Divine Love is at work in us

INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVOUT LIFE
Francis de Sales’s counsels to Philothea: SUMMARY of PART I
English-Speaking Group: Francesco, Nathan and Albert
4 November 2013

COUNSELS AND PRACTICES SUITABLE FOR THE SOUL’S GUIDANCE FROM THE FIRST ASPIRATION AFTER A DEVOUT LIFE TO THE POINT WHEN IT ATTAINS A CONFIRMED RESOLUTION TO FOLLOW THE SAME

Chapter I: WHAT TRUE DEVOTION IS.

- The true devotion is a spiritual activity and liveliness by means of which Divine Love works in us, and causes us to work briskly and lovingly; and just as charity leads us to a general practice of all God’s Commandments, so devotion leads us to practice them readily and diligently. For this a man need to be filled with love.
- A devout life, is most acceptable to God’s Divine Majesty.
- We often have colour devotion, according to our own likings and dispositions.
(our exterior acts must correspond with interior dispositions): For example, One man sets great value on fasting, and believes himself to be leading a very devout life, so long as he fasts rigorously, although the while his heart is full of bitterness.  Meanwhile all these people are conventionally called religious, but nevertheless they are on no true sense really devout. Many people dress up an exterior with the visible acts expressive of earnest devotion, and the world supposes them to be really devout and spiritual minded, while all the time they are mere lay figures, mere phantasms of devotion.
- All true and living devotion presupposes the love of God, a very real love of God,
- The difference between love and devotion is just that which exists between fire and flame; love being a spiritual fire which becomes devotion when it is fanned into a flame; and what devotion adds to the fire of love is that flame which makes it eager, energetic and diligent, not merely in obeying God’s Commandments, but in fulfilling His Divine Counsels and inspirations.

CHAPTER II: THE NATURE AND EXCELLENCE OF DEVOTION

- The holy Spirit tells us through His Saints, and our Lord has told us with His own lips, that a devout life is very sweet, very happy and very loveable.
- But the world sees nothing of that inward, heartfelt devotion which makes all the good actions pleasant and easy.
- Devotion is the real spiritual sweetness which takes away all bitterness from mortifications;
- Like a bee who gathers the juices which are bitter and turns them all to honey so the devout soul finds bitter herbs along its path of devotion, they are all turned to sweetness and pleasantness as it treads.

CHAPTER III: DEVOTION IS SUITABLE TO EVERY VOCATION AND  PROFESSION.

- Each Christian has the duty to bring forth fruits of devotion according to his capacity and vocation.
- The true devotion adorns and beautifies the call.
- Both the heroes and heroines of the Old Testament and the New Testament (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Job, Sarah… St. Joseph, Crispus, Lydia) are giving us the best example of Devout life.

CHAPTER IV: THE NEED OF A GUIDE FOR THOSE WHO WOULD ENTER UPON AND ADVANCE IN THE DEVOUT LIFE.

- Important to have a faithful friend who can guide us in our spiritual journey.
- “A faithful friend is the medicine of life, a storehouse of wisdom to us in our sorrows, trials and falls, a healing balm to stay and soothe our heart in the time of spiritual sickness, shield us from evil.
- Essential to have a hearty confidence mingled with sacred reverence.

CHAPTER V: THE FIRST STEP MUST BE PURIFYING THE SOUL.

- Need to remove all dead and superfluous works from our conscience.
- Need to put off the old man and put on the new man. Eg. St. Paul, S. Magdalene, S. Catherine of Genoa etc.
- Important to watch well that they do not imperil our courage. Like David we have to ask God continually to strengthen our heart against cowardice and discouragement.

CHAPTER VI:THE FIRST PURIFICATION, NAMELY, FROM MORTAL SIN.

- The Sacrament of penance.
- choose the best confessor – examination of conscience.
- general confession is required to steady and fix the soul, helps us to clearer selfknowledge, kindles a wholesome shame for our past life, and rouses gratitude for God’s Mercy.

CHAPTER VII: THE SECOND PURIFICATION, FROM ALL SINFUL AFFECTION.

- To live a devout life, we must clean our heart from all affections pertaining to sin.

