Introduction to the Devout Life
Introduction to the Devout Life

Author: Saint Francis De Sales

Publisher: Ignatius Press

Published: 2015-06-08

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 1681497220

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Written over 400 years ago, Introduction to the Devout Life is still one of the most popular books for those pursuing holiness. St. Francis de Sales explains how to turn that desire for sanctity into resolutions that yield grace-filled results. Themes include: Pursuing a devout life whole-heartedly Incorporating prayer and sacraments into a busy schedule Growing in virtue Battling wisely against temptation Making spiritual progress through daily, monthly, and yearly exercises Whether you are just beginning your spiritual journey or are more advanced in the spiritual life, you’ll be able to apply this timeless wisdom immediately. Let St. Francis de Sales illumine the path to holiness and strengthen your desire to walk that road with the Lord. St. Francis de Sales (1567–1622) was the Bishop of Geneva and a renowned spiritual director. Preaching during the Counter-Reformation, he is estimated to have converted 70,000 Calvinists in his short lifetime. He was a fervent proponent of the universal call to holiness and spent much of his time guiding lay people on the road to sanctity. Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1877, St. Francis is still helping to form saints through his many writings, of which Introduction to the Devout Life is the most famous.

Committed Life
Committed Life

Author: William Meninger

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2000-01-12

Total Pages: 156

ISBN-13: 1441140743

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A masterful updating of a classic work.St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), bishop of Geneva and founder of the Visitation Order of nuns, was renowned for his teachings on spirituality. His masterpiece in the field of spiritual literature was "The Introduction to the Devout Life." Revolutionary in its day and noted for its charm, warmth, and clarity of language, it set forth a spirituality oriented toward life in the world, an approach quite different from that of St. Francis de Sales's contemporaries,who saw spiritual perfection as possible only in religious life.While the message of "The Introduction to Devout Life" is still valid today, the fact is that its expression is quite dated. In this book, as in "Bringing 'The Imitation of Christ' Into the 21st Cemtury," Father Meninger is not offering a new translation or paraphrase of a spiritual classic. Rather, he is attempting to express the teachings of the original in a wholly contemporary idiom. Father Meninger has not hesitated to change, omit, or add to the original where necessary, the better to highlight the heart and charisma of St. Francis de Sales's teachings.

Living the Good Life
Living the Good Life

Author: Steven J. Jensen

Publisher: CUA Press

Published: 2013-06-24

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 0813221455

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Living the Good Life presents a brief introduction to virtue and vice, self-control and weakness, misery and happiness.

Prayer Primer
Prayer Primer

Author: Thomas Dubay

Publisher: Ignatius Press

Published: 2009-09-03

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 1681493861

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Fr. Thomas Dubay, a renowned teacher and writer on prayer and the spiritual life, presents a simple, profound and practical book on the most important of all human activities, communion with God. Prayer Primer is written for intelligent adults (and teenagers) who want God and a serious prayer life, but it does not presuppose that they need or have a theological background. It does take up many questions rarely answered adequately in the classroom or from the pulpit, often not mentioned at all: Why pray? (be ready for some surprises) ... Why vocal prayer is important and yet should be limited ... What contemplation is and is not ... Praying with Scripture ... Family prayer - even how to introduce children to group meditation ... Prayer in a busy life ... Pitfalls and problems - together with solutions ... Buddhism? New Age? Centering prayer? ... What should you do when dry and empty and not at all inclined to pray? How do you even get started? ... Where and how to begin? ... Assessing progress ... Growing in depth. All of these subjects, and more, are clearly and concisely explained for citizens of this 21st century.

Authentic Devotion
Authentic Devotion

Author: Francis De Sales

Publisher: Shaw Books

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 129

ISBN-13: 087788000X

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This modern-day interpretation of "Introduction to the Devout Life" by Francis de Sales can gently guide readers down the clearest path imaginable into a deeper and more authentic religious life.

The Apostle Paul and His Letters
The Apostle Paul and His Letters

Author: James B. Prothro

Publisher: CUA Press

Published: 2022-01-07

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 081323512X

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The letters of the Apostle Paul are central witnesses to the Christian faith and to the earliest history of Christianity. And yet, when students, preachers, and others turn to Paul, they find many things “hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:16) in these ancient writings. James Prothro’s new book aims to help readers see the Apostle’s faith and hope at work as he evangelized the nations. Steeped in up-to-date scholarship and a passion for the gospel Paul preached, Prothro draws readers into Paul’s life and letters in order to help them hear the Apostle’s voice. The book’s chapters offer introductions to Paul’s background, life, and legacy; an introduction to ancient letter writing; a guide to understanding Paul’s theology across the letters; a survey of the portrait of Paul in the Book of Acts; separate treatments of each letter’s background and purpose; treatments of key theological topics in each letter and a thorough outline of each letter showing its arguments and how they make sense. Prothro introduces complex matters with clarity, balance, and an inviting style. He not only offers answers but models how to ask questions, helping us reason through Paul’s letters as ancient documents and as Christian Scripture. This book will prove a valuable introduction for those who study, teach, and preach these biblical books.

