 - I charge thee therefore, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his kingdom ; preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.

Page 251 - A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

Page 111 - Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

Page 145 - I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

Page 53 - I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh : that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ : in Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Page 204 - If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

Page 300 - Moses' seat : all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do ; but do not ye after their works : for they say, and do not.

Page 64 - As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. " If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God...

Page 81 - God of God, Light of Light, Very God of very God, Begotten, not made, Being of one substance with the Father, By whom all things were made: Who for us men, and for our salvation came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man, And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

Page 242 - And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews ; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law...

Bibliographic information

• Title: The spirit of s. Francis de Sales, tr. [and abridged] by the author of 'Life of s. Francis de Sales'.
• Author: Jean Pierre Camus (bp. of Belley.)
• Editor: Henrietta Louisa Lear
• Published: 1880
• Original from: Oxford University
• Digitized: Sep 4, 2006