CHAPTER VIII: HOW TO EFFECT THIS SECOND PURIFICATION.

- By acquiring a deep and hearty contrition and repentance.
- Sacraments.

CHAPTER IX: FIRST MEDITATION (Of Creation)

- It is very rare that one asks himself about his own existence: how I was created and what is the purpose of my life.
- If there is someone who created me, what am I going to do?- confession of sin and change one’s life.
- Experience of being from nothingness to be, and from to be to eternity. This is the mysterious aspect that helps one to have attitude of gratefulness, of being loved and cared for.

CHAPTER X: SECOND MEDITATION

The Second meditation is on the purpose for which we were created.
- Experience of being created from nothing, not because God needs us but because out of God’s faithfulness, and goodness, in order to share his love in this life and the life after death.
- All the human faculties are created only by God: like memory, will, sigh, imagination, speech and understanding.
- Only those experienced of God’s love can respond to Him in a way that God wants.

CHAPTER XI: THIRD MEDITATION: OF THE GIFTS

- The Third Meditation is on the gift of God. God has bestowed us the material gifts, mental gifts and the spiritual gifts in order to know Himself  from our youth. Being the child of the Church Spiritual gifts are given through the sacraments.

CHAPTER XII: FOUTH MEDITATION: ON SIN

- The importance of the examination of conscience: what is our relationship with God, with oneself and with neighbors.
- How we make use of all the gifts that the  Creator has given us, and how ingratitude attitude and negligent we are to those gifts. We took everything for granted.

CHAPTER XIII: ON DEATH (Prayer for the happy death?)

- This chapter reminds us that we need to keep always awake for the second coming of our Lord. - Consideration: we don’t know when, where, why and how we will die. Are we ready for these things?
- The world outside us when we are at the moment of death. At this moment, all devotion and good works will seem so precious and so sweet.
- How the people around us will think of us when we are already gone?

CHAPTER XVI: ON JUDGMENT.

-This chapter makes us to reflect on the Judgment Day. We need to consider the sentence of the good and of the bad: the blessed and the evil doers.
- Examine and judge ourselves so that we will not be examined and judged.

CHAPTER XV: OF HELL

- The greatest pain is the loss of the vision of God’s glory besides the pain of all the faculties of the body.
- The terrible and the endless night of eternity.

CHAPTER XVI: ON PARADISE

- Look at the creation on the sky: stars, moon, sun rises and sun set and yet it is still incomparable to the heaven- the bliss unspeakable, and unchangeable delights.
- It is to consider how the righteousness rejoice with a perpetual joy and unchangeable delights in the presence of God.
- They are like happy birds, hovering and singing for ever within the atmosphere of divinity, which fills them with inconceivable pleasures.

CHAPTER XVII: ON THE CHOICE UPON TO YOU BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL.

- Hell and heaven, both will open to receive us according to our choices.
- Consider that the choice we make in this life will last forever in the next. Any single choice, there will be always the consequences.
- Need to ponder and imitate the wonderful examples of the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints.

CHAPTER XVIII: HOW THE SOUL CHOOSES THE DEVOUT LIFE.

-Make use of the capacity of imagination to reflect that you are in between Devil and Jesus, try to see what are with the devil (all the most terrible things) and what are with Jesus (all the most beautiful things).

CHAPTER XIX: HOW TO MAKE A GENERAL CONFESSION

- First of all there should not be any fear because contrition and confession are in themselves so lovely  and sweet-savoured, that they efface the ugliness and disperse the ill savour of sin. By doing this practice sincerely and humbly, we honour God.
- When we open up our heart fully and confess our sins, the Passion of Christ come in and fill us with blessings.
- Precious Blood is dropping freely to clean us from all our sins as we kneel in confession.

CHAPTER XX: A HEARTY PROTEST MADE WITH THE OBJECT OF CONFIRMING THE SOUL’S RESOLUTION TO SERVE GOD, AS A CONCLUSION TO ITS ACTS OF PENITENCE.

CHAPTER XXI: CONCLUSION OF THIS FIRST PURIFICATION

- The happiness of God and the joys of the saints and all the Angels.
- However, these affections are easily rekindled, thanks to our infirmity and concupiscence (which maybe mortified, but which can never be altogether extinguished while we live.)

