Book Categories

Abandonment to Divine Providence

p.88 If we see and love the will of God in all things, whether good or bad, and in all simplicity, we will overcome everything

p.91 The true heroes of history seem like the weak and powerless, until they inevitably win because they are on God’s side

Blessed Sacrament Book

p.n639 Encouragements to love Jesus in Holy Communion

p.n643 St. Paschal Baylon and the Eucharist

The Catena Aurea

p.n38 The Fathers of the Church on the healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law

p.n40 The Fathers of the Church on Jesus healing many sick and possessed at the Sabbath’s sunset

p.n43 The Fathers of the Church on the healing of the leper

p.n74 The Fathers of the Church on those who thought Jesus was insane or possessed

p.142 The Fathers of the Church on the Spring of Living Water

p.242 The Fathers of the Church on living forever by Eating the Flesh and Drinking the Blood of Jesus Christ

p.394 The Fathers of the Church on Jesus bringing not Peace but the Sword

p.397 The Fathers of the Church on Loving Jesus more than relatives, and Carrying our Cross and Following Him

p.415 The Church Fathers on John 7:44-50

p.466 The Fathers of the Church on the Five Divided in One House

p.516 The Church Fathers on Hating our Relatives

p.598 Mary Magdalene sees Jesus first after the Resurrection

p.758 Dionysius the Areopagite testifying how he saw the sun darkened during the Crucifixion

p.885 The Fathers of the Church on Jesus making arrangements for the Last Supper

Life of Christ, by Fr. Cochem

p.62 The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River

The Dark Night of the Soul

p.104 Souls are often purged painfully from false peace, to turn them towards true peace

Fountain of Living Water

p.204 Grace makes our souls acceptable and beautiful to God

p.205 The Holy Spirit brings us Understanding

Four Last Things, by St. Thomas More

p.41 Our Continual Dying, according to St. Thomas More

p.83 Examples of the blindness of covetousness

Imitation of Christ

p.71 Exhortation to humbly make peace with God

p.85 Our hearts must not rest in this world but in God

p.111 God consoles us to strength us for our trials

p.141 A prayer of thanksgiving to God for his mercy

p.148 The devil tries to frighten us into submission, but God will protect us

p.182 Of supporting injuries; and who is proved to be truly patient.

p.187 A prayer to God in our weakness and temptations

p.211 A prayer for heavenly Wisdom in our trials

p.232 We must love and thank Jesus even in suffering

p.232 Patience in suffering will purchase us eternal rest

p.246 Our peace cannot be found in others

p.246 The love of friends must only depend on and exist in the Love of God

p.247 The more we preserve our hearts for God, the more will he fill us with Divine Love and Grace

p.248 Wisdom from Jesus is far more important and useful than any other knowledge

p.249 Jesus teaches divine mysteries far greater than anything we can learn naturally

p.251 It’s always profitable to learn holiness, but spiritually dangerous to be immersed in external affairs

p.252 Trust in men will fail us and make us falter, but trusting in the Lord is always safe

p.254 It is so much more peaceful to live a hidden life and prefer the company of God to men

p.256 Humility will protect our hearts from the accusations of the world

p.258 The just neither fear nor rely on man’s judgment but trust in God’s mercy alone

p.260 All sorrows and trials here are relatively short, and the reward they purchase is beyond worthwhile

p.262 Imagining heaven can help us endure trials on earth

p.328 God’s goodness in giving Himself to us sinners should inspire us with even greater humility, trust and love

p.331 Prayer of praise and longing for the Eucharist

Meditations and Devotions

p.196 Good Friday Meditation: Jesus saved us in His Great Love for us

p.285 A short road to perfection

p.288 Prayer for the Light of Truth

p.290 Prayer for a happy death

p.293 Short visits to the Blessed Sacrament for every day

p.340 The heinousness of Sin

p.342 A prayer about slavery to sin

p.344 Our sins are stored up and await justice

p.347 A prayer for humility, love, and endurance

p.355 The forbearance of Jesus

p.358 Jesus saved us as one of us for our comfort

Meditations for Layfolk

p.176 The Method of Prayer

Minor Works of St. Teresa of Avila

p.131 Be watchful of praises

p.134 Aspiring to deep friendship with God

Mystical Explanation of the Canticle of Canticles, and Canonization Deposition of St. Francis de Sales

