“Life changing.”

This was the general consensus at our reading group after finishing “Introduction to the Devout Life.” For many in the group, it was the first spiritual book they had read, and even after a rough start with getting used to the language style, by the end everyone was enthralled and we were quoting St. Francis de Sales in our jokes and conversations.

The book is life-changing, because it gives surprisingly practical advice on how to live a devout life in modern society, despite being originally published in 1609. Truly timeless wisdom at its finest.

Parts 1 and 2

In his introduction, St. Francis mentions that “as to a polished style, I have not given that a thought, having so much else to do.” In addition to being relatable and funny, I did find this statement to be accurate regarding the flow of the book in that it wasn’t the most intuitive. Part 1 contains a series of 10 meditations, which is odd because he then teaches you step-by-step how to meditate in Part 2. So, I would actually recommend starting with Part 2 and then coming back to Part 1 at any point after. In addition to a step-by-step guide of how to meditate, you will find in Part 2 advice for how to do an effective morning and evening prayer, how to address dryness in meditation, and how to live out spiritual retirement.

“Be sure then, my child, that while externally occupied with business and social duties, you frequently retire within the solitude of your own heart” (Chapter 12).

I was able to implement a lot of specific tips into my prayer life, including asking for the graces to complete any daily tasks I have coming up in my morning prayer, and taking moments throughout the day to reflect on God’s goodness with gratitude.

Parts 3 and 4

Part 3 was particularly popular in our reading group, including notable chapters “10: We must attend to the business of life carefully, but without eagerness or over-anxiety” and those touching on various virtues. My personal favorite chapter title, highlighting how St. Francis delivers practical advice for every way of life, is Chapter 15: “How to exercise real poverty, though actually rich.”

In our group of young adults living in a city, we had a good laugh over Chapter 13: “Of Balls, and other Lawful but Dangerous Amusements,” and we needed to pause to reflect on the context of the early 1600s in which the book was published, but were still able to garner spiritual insights relevant to our current lives.

Part 4 dives into a level of detail on sin that I found very helpful as someone who can be prone to scrupulosity, carefully laying out the difference between experiencing temptation and consenting to it, and how to manage different types of temptation.

As a whole, “Introduction to the Devout Life” does justice to its name, setting up readers for a life lived to the fullest.

Introduction to the Devout Life is available from Lumen et Logos.