CHAPTER XXII: THE NECESSITY OF PURGING AWAY ALL TENDENCY TO VENIAL SINS.
- The light of the Holy Spirit enlightens our conscience.
- We can never be altogether free from venial sin. Therefore, we must purify our soul from all inclination to venial sin because they are displeasing to God.

CHAPTER XXIII: IT IS NEEDFUL TO PUT AWAY ALL INCLINATION FOR USELESS AND DANGEROUS THINGS.

- We should not get addicted to the worldly things which will hinder our devotion.
- Need to clean our hearts in order to avoid worldly tastes.

CHAPTER XXIV: ALL EVIL INCLINATIONS MUST BE PURGED AWAY.
- By strengthening oneself more and more against mortal sin we can purge away all evil inclinations.

Summary by Albert Sangma
Photos by Joe

L’oraison, et la manière de la faire

Notes de lecture François de SALES, Introduction  à la vie dévote, partie II

Groupe francophone 
André ELA ENAM – Pascal MUMBA

Dans ce livre François parle de l’oraison, et la manière de la faire.
L’oraison met notre entendement dans la clarté et la lumière divine, nous aide à nous libérer de notre volonté, à enlever ce qu’il y a d’imparfait en nous pour nous laisser guider par le Seigneur et devenir de vrai dévot.
La dévotion ne consiste pas à faire de pratiques de prières ou à réaliser des actes de piété extérieurs.
Il conseille de faire l’oraison sans porter atteinte aux devoir d’état. Il recommande de ne pas dépasser une heure d’oraison.
S’agissant de la méthode, il faut toujours commencer toujours en se mettant en la présence du Seigneur. Pour se mettre en présence du Seigneur il y a quatre moyens qu’il propose : Considérer que Dieu est partout ; penser que Dieu est dans le cœur ; considérer et porter l’attention sur l’humanité de Jésus ; imaginer ou se représenter le Seigneur à côté de nous. Mais devant le St Sacrement est vraie, cette présence est vraie et non imaginaire.
La méditation se fait pour acquérir l’amour de Dieu alors l’étude ou d’autres formes de recherche se font pour devenir savant.
La méditation a des effets. Elle suscite de bons mouvement tels que l’amour de Dieu et du prochain, le désir du Paradis et de la gloire, le zèle du salut des âmes, l’imitation de la vie de notre Seigneur, la compassion, l’admiration, la réjouissance, la crainte de la disgrâce, la haine du péché, la confiance en la miséricorde.
Mais il dit qu’il ne faut pas s’arrêter à ces mouvements, il faut les mettre en pratique, les convertir en des résolutions spéciales et pratiques.
Pendant l’oraison, il est possible d’expérimenter la sécheresse. Dans ce cas, il faut la persévérer dans l’oraison. Car le plus important est de rendre gloire ou d’honorer le Seigneur nous mettant en sa présence.
Il y a des moyens qui participent de la vie d’oraison.
Ce sont les oraisons plus courtes qu’il recommande de faire durant la journée ; l’examen de conscience à faire le soir pour relire la journée ; il parle de retraite spirituelle qui consiste à créer ou à réserver en soi un espace, un oratoire, où continuer à converser avec Dieu et à vivre en sa présence ; les oraisons jaculatoires qui sont des épanchements ou des élans du cœur vers le Seigneur, elles permettent de penser à Dieu à tout moment de la journée.

Actualisation : la présence de Dieu
La méditation ou l’oraison est un chemin pour toute personne veut faire la dévotion.
L’importance de la vie sacramentaire pour atteindre la sainteté ou la perfection de la charité.
L’oraison exige de la personne de donner une place à Dieu dans sa vie et de prendre une décision à s’engager avec Dieu.
L’importance de la persévérance dans la vie de prière qui parfois connaît des moments de sécheresse. Ceci fait comprendre que l’important n’est pas la pratique de piété en soit, mais l’intention devant Dieu.
Il y a une bonne présentation pédagogique des pratiques de piété ou de la vie sacramentelle. C’est cas de la manière de parler de la confession comme d’un bain spirituel pour paraître beau devant le Seigneur. Ceci enlève toute considération de moralisme ou de légalisme.