p.161 The devotion of St. Francis de Sales to Mary

p.163 A Saint’s Love of his Enemies

Parochial and Plain Sermons, in 8 volumes

p.n229 The greatness and littleness of human life

p.109 We have made the commandments of God grievous to ourselves by hardening our hearts

p.110 If only we cooperate with God’s inspirations, our inevitable duties will be far easier

p.217 The Holy Spirit mysteriously penetrates all things

p.218 The Holy Spirit acting in the Old Testament

Practical Piety Set Forth by St Francis de Sales

p.17 Why we should humbly obey our superiors

p.20 How St. Anselm was obedient to everyone

Preparation for Death

p.75 The happiest part of a good death is that the danger of losing God through sin is gone

The Bread of Life, St Thomas Aquinas on the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar

p.106 Preparation for Holy Communion

The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena

p.95 The fruits of Avarice

p.142 Loving God selflessly

p.145 God reveals himself to a soul that loves God only for God’s sake

p.146 Ways that God manifests Himself to a soul who loves Him

p.148 That the Father and the Son are One Thing Together

p.150 Progressing from fear of God to a selfish love of God

p.152 When God withdraws good feelings of devotion, it’s only to free us closer to Him through our humility

p.155 However perfectly we love God will be shown in how selflessly we love our neighbor

p.158 By humility and a desire to love God, we begin to pray, which is so effective against the devil that he tries to convince us not to

The Four Last Things

p.96 An idea of the judgment passed upon the righteous

The Precious Blood

p.259 The Seven Bloodsheddings of Christ

The Sacred Heart, Anecdotes and Examples to Assist in Devotion

p.n5 Twelve promises of the Sacred Heart

p.17 Precursor Saints of the Sacred Heart

p.22 The beginnings of the Sacred Heart devotion

p.174 The Sacred Heart of Jesus vindicates the innocent

The Secret of Sanctity Revealed

p.n20 God wills to work through Mary

The Sinner’s Guide

p.3 Introduction to the Sinner’s Guide

p.13 Justice and Profit most help move the Will to good

p.14 The Infinite Goodness and Perfection of God is the first and chief reason to Love and Serve Him

p.14 Reasons why Justice demands we Love and Serve God

p.16 The love we owe to God will not move hearts that dwell upon the earth

p.17 Reasons and ways God is far superior to any created thing or being

p.18 God’s perfections are infinitely above our understanding

p.19 The perfections of God are infinitely beyond our senses

p.21 The order and beauty of creation gives us an idea of the power and greatness of God

p.22 St. Thomas Aquinas arguing the greatness of God

p.23 The madness of loving or serving anything more than God

p.24 Our obligates or offenses against God are infinitely more than those against men

p.26 We are obliged to serve God because He created us

p.26 The folly of those who live as though they created themselves for their own purposes

p.28 God demands for our own sake that we acknowledge his benefits, especially of our creation

p.30 If even pagans are grateful for their creation, how much more should a Christian be

p.31 Whoever says they received life from nature is only giving God another name

p.31 God created us in need so we might humbly turn to him to finish the work of our creation

p.33 We are only rich when we have God and always poor when we don’t

p.34 God also deserves our service because he continually sustains our existence

p.35 The pure madness of offending the All-Powerful Giver of Life, Breath, and Everything

p.36 All creation was given to us by God for our benefit, which we should be grateful to Him for

p.38 If pagan philosophers knew we should be grateful to God for everything, shouldn’t Christians be far more so?

p.39 Shall we be less grateful to God than wild beasts without even the light of reason are to us?

