Introduction to the Devout Life

Advice and encouragement for lay Catholics pursuing a personal relationship with God from a Doctor of the Church.

The first book of the Catholic Classics series, Introduction to the Devout Life is an updated translation of St. Francis de Sales’ original text that makes this key work of Catholic Tradition approachable to modern readers.

Written as a letter to St. Francis’ lay cousin, this classic yet relevant text features advice on the questions that members of the Catholic laity often ask themselves, such as:

• Is living a holy life possible for those called to a vocation other than the religious life?
• What does spiritual meditation and prayer look like amid the demands of daily life?
• How can virtues be pursued and vices rooted out when temptations and occasions of sin abound?
• Why can setting aside daily time for silent prayer and meditation seem like such a daunting task?
• And more!
   

Written by Doctor of the Church St. Francis de Sales to offer sound preaching and clear instruction for Catholics and translated by Matthew K. Minerd to renew Catholics’ understanding and appreciation of this classic Catholic work, Introduction to the Devout Life promises that “it is possible to have an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus, regardless of the demands of everyday life.”

This special version includes:

• The full English translation of St. Francis de Sales’ 17th century work (which is not available in all translations)
• Language updates that make the text accessible without changing its meaning or message
• Expert commentary from Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. and Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk, O.P. introducing each section
   

This beautiful book provides inspiration and guidance for all Catholics to deepen their personal relationship with God while living out their unique vocation.

Editor Dr. Matthew K. Minerd is a Ruthenian Catholic, husband, and father, serving as a professor of philosophy and moral theology at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Pittsburgh. His academic and popular writing has been published in the journals Nova et Vetera, The American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, The Review of Metaphysics, Études Maritainiennes, Downside Review, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. He has also served as a translator or editor for volumes published by The Catholic University of America Press, Emmaus Academic, and Cluny Media.