Lift Up Your Heart
Lift Up Your Heart

Author: Fr. John Burns

Publisher: Ave Maria Press

Published: 2017-04-28

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1594717214

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Winner of a 2018 Catholic Press Association Award: First-Time Author, Spirituality Softcover (First Place) and a 2018 Association of Catholic Publishers Award: Inspirational (Second Place). For more than four-hundred years, Introduction to the Devout Life by Doctor of the Church St. Francis de Sales has been regarded as the essential guide to holiness and loving God. This spiritual classic takes on new life in Lift Up Your Heart, where Rev. John Burns has interpreted ten meditations for the modern reader and distilled them into a ten-day mini-retreat that can easily be completed in the midst of a busy life. This practical book goes right to the heart of helping you kick the habit of floating along on your spiritual journey to start actively pursuing holiness and devotion to God. During the course of the retreat, you'll learn the basics of forming a daily prayer routine, including how to offer yourself to God, meditate on his love, and maintain peace in the face of suffering and clarity in the midst of temptation. The meditations will help you: Adopt gratitude as a daily prayer practice. Examine and reorder your priorities and relationships to better reflect your love for God. Discern between good and evil in your life. Desire to love and serve as Jesus did. In a very real sense, Burns helps you take St. Francis de Sales as your spiritual director for ten days. As you do so, you’ll feel God’s fatherly love and restart your faith life, equipped with the tools to connect with God and live for heaven now.

Live Today Well
Live Today Well

Author: Fr. Thomas Dailey

Publisher: Sophia Institute Press

Published: 2015-07-06

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 162282301X

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Living the Christian life requires a strategy. Most of us won’t get to heaven through heroic feats of sanctity, but by learning to live the devout life through our everyday activities. St. Francis de Sales has developed for you a spiritual plan of action — a plan that will help you acquire holiness despite the many responsibilities and mundane realities that take up all your time and effort. In these pages, Fr. Thomas Dailey — an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales — gently guides you through St. Francis de Sales’s spiritual plan, showing how you can balance time devoted to God with the time needed to complete your many tasks each day. You’ll learn St. Francis de Sales’s technique of daily prayer and grace-filled awareness that will transform your life one day at a time — no matter how busy your lifestyle. From making a spiritual retreat during the day to fending off the many temptations you face, Live Today Wellwill help you commune with God throughout your day. And by practicing the little virtues you learn here, you’ll soon find yourself moving toward the heavenly heights as you become the saint you are called by God to be. You’ll also learn: Four ways to become aware of God’s presence Tips for spiritual time-management Simple methods of praying, whether in Church or not How to avoid the three dangerous tendencies that appear in conversations How to conquer your greatest temptations The one virtue which gives greatest assurance for reaching perfection The two critical elements of any good confession

The Flame of Love
The Flame of Love

Author: Elizabeth Kindelmann

Publisher:

Published: 2020-07-07

Total Pages: 131

ISBN-13: 9781947701106

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The devotion of the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was given to the Church for the specific purpose of blinding Satan so that he loses his influence over our families, our communities-over all people. The movement began with the heart of the poor and humble Hungarian mystic and Third-Order Carmelite, Elizabeth Kindelmann (1913-1985), when she heard the voices of Jesus and Mary through interior locutions between the years 1961 and 1983. The result is this Spiritual Diary, written at the request of Our Lord Jesus, which has received the Imprimatur of the Church and gifted the world untold blessings for our critical times.Jesus said to Kindelmann, "My Mother is Noah's Ark," and Mary told her, "I assure you, my little one, that I have never before given into your hands such a powerful force of grace, the burning flame of the love of my heart. Ever since the Word became Flesh, I have not undertaken a greater movement than the Flame of Love of my heart who rushes to you. Until now, nothing could blind Satan as much. And it is up to you not to reject it, for this rejection would simply spell disaster."The Flame of Love movement is an official Church association of the faithful, enjoying the heartfelt approval of His Eminence Cardinal Péter Erdö, Primate of Hungary, Archbishop of Eszertom-Budapest, and the approval of various bishops in whose dioceses it flourishes, as well as a 2013 apostolic blessing from Pope Francis.God is seeking to build up a holy army of souls in order help us to fight the battle ahead that leads to sure victory for those firm in faith. In this remarkable Spiritual Diary, you follow the life and divine conversations of one of the greatest mystics of the 20th century, learn of the prayers and weekly prayer schedule that effectively blind Satan, and of the divine promises Our Lord wishes to give to us through the intercession of His Mother's Immaculate Heart.