p.42 The extreme madness of using God’s own gifts against him

p.44 The benefit of our Redemption is almost beyond our ability to praise

p.46 God’s unfathomable compassion on humanity after the Fall led Him to reconcile us to himself in the greatest way possible

p.47 The manner of our redemption might be more marvelous than our redemption itself

p.48 Jesus underwent such excessive torture out of his abundantly excessive Love for us

p.50 The Passion of Jesus should move us to deepest gratitude and Love for God

p.51 St. Anselm on the gratitude we owe God

p.52 God’s immense love for us, especially on the Cross, should draw us away from sin

p.53 If God has given us everything and even Himself, how can we outrage him by using his benefits to crucify him by sin?

p.56 The 7 degrees of our Justification by the Holy Spirit

p.56 The benefit of no longer being God’s enemy, but rather his own dear child

p.58 By justifying us, God spared us from the many pains of Hell we deserved

p.59 How by justifying man, God recreates and restores him from the damage of sin

p.61 By justifying a soul, God not only imparts immeasurable beauty, strength and other gifts to it, but even dwells Himself within it

p.62 By justification, we are made living members of the Body of Christ, and may confidently ask for whatever we need for His sake and benefit

p.63 In justifying us, God also grants us the right to eternal life

p.64 The change in our lives from our continuous justification should make us ever more grateful to God

p.65 Some effects of the Holy Spirit in a just soul

p.66 We owe the Holy Spirit both for maintaining our virtues and being prevented from sins

p.68 The gratitude we ought to have for God for giving us Himself in the Sacraments

p.70 The benefit of being chosen by God should motivate us to gratitude and to practice virtue

p.72 We should be grateful if God has chosen us in his love from all eternity

p.73 The various circumstances of our being Chosen should move us to deep gratitude and joy

p.76 The Four Last Things are extremely powerful incentives to practice virtue and avoid sin

p.77 Reflecting on our death and judgement will help us avoid sin

p.78 Meditations on Death and its terrible circumstances

p.81 Meditations on the fear of Death and our Judgment before God

p.82 An example told by a Saint of the dreaded Judgment we will all have to face

p.84 St. Gregory on the dread Judgment after death

p.85 Now is the only time we have to prepare for the terrible Day of Judgment before God

p.87 The severity and rigor of the Final Judgment should make every soul tremble with fear

p.89 Some idea of the terror we will feel if condemned to Eternal Hell

p.91 Our riches, honors, and pleasures will not help us in Hell but only increase our eternal torments

p.93 If we continue to ignore God’s warnings, we forfeit our souls permanently to Hell

p.94 We should do everything to avoid Hell while we still can

p.96 We should practice virtue because the abode of the infinitely perfect God will be our reward

p.98 If God gives such great honor to his saints on earth, how much more in heaven?

p.100 If God so richly rewards us on earth for our good deeds, how much more will he in heaven?

p.100 If God so freely paid the steep price for our salvation, how freely must his bountifulness flow in heaven for us?

p.102 If God placed so much beauty in this creation, how much more in Heaven?

p.103 More reasons eternal life is greater than this life

p.103 Eternal life is far better than this life in every possible way

p.105 The peace, company, glory, harmony, and beauty of Heaven are more than worth some pains on earth.

p.107 If we consider the pains of Hell we gain by our sins, we would have stronger reason to avoid sin

p.109 The sheer power of God makes the threat of Hell all the more dreadful

p.111 The punishments recorded in Scripture ought to make us fear Hell

p.111 God’s justice toward the impenitent will be as intense as his mercy has been

p.114 The fear we ought to have if we purposely trample under foot the Innocent Blood of Christ our Savior

p.115 What Revelation says about the demons who will torture us in Hell

p.117 The thought of the eternity of Hell can deter us from sinning

p.119 A short penance in this life is far better than eternal torment

p.121 People continue to sin because they think there’s no punishment, and they avoid virtue thinking there’s no benefit

p.123 Virtue is not practiced because people think it’s difficult, but don’t know its secret beauty and hidden value

p.124 Even in this life, God rewards and provides for those who practice His Virtues