Prayer and Forms of Prayer

Introduction to the Devout Life, Part Second

English speaking group: Carlo, Elizabeth, Rosita and Ruwantha

In Part II of the Introduction to the Devout Life, St Francis de Sales treats the two principal means of deepening the union with God - the sacraments, by which God comes to us - and prayer, by which we go to God.
1. Aspirations
     • Make spiritual aspirations to God by short, ardent movements of the heart.
2. Ejaculatory Prayers
     • Do not restrict yourself to a set form of words, but rather pronounce within your heart or
with your lips the words love suggests to you at the time.
3. Good Thoughts
     • Those who love God can never stop thinking about Him, longing for Him, aspiring to Him,
and speaking about Him.

Religious practices proposed by St. Francis of Sales. 

Communal Exercises - God is more honored by exercises performed with others than by private ones, because of the union with others. The Saints - “Choose certain particular saints whose lives you can best appreciate and imitate and in whose intercession you may have particular confidence.”
The Word of God - “Always listen with attention and reverence.”How to Attend Mass - The Mass is “the sun of all spiritual exercises - the most holy, sacred, and supremely sovereign sacrament and sacrifice”.  Center of Christian Religion. / Heart of Devotion / Soul of Piety. Holy Confession-This sacrament is given to the Church so we may be cleansed from all our iniquities no matter how often and how greatly we have sinned.

Holy Communion - Our hearts are preserved from the corruption of sin when sweetened by the incorruptible flesh and blood of the Son of God.

1. Begin your preparation the previous evening.
2. Arise in the morning with great joy because of the happiness for which you hope.
3. Go with confidence and humility to receive this heavenly food.
4. After you receive Jesus, allow your heart to be moved by love.
5. When you cannot enjoy the benefit of communicating in reality at Holy Communion, unite your heart and spirit to the life-giving Body of our Lord.
6. Your great intention in receiving Communion should be to advance, strengthen and comfort yourself in the love of the Lord.

Statue of St Francis de Sales at Salesianum, Wilmington (Delaware) August 2011

Francis was in full grasp of his theology, his thought and his language and the truths he
exposed were neither scholastic, nor dialectic, nor literary. Rather, full of life, faith, enthusiasm and cordiality. They came from the heart and spoke to the heart. This realization leads us to make some applications to our own situations today:

1. Need of prayer comes in time of need: experience of the people in the Philippine at present.
2. In time of difficulty people hold on to God or to the Holy images.
3. Desire for prayer – we found all over the world in particular young people going for meditation and other types of prayer services.
4. Methodology presented by St. Francis of Sales is simple and any one can follow.
5. Compared with men more women participate in Religious practices in many parts of the world.

Summary by Ruwantha Thirimanne
Photos by Joe Boenzi

Un cammino graduale

 Filotea, parte 1ª, cap. IX-XXIV

Gruppo di lingua italiana

Don Jozef Kabina, Danijel Dragicevic, Suor Eliane Anschau Petri, Don Carlo Russo

11 novembre 2013

Don Jozef

• L’importanza per l’affetto per la vita devota. Se ci si lega con affetto ad una imperfezione non si progredisce nella vita devota.
• Francesco orienta senza sostituirsi a Filotea, proprio come fa un padre spirituale.

Don Danijel

• Francesco guida Filotea in un cammino graduale.
• Se Filotea resta unita al Signore vive una grande libertà interiore.
• Ogni meditazione ti porta ad una decisione. Il cammino di Francesco non è turismo spirituale.

Suor Eliane

• L’ottimismo: è il tratto distintivo di Francesco nel proporre la vita devota a Filotea.
• L’amore di Dio da scoprire gradualmente fino a decidersi irrevocabilmente per il Signore.
• Francesco valorizza tutto l’umano.
• Don Bosco attinge da Francesco quando dice che “bisogna darsi a Dio per tempo”. 

