I am pleased by my newest adventure in spiritual literature. Francis de Sales’s Introduction to the Devout Life is my newest endeavor and it is, so far, the most up-front and unassuming guide to spiritual development I have read. I will be bringing more of this to my blog in the coming days.
Here’s a quick statement from the first part of the introduction: “The usual purgation and healing, whether of body or soul, takes place only little by little and by passing from one advance to another with difficulty and patience.” (36)
How comforting to know that one of the greatest thinkers and counselors of the Church cautions us to be patient with ourselves as we work toward perfection. But it’s not all fluffy–he also clearly states that one must not only begin with a general confession, but that one must fly from one’s sins, and not turn and look back as Lot once did.