p.127 How Jesus rewards virtue a hundred-fold even in this life

p.128 A short story about spiritual riches vs worldly pleasures

p.130 God’s Fatherly Care for the Just is the greatest Privilege of Virtue

p.132 Proofs from the Bible of God’s Fatherly Care for the Just

p.133 God’s Fatherly care for the Just looks past our sins, and reaches even to our descendants

p.134 Biblical descriptions of God’s Paternal Care for the Just

p.136 God is the Good Shepherd of the Just

p.137 Studying the various titles of God will comfort and encourage us

p.139 Those who have God have everything

p.140 If we sin, God will withdraw his Fatherly Protection and Care

p.141 Those who Love Sin should be moved at least by Fear of God’s Providence being Armed Against Them

p.144 What Grace is and does

p.145 The many wonderful Effects of Grace in the Soul

p.148 Grace enables us to know what we ought to do and not to do, and to act accordingly

p.150 The Light of God can instruct our Understanding differently and better than Nature or Schools can

p.151 The Wisdom of God explained and extolled in the Old Testament

p.154 Those who love sin, live in thick darkness

p.154 Everyone must submit to the teachings of the Catholic Church

p.156 The Joyful Consolations of the Holy Spirit toward the Just

p.158 The sweetness of God overwhelms the souls of the Just with Joy

p.160 The Just enjoy the sweetest, loveliest joys especially during Prayer

p.161 God helps and encourages beginners in virtue, by sparing them many sufferings, and giving them many joys

p.162 God is generous even to those beginning in virtue, so why should we wait to begin?

p.164 Conscience

p.165 The conscience is a torment to the wicked

p.166 The Book of Job describing the torments of an accusing conscience

p.167 The Fathers and other ancient teachers on the torment of a guilty conscience

p.169 The peace of a good conscience is already a taste of Heaven on earth

p.170 Even the pagan philosophers understood the value of a good conscience, and the torment of a guilty one

p.172 A clear conscience produces hope, which brings courage

p.173 The Bible and Saints on Hope and the Confidence it brings

p.175 The Just can rely on God, but Egypt will fail the guilty

p.177 Everyone hopes in something, but hope in anything but God will fail us

p.179 The True Liberty of the Just

p.181 Slavery to Sin

p.182 How degrading and yet common it is to hand our reason over to our instinct!

p.184 Examples of the Tyranny of Slavery to Sin

p.186 The effects of slavery to Lust

p.187 The effects of slavery to Honors and Riches

p.188 The state of those in Slavery to Sin

p.190 Jesus has freed us from the cruel tyranny of Satan

p.192 The grace of God frees us from slavery to sin

p.193 The liberty we gain by subduing the flesh to reason

p.193 A clear conscience and its effects helps free us from slavery to sin

p.194 The joy experienced by those freed from slavery to sin

p.195 Three kinds of peace that arise from Virtue

p.196 Those who run after the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, never know peace in this life

p.197 The prodigal son as an illustration of the tormenting anxieties of those without virtue

p.198 The gratifications of this life can never satisfy our hearts, but only increase our hunger

p.200 The peace of the virtuous in contrast with the torment and anxiety of the wicked

p.202 Peace comes from our virtue, mastery over our desires, the gift of spiritual consolations, and confidence in God’s loving protection

p.204 The sin of Adam and Eve left all humanity in deep misery

p.205 In our misery, we have recourse only to God, as the Prophets, Apostles, and Jesus teach us

p.207 The immeasurable promises of Jesus to the Just

p.208 How God hears the prayers of the Just and Virtuous

p.210 God consoles us in the hour of affliction

p.212 Examples from the Bible of how God protects the Just in the hour of trial

p.213 Virtue strengthens and encourages us under all tribulations

p.215 Without virtue, tribulations overwhelm us and we act even more self-destructively

p.218 God cares for the temporal needs of the Just

p.221 The Virtuous are always restful and have all their needs met to a healthy degree

