Hear the book read aloud with additional expert commentary in the Catholic Classics podcast!  Download the free reading plan here.

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 complete 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
• A leather-like cover, foil stamping, and a place-holding ribbon

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

A message from the Catholic Classics podcast hosts:

“St. Francis de Sales preached and wrote with a simple clarity. At the heart of his message is the conviction that God has made us for himself and that our Lord offers himself in prayer and sacrament as we grow in virtue and heal from vice. Like Catholics of the seventeenth century, we who are living in the twenty-first century can look with confidence to God as he applies his grace to our souls. May St. Francis de Sales and his Introduction to the Devout Life encourage you in your pursuit of Christ.”

—Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., and Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk, O.P.