Don Carlo

• Educare i giovani all’affettività all’interno di una vita spirituale.
• Chi mi ha accompagnato spirituale non si è mai sostituito a me nelle decisioni: come insegna Francesco.
• Scoprire l’amore di Dio nella propria vita e decidersi per tempo per Lui.

Note di don Carlo

Fotografia di Joe

L'homme est appelé à choisir Dieu

Notes de lecture François de Sales 

Introduction à la vie dévote

parte 1, chapitres 9-21

Groupe francophone: André Ela Enam, Pascal Mumbakati

L'ensemble de cette deuxième partie est une longue méditation sur l’œuvre de la création de Dieu et ainsi préparer les cœurs des humains à la rencontre avec Dieu, pour commencer l'expérience de la vie de dévotion.

Cette méditation part de certains thèmes de la vie pour susciter en l'homme la contrition, la reconnaissance du péché et parvenir ainsi à la vraie dévotion.

Par la prière, la personne se met en présence de Dieu ; l'aide à entrer en soi-même pour faire l'examen de conscience, afin de découvrir l'amour de Dieu pour que la personne donne sa réponse. Cette dernière n'est qu'une analyse de sa vie passée, actuelle en en toute humilité elle finit par reconnaître sa petitesse Dieu. Cette deuxième partie est aussi une série de prières qui permettent au dévot de découvrir ce que Dieu attend de lui. Louange et action de grâce sont alors fondamentale.

Donc l'homme est appelé à se décider, à choisir Dieu, s'éloigner de ce qui l'oppose au Seigneur. Et la confession devient l'aboutissement de ce long cheminement. D'où l'importance d'une vraie et sincère contrition pour une bon début de la vie dévot.

Monument à François de Sales à Annecy

Reconnaître la présence de Dieu est un engagement radical de combattre le mal. Il est demandé à un vrai dévot une renonciation radical. La reconnaissance du péché est à l'origine de la crainte du Seigneur et aussi la base de la vie dévote.

Partant de ce que nous sommes et avons, reconnaître le bienfait, cela nous conduit à être en action de grâce. Car Dieu s'occupe de sa création et se préoccupe de son salut.

∞ Pascal Mumbakati
Fotografie: Joe

Les caractéristiques d’une vraie dévotion

Notes de lecture François de SALES, Introduction  à la vie dévote, 1, 1-VIII

1. Qu’est-ce qui retient notre attention ?
Nous trouvons les caractéristiques d’une vraie dévotion, qui se concrétisent par l’amour et la charité que nous avons à l’égard de Dieu et des autres.
François de Sales distingue entre vraie et fausse dévotion.
La dévotion est présente comme un amour de Dieu. C’est l’agilité et vivacité spirituelle qui rend la charité efficace.
La dévotion fait aspirer à Dieu ou remonter à Lui par la contemplation comme les anges qui montent au ciel sur l’échelle de Jacob. Elle nous fait descendre aux autres par la charité.
La dévotion rend la personne semblable aux anges avec des corps humains, ou bien, elle fait devenir un homme avec un cœur angélique.
Le but de de la dévotion est de conduire à la vie parfaite. Un vrai dévot est un réaliste, qui cherche à vivre sa foi là où il se trouve. La dévotion n’est pas l’apanage des religieux seuls; tous sont appelés à la vivre. A tous les états de vie, on peut aspirer à la vie parfaite.
Pour avancer dans la dévotion, on a besoin d’un guide, un directeur spirituel. Il est requis l’obéissance. Il faut traiter de cœur à cœur, avec sincérité. Il faut également la fidélité.
La dévotion se vit progressivement. Elle exige la purgation, qui consiste à enlever les petits choses, les défauts, les péchés véniels qui empêchent la croissance dans la vie spirituelle. Il recommande la sincérité.
Les qualités de l’accompagnateur spirituel : charité, prudence, et science.

2. Qu’est-ce qui serait utile aujourd’hui aux jeunes, aux personnes ?

• Tous sont appelés à la sainteté, mais chacun a son rythme, son chemin en conformité avec son état de vie, sa profession.
• Commencer par soigner les petites choses de la vie, autour de nous.
• L’importance de la sincérité dans ce que l’on fait.
• L’importance d’un guide spirituelle dans la vie.
• L’importance d’un modèle de référence.
• L’importance de la prière comme moyen pour tendre à Dieu, grandir dans l’amour de Dieu.

