Introduction to the Devout Life

1 What True Devotion Is → 2 The Nature and Excellence of Devotion → 3 Devotion Is Suitable to Every Vocation and Profession → 4 The Need of a Guide for Those Who Would Enter Upon the Devout Life → 5 The First Step Must Be Purifying the Soul → 6 The First Purification, from Mortal Sin → 7 The Second Purification, from All Sinful Affections → 8 How to Effect This Second Purification → 9 First Meditation: Of Creation → 10 Second Meditation: Of the End for Which We Were Created → 11 Third Meditation: Of the Gifts of God → 12 Fourth Meditation: On Sin → 13 Fifth Meditation: On Death → 14 Sixth Meditation: On Judgment → 15 Seventh Meditation: Of Hell → 16 Eighth Meditation: On Paradise → 17 Ninth Meditation: On the Choice Between Heaven and Hell → 18 Tenth Meditation: How the Soul Chooses the Devout Life → 19 How to Make a General Confession → 20 A Hearty Protest to Serve God, as a Conclusion to Acts of Penitence → 21 Conclusion of This First Purification → 22 The Necessity of Purging Away All Tendency to Venial Sins → 23 It Is Needful to Put Away All Inclination for Useless and Dangerous Things → 24 All Evil Inclinations Must Be Purged Away → 25 The Necessity of Prayer → 26 A Short Method of Meditation → 27 Invocation, the Second Point of Preparation → 28 Representing the Mystery to Your Imagination → 29 Considerations, the Second Part of Meditation → 30 Affections and Resolutions → 31 The Conclusion and Spiritual Bouquet → 32 Some Useful Hints as to Meditation → 33 Concerning Dryness in Meditation → 34 Morning Prayer → 35 Evening Prayer and Examination of Conscience → 36 On Spiritual Retirement → 37 Aspirations, Ejaculatory Prayer and Holy Thoughts → 38 Of Holy Communion, and How to Join in It → 39 Of the Other Public Offices of the Church → 40 How the Saints Are United to Us → 41 How to Hear and Read God's Word → 42 How to Receive Inspirations → 43 On Confession → 44 Of Frequent Communion → 45 How to Communicate → 46 How to Select That Which We Should Chiefly Practise → 47 The Same Subject Continued → 48 On Patience → 49 On Exterior Humility → 50 On Interior Humility → 51 Humility Makes Us Rejoice in Our Own Abjection → 52 How to Combine Due Care for a Good Reputation with Humility → 53 Gentleness Towards Others and Remedies Against Anger → 54 On Gentleness Towards Ourselves → 55 We Must Attend to Business Without Eagerness or Over-Anxiety → 56 On Obedience → 57 On Purity → 58 How to Maintain Purity → 59 On Poverty of Spirit Amid Riches → 60 How to Exercise Real Poverty, Although Actually Rich → 61 How to Possess a Rich Spirit Amid Real Poverty → 62 On Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship → 63 On Frivolous Attachments → 64 Of Real Friendship → 65 Of the Difference Between True and False Friendship → 66 Remedies Against Evil Friendships → 67 Further Advice Concerning Intimacies → 68 On the Practice of Bodily Mortification → 69 Of Society and Solitude → 70 On Modesty in Dress → 71 Of Conversation; and, First, How to Speak of God → 72 Of Unseemly Words, and the Respect Due to Others → 73 Of Hasty Judgments → 74 On Slander → 75 Further Counsels as to Conversation → 76 Of Amusements and Recreations: What Are Allowable → 77 Of Forbidden Amusements → 78 Of Balls, and Other Lawful but Dangerous Amusements → 79 When to Use Such Amusements Rightly → 80 We Must Be Faithful in Things Great and Small → 81 Of a Well-Balanced, Reasonable Mind → 82 Of Wishes → 83 Counsels to Married People → 84 The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed → 85 Counsels to Widows → 86 One Word to Maidens → 87 We Must Not Trifle with the Words of Worldly Wisdom → 88 The Need of a Good Courage → 89 Of Temptations, and the Difference Between Experiencing and Consenting → 90 Two Striking Illustrations of the Same → 91 Encouragement for the Tempted Soul → 92 When Temptation and Delectation Are Sin → 93 Remedies for Great Occasions → 94 How to Resist Minor Temptations → 95 How to Remedy Minor Temptations → 96 How to Strengthen the Heart Against Temptation → 97 Anxiety of Mind → 98 Of Sadness and Sorrow → 99 Of Spiritual and Sensible Consolations, and How to Receive Them → 100 Of Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness → 101 In Illustration → 102 It Is Well Yearly to Renew Good Resolutions → 103 Meditation on the Benefit of God in Calling Us to His Service → 104 Examination of the Soul as to Its Progress in the Devout Life → 105 Examination of the Soul's Condition as Regards God → 106 Examination of Your Condition as Regards Yourself → 107 Examination of the Soul's Condition as Regards Our Neighbour → 108 Examination as to the Affections of the Soul → 109 The Affections to Be Excited After Such Examination → 110 Reflections Suitable to the Renewal of Good Resolutions → 111 First Consideration: Of the Worth of Souls → 112 Second Consideration: On the Excellence of Virtue → 113 The Example of the Saints → 114 The Love Which Jesus Christ Bears to Us → 115 The Eternal Love of God for Us → 116 General Affections and Conclusion of the Exercise → 117 The Impressions Which Should Remain After This Exercise → 118 An Answer to Two Objections Which May Be Made to This Book → 119 Three Important and Final Counsels →