Introduction to the Devout Life - Francis de Sales

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How to Bring About This Second Purification

      The first inducement to attain this second purification is a keen and lively apprehension of the great evils resulting from sin, by means of which we acquire a deep, hearty contrition. For just as contrition (so far as it is real), however slight, when joined to the virtue of the sacraments, purges away sin; so, when it becomes strong and urgent, it purges away all the affections that cling to habits of sin. When men hate something moderately or slightly, they dislike it and avoid its society; but when they hate something with a violent, mortal hatred, they not only abhor and shun the person who excites it, but they loathe him, they cannot endure the approach of his relations or connections, nor even his likeness or anything that concerns him. Just so, when a penitent only hates sin through a weak — but real — contrition, he will resolve to avoid overt acts of sin; but when his contrition is strong and hearty, he will not merely abhor sin, but every affection, every link and tendency to sin.

      Therefore, my daughter, we must kindle our contrition and repentance as much as we possibly can, so that it may reach even to the very smallest appearance of sin. Thus it was that Saint Mary Magdalene, when converted, so entirely lost all taste for her past sin and its pleasures that she never again cast back one thought upon them. And David declared that he hated not only sin itself, but every path and way that led to sin. This is that “renewing of the soul” which David also compares to the eagle’s strength (Ps 103:5).

      Now, in order to attain this fear and contrition, you must use the following meditations carefully; for if you practice them steadfastly, they (by God’s grace) will root out both sin and its affections from your heart. It is to that end that I have prepared them: use them one after another, in the order in which they come, only taking one each day, as early as possible — for the morning is the best time for all spiritual exercises — and then ponder and meditate on it through the day. If you have not as yet been taught how to meditate, you will find instructions in Part II.

       First Meditation — Of Creation

       Preparation

      1. Place yourself in the presence of God.

      2. Ask him to inspire your heart.

       Considerations

      1. Consider that only a few years ago, you were not born into the world, and your soul was as yet nonexistent. Where were you then, O my soul? The world was already old, and yet of you there was no sign.

      2. God brought you out of this nothingness in order to make you what you are, not because he had any need of you, but solely out of his goodness.

      3. Consider the being which God has given you, for it is the highest being of this visible world, adapted to live eternally and to be perfectly united to God’s divine majesty.

       Affections and Resolutions

      1. Humble yourself utterly before God, saying with the Psalmist: Lord, I am nothing in respect of you — what am I, that you should remember me? My soul, you would still be lost in that abyss of nothingness, if God had not called you forth, and what of you in such a case?

      2. Give God thanks. Great and good Creator, what do I not owe you, who took me from out of nothingness, by your mercy, to make me what I am? How can I ever do enough to praise your holy name worthily, and to render due thanks to your goodness?

      3. Confess your own shame. But alas, my Creator, so far from uniting myself to you by a loving service, I have rebelled against you through my unruly affections, departing from you and giving myself up to sin, and ignoring your goodness, as though you had not created me.

      4. Prostrate yourself before God. My soul, know that the Lord is your God; it is he who made you, and not you yourself. O God, I am the work of your hands; from now on, I will not seek to rest in myself, who am nothing. In what do you have to glory, who are but dust and ashes? How can you, who are nothing, exalt yourself? To grow in humility, I will do such and such a thing; I will endure such contempt; I will alter my ways and from now on follow my creator, and realize that I am honored by the existence he has given me; I will use it only to obey his will, by means of the teaching he has given me, of which I will inquire more through my spiritual director.

       Conclusion

      1. Thank God. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and praise his holy name with all your being, because his goodness called me forth from nothingness, and his mercy created me.

      2. Offer. O my God, I offer you with all my heart the being you have given me. I dedicate and consecrate it to you.

      3. Pray. O God, strengthen me in these affections and resolutions. Dear Lord, I commend me, and all those I love, to your never-failing mercy.

      Our Father, who art in heaven … etc.

      At the end of your meditation, linger awhile and gather, so to say, a little spiritual bouquet from the thoughts you have dwelt upon, that its sweet perfume may refresh you through the day.

       Second Meditation — Of the End for Which We Were Created

       Preparation

      1. Place yourself before God.

      2. Ask him to inspire your heart.

       Considerations

      1. God did not bring you into the world because he had any need of you, useless as you are, but only that he might show forth his goodness in you, giving you his grace and glory. And to this end he gave you understanding that you might know him, memory that you might think of him, a will that you might love him, imagination that you might realize his mercies, sight that you might behold the marvels of his works, speech that you might praise him, and so on with all your other faculties.

      2. Being created and placed in the world for this intent, shun and reject all contrary actions, and avoid as idle and superfluous whatever does not promote it.

      3. Consider how unhappy they are who do not think of all this — who live as though they were created only to build and plant, to heap up riches and amuse themselves with trifles.

       Affections and Resolutions

      1. Humble yourself, for up until now you have so little thought upon all this. Alas, my God, what was I thinking about when I did not think of you? What did I remember when I forgot you? What did I love when I did not love you? Alas, when I ought to have been feeding on the truth, I was filling myself with vanity, and serving the world, which was made to serve me.

      2. Abhor your past life. I renounce you, vain thoughts and useless imaginings, frivolous and hateful memories. I renounce all worthless friendships, all unprofitable efforts, and miserably ungrateful self-indulgence, all pitiful compliances.

      3. Turn to God. You, my God and Savior, shall from now on be the sole object of my thoughts; no more will I give my mind to ideas that are displeasing to you. All the days of my life I will dwell on the greatness of your goodness, so lovingly poured out upon me. You shall be the delight of my heart, the resting place of all my affections. From this time forth I will forsake and abhor the vain pleasures and amusements, the empty pursuits which have absorbed my time. The unprofitable ties which have bound my heart I will loosen, and to that end I will use such and such remedies.

       Conclusion

      1. Thank God, who has made you for so gracious an end. You have made me, O Lord, for yourself, that I may eternally enjoy the immensity of your glory; when shall I be worthy of this, when shall I know how to bless you as I should?

      2. Offer. Dearest Lord, I offer you all my affections and resolutions, with my whole heart and soul.

      3. Pray. I entreat you, O God, to accept my desires and longings, and give your blessing

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