Introduction to a Devout Life

St. Francis of Sales (1567 - 1622), was born in Châteaux de Sales, Savoy, France. Earlier in his life, he pursued a career in law before becoming a Roman Catholic priest. He was a missionary in the Chablais region and co-founded the Visitation of Holy Mary order with Jane Frances de Chantal. His sweet and gentle practices are encapsulated in what is today a truism: "A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a barrelful of vinegar." Francis of Sales distinguished himself by his uniquely personal attitude towards religious spirituality. Such deep impact is today carried out by all the -Salesian- academies, schools, colleges, and universities. He was canonized as patron saint for writers. About the Introduction to a Devout Life This beloved book, is a collection of notes he wrote for counseling a cousin for marriage, stressing that sanctity is possible in everyday life. With painstaking resolution he attempts to help Christians see what it means to be a child of God, by glorifying God, and thus receive God's boundless grace and love. Our edition has removed many archaisms, which enable the reader to flowing, enjoyable reading. It also includes more than 200 linked endnotes.