p.222 God’s Curses on Sinful Nations, and Examples from the Bible and History

p.227 Some reasons why the death of sinners is most terrible

p.229 St. Peter Damian describes the Hour of Death

p.231 Neither Riches, Honors, Pleasures, or Friends can help us at the Hour of Death; only Virtues will avail us then

p.232 The virtuous Christian soul does not fear death, but embraces it with joy

p.234 The Pearl of Great Price is more than worth seeking

p.237 People who make excuses to continue in sin do so because they just want to sin

p.238 We should not wait to turn to God, since we can’t promise ourselves even one more moment of life

p.239 The many reasons why waiting to turn to God until later will be much harder

p.241 If we wait to turn to God until later, our sins will be even heavier

p.242 Lazarus’s Resurrection shows the strength of God’s grace needed to save us from strong habits of sin

p.243 Reasons against quitting our sins later instead of now

p.245 The foolishness of waiting until old age to quit sin

p.246 How gravely unjust it is to defer our conversion to God until some later time

p.247 The Bible exhorts us to give God our service in our youth, not to wait until old age

p.249 St. Augustine on deathbed conversions

p.251 Four Fathers and Doctors of the Church on deathbed penances

p.254 Four reasons given by Blessed Duns Scotus on the danger of deathbed conversions

p.257 Warnings from the Bible and Jesus against death-bed repentances

p.260 Reasons the Good Thief and Ninevites are not meant to encourage deferring our conversion

p.262 Although there’s not much hope in death-bed repentances, there is Hope now while we still have time to turn to God and away from sin

p.264 The foolishness of continuing in sin, trusting in God’s mercy

p.264 Of Those who Continue in Sin trusting in God’s Mercy

p.266 An Example of God’s Terrifying Justice in the Fall of the Angels

p.267 Examples of God’s Horrifying Justice in the Fall of Man

p.269 God’s Justice allows sinners to fall into deeper and deeper blindness and destruction

p.270 If we presume upon God’s Mercy without sight of His Justice, we may be lost to Hell

p.272 We are inclined against Virtue because of the Fall of Man

p.273 The Grace of God Encourages and Strengthens us to Practice Virtue

p.275 Our sinful nature should not discourage us, since God has promised to help us

p.278 The number of our sins should not discourage us, for God can and will help us if only we are willing

p.279 Love of God makes virtue and self-sacrifice easy and pleasant

p.281 The hardship of Virtue is less than the suffering of Hell, or the efforts of the Saints

p.282 How the path of virtue is much easier than that of sin

p.284 The grace of God makes the yoke of virtue easy, light, and pleasant

p.285 Examples of changes in a soul by the grace of God

p.286 The effects of the grace of Baptism on St. Cyprian, in his own words

p.288 St. Augustine’s conversion shows us that God’s grace is within everyone’s reach

p.291 Six drawbacks of the illusory happiness found in this life

p.292 The happiness of this life is brief

p.293 The happiness of this life is subject to innumerable sudden changes

p.295 God’s Justice often punishes sin even in this life

p.296 The happiness of this life is ruined even by our own passions

p.298 The happiness of this life is full of snares and miseries caused by the darkness and blindness of the world

p.299 The happiness of this life is ruined by universal injustice and madness

p.n306 Who can love a world that has the devil as its governor?

p.302 The happiness of this world is delusive and treacherous

p.302 Further reasons worldly happiness should not be trusted

p.304 The sorrows of this life far outweigh its joys

p.305 The happiness of this world is false, and it resembles Hell

p.306 Reasons man’s happiness can only be found in God

p.308 True happiness is not found in corporal or sensible pleasures

p.309 An example of the emptiness of the happiness of this world from King Solomon

p.310 The happiness this life promises is vanity and lies

p.312 Virtue contains all the good we can desire in this world, and more perfectly

p.313 Virtue will obtain for us God as our reward, and every good thing with him

p.314 We ought to be persuaded by obligation, benefits, interest, and pursuit of happiness, to seek after God

p.315 To abandon sin is of the utmost importance, and the flesh, the world and the devil will wage war against those who attempt it

