Table of Contents
Foreword viii
Preface x
Part 1 Counsels and Exercises for the Guidance of the Soul from Its First Desire After a Devout Life unto a Full Resolution of Pursuing the Same
True Devotion Explained 1
The Nature and Excellence of Devotion 3
Devotion is Suitable to Every Vocation and Profession 5
The Need of a Guide for Those Who Would Enter Upon and Advance in the Devout Life 6
The First Step: Purifying the Soul 8
The First Purification: From Mortal Sin 10
The Second Purification: From All Sinful Affections 11
How to Effect This Second Purification 12
First Meditation: On Creation 13
Second Meditation: On the End for Which We Were Created 15
Third Meditation: On the Gifts of God 17
Fourth Meditation: On Sin 18
Fifth Meditation: On Death 20
Sixth Meditation: On Judgment 22
Seventh Meditation: On Hell 23
Eighth Meditation: On Paradise 24
Ninth Meditation: On the Choice Open to You Between Heaven and Hell 26
Tenth Meditation: On How the Soul Chooses the Devout life 27
How to Make a General Confession 29
A Sincere Protest Made with the Object of Confirming the Soul's Resolution to Serve God, as a Conclusion to Its Acts of Penitence 30
Conclusion of This First Purification 32
The Necessity of Purging Away All Tendency to Venial Sins 32
It Is Necessary to Put Away All Inclination for Useless and Dangerous Things 34
All Evil Inclinations Must Be Purged Away 35
Part 2 Counsels as to Uplifting the Soul to God in Prayer and the Use of the Sacraments
The Necessity of Prayer 37
A Short Method of Meditation in the Presence of God: The First Point of Preparation 39
Invocation: The Second Point of Preparation 41
Representing the Mystery to Be Meditated to Your Imagination: The Third Point or" Preparation 42
Considerations: The Second Part of Meditation 43
Affecdons and Resolutions: The Third Part of Meditation 43
The Conclusion and Spiritual Bouquet 44
Some Useful Hints on Meditation 45
Concerning Dryness in Meditation 47
Morning Prayer 48
Evening Prayer and Examination of Conscience 49
Spiritual Refreshment 50
Aspirations, Brief Prayer, and Holy Thoughts 51
Holy Communion, and How to Receive It 55
The Other Public Offices of the Church 57
How the Saints Are United to Us 58
How to Hear and Read God's Word 59
How to Receive Inspirations 60
Confession 62
Frequent Communion 65
How to Communicate 67
Part 3 Counsels Concerning the Practice of Virtue
How to Select That Which We Should Chiefly Practice 69
The Same Subject Continued 72
Patience 75
Greater Humility 78
Interior Humility 81
Humility Makes Us Rejoice in Our Own Abjection 84
How to Combine Due Care for a Good Reputation with Humility 87
Gentleness Towards Others and Remedies Against Anger 90
Gentleness Towards Ourselves 93
We Must Attend to the Business of Life Carefully, but Without Eagerness or Over-Anxiety 94
Obedience 96
Purity 98
How to Maintain Purity 99
Poverty of Spirit Amid Riches 101
How to Exercise Real Poverty, Although Actually Rich 103
How to Possess a Rich Spirit Amid Real Poverty 106
Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship 107
Frivolous Attachments 108
Real Friendship 110
The Difference Between True and False Friendship 112
Remedies Against Evil Friendships 113
Further Advice Concerning Intimacies 116
The Practice of Bodily Mortification 117
Society and Solitude 121
Modesty in Dress 123
Conversation-First, How to Speak of God 125
Unseemly Words and the Respect Due to Others 126
Hasty Judgments 128
Slander 131
Further Counsels as to Conversation 135
Amusements and Recreations: What Are Allowable 137
Forbidden Amusements 138
Balls and Other Lawful but Dangerous Amusements 139
When to Use Such Amusements Rightly 141
We Must Be Faithful in Things Great and Small 141
A Well-Balanced, Reasonable Mind 143
Wishes 145
Counsels to Married People 147
The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed 152
Counsels to Widows 153
One Word to Maidens 156
Part 4 Counsels Concerning Some Ordinary Temptations
We Must Not Trifle with the Words of Worldly Wisdom 158
The Need of Good Courage 160
Temptations and the Difference Between Experiencing Them and Consenting to Them 161
Two Striking Illustrations of the Same 163
Encouragement for the Tempted Soul 165
When Temptation and Pleasure are Sin 166
Remedies for Great Occasions 167
How to Resist Minor Temptations 169
How Remedy Minor Temptations 170
How to Strengthen the Heart Against Temptation 171
Anxiety of Mind 172
Sadness and Sorrow 174
Spiritual and Sensible Consolations and How to Receive Them 176
Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness 181
An Illustration 185
Part 5 Counsels and Practices for Renewing and Confirming the Soul in Devotion
It Is Well Yearly to Renew Good Resolutions by Means of the Following Exercises 188
Meditation on the Benefit Conferred on Us by God in Calling Us to His Service 189
Examination of the Soul as to Its Progress in the Devout life 191
Examination of the Soul's Condition as Regards God 192
Examination of Your Condition as Regards Yourself 194
Examination of the Soul's Condition as Regards Our Neighbor 195
Examination as to the Affectations of the Soul 195
The Affections to Be Excited After Such Examination 196
Reflections Suitable to the Renewal of Good Resolutions 197
First Consideration, On the Worth of Souls 197
Second Consideration, On the Excellence of Virtue 198
The Example of the Saints 199
The Love That Jesus Christ Bears to Us 200
The Eternal Love of God for Us 201
General Affections That Should Result from These Considerations and Conclusion of the Exercise 202
The Impressions That Should Remain After This Exercise 203
An Answer to Two Objections That May Be Made to This Book 203
Three Important and Final Counsels 204
