Simplicity of Life: The Angels & Saints, Spiritual Reading, Night Prayers, Social Life, Ejaculatory Prayers ~ St. Francis de Sales

Painting by Rudolf Epp, 1834-1910, German

SIMPLICITY OF LIFE

FROM THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES. “Live in joy, brimful of God and of His Love!“

Compiled by Constance Davidson, 1936

EJACULATORY PRAYERS

Aspire very often to God, by short but ardent movements of your heart; admire His beauty, invoke His help, give Him your heart a thousand times a day, fix your interior eyes upon His sweetness, give your hand to Him, as a little child to its father, that He may lead you.

Our soul giving itself to secret and familiar intercourse with God, will become all perfumed with His perfections; and this exercise is not difficult, for it can be interwoven with all our affairs and occupations, without any detriment to them whatsoever.

Do as little children do, who with one hand cling to their father, and with the other gather strawberries or blackberries along the hedges; for in like manner, while you are gathering and handling the goods of this world with one hand, cling fast always with the other to the hand of your heavenly Father, turning to Him from time to time, to see if your doings or your occupations be pleasing to Him.

In this exercise of spiritual retirement and ejaculatory prayers lies the great work of devotion; it can supply the lack of all other prayers, but the failure of this can scarcely be made good by any other means.

THE ANGELS AND SAINTS

Since God very often sends us inspirations by His Angels, we ought frequently to send Him our aspirations by the same agency. Let us join our hearts to these celestial spirits; and as the little nightingales learn to sing in the company of the older ones, so, by sacred intercourse with the Saints, we shall learn better how to pray and sing the Divine praises.

Make yourself very familiar with the Angels, see them often invisibly present in your life, invoke them often, praise them, and make use of their assistance in all your affairs, whether spiritual or temporal, so that they may cooperate with you.

SPIRITUAL READING

Have always at hand some good book of devotion, and read a little of it every day with great devotion, as though you were reading missives sent to you by the Saints from heaven, to show you the way there and give you the courage to walk along it.

Read also the histories and lives of the Saints, in which you will see, as in a mirror, the Christian life portrayed; and adapt their actions to your profit according to your vocation. For though many of the actions of the Saints are not to be imitated in every respect by those living in the world, yet all can be imitated to a greater or lesser extent.

EXAMEN AND NIGHT PRAYERS

As to the examination of conscience, which should always be made before going to bed, everyone knows how it should be done.

1. We thank God for having preserved us during the past day.

2. We examine how we have behaved ourselves during all the hours of the day; and in order to do so more easily, we consider where, with whom, and in what we have been employed.

3. If we find that we have done any good, we thank God for it; if, on the other hand, we have done any evil in thought, word, or deed, we ask pardon of God, with a resolution to confess it at the first opportunity, and carefully to amend it.

4. After that, we commend to the care of Divine Providence our body, our soul, the Church, our relations, our friends; we ask Our Lady, our good Angel, and the Saints to watch over us and for us; and with God’s blessing we proceed to take the repose which He has willed to be necessary for us.

This exercise, like that of the Morning Offering, must never be forgotten; for by the morning offering, you open the windows of your soul to the Sun of justice, and by that of the evening, you close them against the powers of darkness.

SOCIAL INTERCOURSE

To seek the society of others and to shun it, are two blameworthy extremes in the devotion of those who live in the world. To shun the society of others savors of disdain and contempt for our neighbor, and to seek it is a sign of idleness and futility. You must love your neighbor as yourself; to show that you love him, you must not avoid being with him; and to show that you love yourself, you must remain within yourself when you are there. Now you are within yourself when you are alone.

If then there is no cause for you to seek the company of others, or to receive it at home, remain within yourself and hold converse with your heart; but if company come to you, or some good reason invite you to seek it, go in God’s name, and see your neighbor willingly and cheerfully.

Observe well the precept of the saints, which every one of them has observed who desired to be a saint: to speak little or not at all of ourselves, or of what pertains to self. Be silent unless the glory of the Master, as may happen, requires you to speak of yourself; and if it does require you, speak briefly, faithfully, observing simplicity. The love of ourselves often dazzles our eyes; our vision must be very steady and just, to avoid being deceived when we look at ourselves.

Touching worldly repartee and vivacity of mind, which you find so hard to resist, you must make up your mind that at any cost you will mortify yourself in this matter; often make the sign of the cross on your mouth, so that you may open it only for God. This merriment of spirit is certainly sometimes the occasion of vanity, and the tip of the mind can betoken more scorn than the tip of the nose; our words as well as our looks can be arched. Walking on tiptoe in body or in mind is not safe, and if, we stumble the fall is all the worse.

I quite approve of speaking little, provided that this little which you say is said graciously and charitably, and not morosely or affectedly. Yes, speak little and sweetly, little and well, little and simply, little and sincerely, little and kindly.