p.317 If we firmly resolve to abandon sin, the Angels, the Saints, and God Himself will be our defense

p.318 Victory begins by maintaining a firm resolution never to commit mortal sin

p.319 Examples from the Bible and Saints who refused to commit mortal sin

p.320 The aim of our prayers and devotions must be an absolute resolution never to sin

p.321 We must understand the true nature of virtue and sin if we would practice virtue and avoid sin

p.323 Summary of the 7 Deadly Sins and their sources

p.324 That Pride is the chief sin, and reflections on what it has done to Lucifer and his army

p.325 Considerations of the birth, life, and death of man, to combat Pride

p.327 The danger of vainglory, and considerations to remedy it

p.328 The danger of ambition, and considerations to remedy it

p.329 Pride makes us displeasing to everyone: the good, the bad, and even ourselves

p.329 Our good works are no cause for pride, since they are rarely perfect and pure

p.330 Humility comes from knowledge of ourselves, pride from ignorance of ourselves

p.331 Considerations to cure a pride that considers ourselves better than others

p.332 General considerations to cure pride and obtain humility

p.334 Against Covetousness in General

p.336 Worldly riches are far worse than spiritual riches, and they cannot both dwell in one heart

p.337 Riches cannot satisfy our hearts, and God will never fail our needs

p.338 We must part from our riches at death, so we might as well use them for our spiritual profit in this life

p.339 Whatever riches God has given us are meant to help others, and we will give account for it all

p.340 Not riches themselves, but our disposition to riches, is what profits or harms our souls

p.341 Theft also consists in unjustly keeping someone else’s things from them

p.342 Counsels against various types of covetousness

p.344 Lust is a most fierce enemy, that stains our souls, defiles our bodies, and ruins our neighbor

p.345 Lust catches souls easily and they only escape rarely and with great difficulty

p.346 Some of the many evil effects of Lust

p.346 Lust is insatiable, and its punishment far outweighs its pleasure

p.347 Lust destroys the purity of the soul which renders us as beautiful as the Angels

p.348 We must strive to maintain or at least restore our purity by resisting Lust

p.349 To protect ourselves from Lust, we must guard our hearts, eyes, ears, and tongue from Lustful objects

p.350 To guard against Lust, remember your Guardian Angel, the Devil, your final Judgment, and Hell

p.351 To guard against Lust, absolutely avoid unnecessary familiarities

p.351 A story from St. Gregory’s Dialogues to encourage us to guard against Lust

p.353 The general nature and history of Envy

p.355 Envy makes us resemble demons, and actually profits us nothing

p.356 Considerations to cure our Envy

p.358 Gluttony attempts to conquer us from within, and Jesus gave us an example of conquering it

p.359 Considerations to cure our Gluttony

p.360 Further considerations to remedy Gluttony

p.362 Anger is not found even among the animals, yet is fitting only for a wild beast

p.364 If we do not forgive others, God will neither forgive us nor accept any sacrifice we make

p.365 Anger and hatred are always self-defeating

p.366 We must not do or say anything wrong when angry, but wait until the anger goes away

p.368 As Jesus and the Saints were so diligent, we should also avoid Sloth

p.369 Examples of Diligence from Nature to encourage us to avoid Sloth and labor for Heaven

p.370 We must labor for our eternal reward

p.371 Have Courage on the Battle Field of Virtue vs Temptation

p.374 Against the sin of saying “I swear to God” and other such uses of God’s name in vain or falsely

p.376 How easy and common it is to seriously offend God when speaking of the faults of others

p.377 Many evil effects of speaking evil of others

p.378 Advice against the sin of speaking evil of others

p.380 Speaking evil against virtuous souls, or against consecrated persons, is especially evil

p.381 Some basics about making Rash Judgments

p.382 Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation

p.384 The dangers of Venial Sins

p.385 Short remedies against the 7 deadly sins during temptation

p.387 Short remedies against pride, vain-glory, and hypocrisy

p.388 Short remedies against rebellion, disobedience, envy, and hatred

p.390 Short remedies against detraction, anger, arrogance, and imprudence

p.391 Short remedies against sloth, covetousness, gluttony, talkativeness, and impurity