∞ André ELA ENAM et Pascal MUMBA
Foto di Joe Boenzi

Stile e contenuto: la santità è per tutti

Filotea (parte 1ª, cap. I-VIII)

Gruppo di lingua italiana

Jozef, Danijel, Eliane, Carlo
4 novembre 2013

Jozef

• La traduzione della Filotea in lingua slovacca è molto libera.
• Mi interessa fare un vocabolario delle parole che Francesco di Sales utilizza di più.
• È interessante poter confrontare gli Esercizi di S. Ignazio e ciò che propone Francesco.

Danijel

• È bella la sottolineatura della importanza della vera devozione: è per tutti da essa noi troviamo la vera pace.
• Forse la Filotea è per i giovani che hanno già un cammino spirituale; ciò non toglie che alcune immagini che Francesco utilizza possano andare bene a chiunque.
• Guida Spirituale: se vuoi trovare la vera devozione cerca una guida spirituale.
• Le cose materiali sono solo a servizio per avere una vita devota.

Vita di S. Francesco di Sales, Basilica della Visitazione, Annecy

Eliane

• Concretezza: nella Filotea c’è una proposta spirituale concreta che si cala nel quotidiano.
• Direzione Spirituale: è un cammino che dal desiderio ti conduce alla decisione.
• La Santità è per tutti, anche per il soldato. La Santità è concreta: amore per Dio, amore per il prossimo.
• Guida spirituale: i giovani hanno sete di Dio, di qualcuno che li porti a Dio.
• La vera devozione non rovina niente ma rafforza tutto.

Carlo

• Le immagini che Francesco utilizza sono comprensibili a tutti. Il suo è un codice popolare.
• La Filotea è scritta per chi vuole progredire nella vita cristiana.
• La guida spirituale è la bussola per una vera devozione. I giovani la cercano senza chiederlo esplicitamente. Dobbiamo risvegliare e cogliere il desiderio che è già presente in loro.

Note di don Carlo
Foto di Joe

Devotion is within the reach of every person

The Introduction to the Devout Life

Part I, Chapters 1-8: On beginning a devoted life

English-speaking Group: Carlo, Elizabeth, Rosita and Ruwantha

What strikes the most:

• We should not be troubled because of our imperfections consists in fighting against them, we cannot fight against them if we do not see them, nor conquer them if we do not encounter them.
• For a general renewal of our hearts and a complete conversion of our soul to God, a general confession is a recommendation.
• Jacob’s ladder is portrayed as a true picture of a devout life – descending by action to the support of one’s neighbor and ascending by contemplation to loving union with God.
• Love that bursts forth into a persevering flame is devotion. 
• Devotion is the sweetest of all things and the queen of virtues because it is the perfection of charity.
• Faithfulness in love is devotion.
• Devotion is to be practiced differently and individually by people of different walks of life. It is not to be compared with one to the other.
• The devotion is simplified when one finds a good guide who is full of charity, of knowledge, and of prudence. 

Practical applications of the teachings of St Francis de Sales:

• We can propose to any of the target groups that true devotion does not in any way disturb their state of life or employment; instead it only adorns and beautifies them.
• That devotion is within the reach of all. 
• Share with the target group the liberating experience of a true contrition for sins and invite them to make a sincere act of contrition before confession.
• We can gently propose the importance of having a spiritual guide by putting forward the necessary qualities that they need to be cautious about when choosing one. 
• Bring to awareness in them that to make progress in one’s life and true devotion, they need to be sincere and open to the guide.

Summary by Elizabeth

Lavoro di Gruppo - Group Work

Ecco un blog comunitario, perché qui troverete i verbali della condivisione settimanale sulla «Filotea» che facciamo nel corso TA2262 all'Università Pontificia Salesiana (Roma) nel 1º semestre 2013-2014. This blog is communal presenting the results of group discussions from the Fall 2013 course (TA2262) at the Salesian Pontifical University (Rome) on "The Introduction to the Devout Life" by Francis de Sales