In conversation, when those with whom you are conversing do not keep quite strictly to the rule of devotion, show no disdain. Not only must you be devout and love devotion, but you must make it lovable and useful to everyone. In a word, you should, as far as possible, make your devotion attractive.

Take care not to let yourself be moody and out of humor with those about you, lest, attributing this to devotion, they despise devotion; on the contrary, give them the greatest pleasure and satisfaction you can.

The less we live after our own choice in our actions, the more solid is our devotion, we must sometimes leave our Lord in order to please others for love of Him.

Keep up the fight against your impatience perseveringly, always practice that holy and gentle attitude especially with those you find the most provocative, and God will bless your efforts.

You will often be amongst the children of this world who, as is their wont, mock all they see or think they see in you that is not according to their own miserable way of thinking. Do not take the trouble to dispute with them, show no displeasure at their attacks, but merrily laugh at their laughter of you; be above their contempt, jest at their remonstrance, gracefully mock their mockeries, and taking no heed of them, walk always with a light heart in the service of God.

You see that necessary employments, according to each one’s vocation, do not diminish Divine love, but increase it and gild, as it were, the work of devotion. The nightingale loves her melody no less when she makes her pauses than when she sings; the devout heart that loves not less when she turns to exterior necessities than when she prays: her silence and her speech, her action and her contemplation, her employment and her rest, equally sing in her the hymn of her love.

CHAPLETS! With Prayer Cards. Available here.

Surrender Novena Chaplet

Precious Blood Chaplet

Sacred Heart Chaplet

Holy Face Chaplet

Baltimore Catechism Set! Available here.

Since its 1885 debut, the catechism commissioned by the Third Council of Bishops in Baltimore has instructed generations of Catholic faithful. With an easy-to-read question-and-answer format, the Catechism combines solid Catholic doctrinal teaching with meaningful exposure to Scripture and practical application.

The revival of interest in the Baltimore Catechism reflects Catholics’ growing realization that a clear, concise presentation of the truths of the Faith is just what people young and old need to appreciate, practice, and defend Church teaching. Catechists and parents will find this catechism an invaluable teaching tool as they prepare children and catechumens to receive the Sacraments and lead authentic Catholic lives. Students will find this an uncomplicated and friendly guide to authentic Catholicism.

The set contains all four of our Baltimore Catechisms: No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4: An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism (teacher’s edition). These are the original TAN editions of the Baltimore Catechism, with updated typesetting, fresh new covers, larger format, quality bindings, and the same trusted content.

SALE! A Manual of Prayers: For the Use of the Catholic Laity ~ Available here.

Did you know that the same council that issued the Baltimore Catechism also issued a manual of prayers? In beautiful exposition, The Manual of Prayers for the Laity will be the constant reference for any Catholic seeking to pray along with the entire Church throughout the day through personal prayer and most especially, liturgical prayer.

In this manual, you will find the beliefs of the Catholic Faith reflected in the  traditional prayers and treasured devotions that will guide your soul to both an increase in devotion to God and his Church along with the cultivation of a deeper prayer life better disposed to receive the Sacraments.

In this manual, you will find:

1. Short exposition on the Christian Doctrine, Faith, and Practice
2. Prayers in both Latin and English
3. Includes both the traditional (old) and the new liturgical calendars
4. Instructions on the Sacraments, the Rites, and Supplemental Prayers for the celebration of each Sacrament
5. Traditional Devotions: The Forty Hours Devotion, The Seven Last Words of Christ, Sacred Heart, etc.
6. Hymns and Sequences for the Church’s Seasons in Latin and English
7. The Proper of the Mass for Sundays and Feast Days
8. Responses and Instructions for Serving a Priest at the Tridentine Mass

The Manual of Prayers for the Laity will remain by your side throughout your day so that your mind and heart stay focused on God and holiness becomes your daily goal! 

All of the most important prayers are here compiled in one beautiful, convenient, deluxe volume. Following the directives of the Council of Baltimore, the Manual of Prayers for the Laity is the prayer book you can carry with you for the rest of your life, knowing that it includes the most essential prayers and devotions for a Catholic, as arranged by the same formidable bastion of tradition that produced the Baltimore Catechism and The Little Office of Baltimore to promote, facilitate, and enhance the spiritual lives of the laity by the traditional teachings and prayers of the Church.

From a thorough examination of conscience to prayers for before and after Mass, from preparation for Baptism to prayers for the dying, the Manual of Prayers for the Laity is intended to give a solid spiritual support to accompany anyone for his entire life. This work was constructed for the Mystical Body of Christ so that one might be able to open just one book every day for the rest of one’s life and continue to grow in grace, wisdom, and holiness before God and men with an organized body of prayers. It’s all here for you in this one beautiful book; don’t pass it by.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.