p.394 The threefold obligation to virtue

p.395 Virtuous persons should have an outward bearing of gravity, humility, and sweetness

p.397 Modesty preserves devotion and purity in the soul, and makes us fit for society; whereas immodesty ruins all these things

p.399 General advice against Temperance

p.401 Considerations against Temptations of Taste and Feeling

p.402 Advice for drinking alcohol and against using drugs

p.404 Advice against other forms gluttony and intemperance

p.405 Why we should especially guard our eyes and ears

p.407 How to govern the Tongue

p.409 The Mortification of the Passions

p.412 The Reformation of the Will

p.414 The Government of the Imagination

p.416 Some Hows and Whys of Prudence

p.419 Prudence in Temporal Affairs

p.421 Three Ways to Get More Prudence

p.423 Man’s Duty to his Neighbor is Charity and Mercy

p.424 How much charity is praised and recommended in the New Testament Letters

p.425 Practical proofs of charity

p.426 How we can love our neighbor even though they’re not relatives

p.429 Our duty to God, and how to generally fulfill it

p.430 The Fear of God

p.432 Confidence in God

p.433 Zeal for the Glory of God

p.434 Purity of Intention

p.436 Basics of Prayer and Gratitude

p.437 Obedience to God’s Counsels

p.438 Obedience to Divine Inspirations

p.441 Conforming ourselves to God’s will in all things, good or bad

p.441 If we prefer good deeds in secret, our souls will be safer and better rewarded by God

p.444 If sufferings are allowed by such a Good Father, why should we be afraid of it?

p.445 All the suffering God allows us, is for our own good, and comes from his Love and Mercy

p.445 The sufferings of this life are not worthy of comparing to the Rewards of Eternal Life

p.447 Some considerations to encourage us in our sufferings

p.449 The three degrees of Obedience

p.450 When we obey our superiors, we obey God

p.451 How Mothers and Fathers should discharge their duties to God and to their family

p.454 Some distinctions between types of virtues

p.455 The interior virtues serve God, and the exterior virtues serve the interior virtues

p.457 How to preserve Devotion, which will preserve the other Virtues

p.459 We need both the interior and exterior virtues

p.460 We must prefer the virtues more pleasing to God than to men

p.461 Virtues that are Less must sometimes yield to those that are Greater

p.462 True and False Justice before God

p.464 God hates virtues and sacrifices not motivated by Love of God

p.465 Some hypocrisy comes from self-deception

p.467 Those who are self-content are in more spiritual danger than others

p.468 Timeless examples of hypocrisy in a great many Catholics

p.469 Each person has their own spiritual needs

p.470 There are many forms of devotion

p.471 Devotions and virtues are only greater than each other within a subject, not objectively

p.472 The diversity of gifts and grace comes from God

p.473 Examples of God’s variety in vocation, grace, nature

p.475 Diversity in Virtue by analogy of diversity in the Church and the Human Body

p.477 The vigilance and care necessary in the practice of virtue

p.479 The courage necessary in the practice of virtue

p.482 Reasons why we should have courage in the pursuit of virtue

p.483 The lives of the Saints and Martyrs should give us courage in the practice of virtue

p.485 The sufferings of Christ and the Saints should encourage and inspire us

The Spiritual Conferences of St. Francis de Sales

p.112 God is not pleased by our eagerness but with the love with which we entrust our devotions to him

p.113 The faithfulness and love with which we do our devotions is what brings us to perfection

p.115 True fervor and true humility

p.117 Our submission to God’s will during afflictions is far more pleasing to him and helpful to us than our good works in prosperity

p.118 One single act done with dryness of spirit is worth more than many done with great fervour and sensible devotion

p.120 We should have the same song of praise for God whether we receive good or bad

Treatise on the Love of God

p.302 The old man and the new man