Saint Jane Frances de Chantal speaks of it as “a book dictated by the Holy Spirit.” “Philothea,” although it is a text written by Saint Francis de Sales in the 1600s, exudes such relevance on every page and in every passage, and continues to teach us how we can remain close to God while being busy amid the hectic pace of modern life.

The origin

The work originated on an occasional basis; it was published at the end of 1608 and immediately republished in 1609, with some adjustments. It consists of brief writings, occasional spiritual advice and suggestions that Saint Francis addressed to his cousin Louise du Chastel, Madame de Charmoisy, who had become his spiritual daughter in 1607. The young woman wanted to live according to the demands of the Gospel while remaining in the world: this was a novelty at the time, since spiritual life could be lived only in monasteries.
The text, revised and reworked in 1619 by the author himself, is the official edition that we can all read and savor. Francis composed this work in simple, epistolary, everyday language. Full of images that are simple yet profound, the writing speaks to the reader with extraordinary ease. Imitating Saint Luke, who addresses Theophilus (friend of God) in his Gospel, Saint Francis de Sales addresses Philothea (friend of God), that is, every person who wants to love God above all things and live out their life of faith with consistency and integrity.

What is the book about?

Written in a conversational style, almost like an intimate dialogue between the reader and Francis de Sales, Philothea aims to lead the reader to the perfection of love through love, walking at their own pace, amid the concrete realities of everyday life.
It is a book that lays the foundations of Christian life and traces a concrete spiritual path. It concisely and practically summarizes the principles of the interior life and facilitates their application for all social classes. Saint Francis offers people living in the world an intelligent and organized plan “to lead the soul from its first desire for a devout life to the firm resolution to embrace it.” For the holy Bishop, every hour, every minute and every second of our day can become a “bud of eternity” if lived as an act of love for God and neighbor.
To do this, we need to equip ourselves with a robust prayer life and regular participation in the sacraments of Confession and Communion. But holiness must become a holy life: hence the formation in the Christian virtues of patience, humility, gentleness and friendship. For Francis, spiritual life is a serious matter that requires constant care and examination, because discouragement is a daily occurrence and it is easy to sit back or turn back!
Philothea is a proposal of holiness for all the baptized, centuries before Vatican II spoke of the universal call to holiness. “I intend to offer my teachings,” Saint Francis writes, “to those who live in cities, in families, (…) among others.”

Holiness for everyone

Saint Francis addresses Philothea with an invitation that, at the time, seemed revolutionary: to belong completely to God while fully living one’s presence in the world and the duties of one’s state in life. Indeed, it was generally believed that to live a holy life one had to leave the world and shut oneself away in a monastery. One could not become holy while remaining in the world. Francis, however, teaches: “Devotion must be practiced differently by a gentleman, an artisan, a servant, a prince, a widow, a single woman and a wife; but that is not enough: the practice of devotion must be proportionate to the strength, occupations and duties of each individual… To try to banish the devout life from the soldier’s barracks, the artisan’s workshop, the prince’s court and the intimacy of married couples is an error, indeed a heresy… It matters little where we are: everywhere we can and must aspire to devotion.”
This spirituality of everyday life, which also inspired Saint John Bosco, a Piedmontese disciple of the Bishop of Geneva, remains highly relevant, especially for people immersed in the occupations and concerns of daily life. Our Pope Francis, in his apostolic exhortation “Gaudete et exsultate” on the call to holiness in the contemporary world (March 19, 2018), invites us to take all this seriously: “To be holy, it is not necessary to be bishops, priests, religious men or women. Many times we are tempted to think that holiness is reserved for those who have the possibility of keeping their distance from ordinary occupations in order to devote much time to prayer. It is not so. We are all called to be holy by living with love and offering each person their own testimony in their daily occupations, wherever they are. Are you a consecrated woman or man? Be holy by living your commitment with joy. Are you married? Be holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ did for the Church. Are you a worker? Be holy by carrying out your work honestly and competently in service to your brothers and sisters. Are you a parent, grandmother or grandfather? Be holy by teaching children patiently to follow Jesus. Do you have authority? Be holy by working for the common good and renouncing your personal interests.”

The structure of Philothea

The five parts of Philothea can be summed up in these five words: leave, pray, act, fight and renew. Francis proposes to Philothea - and to each of us - an exodus toward the true promised land of God who is love.
First of all, we must leave the slavery of sin, fear, superficiality, habits and our small and great dependencies. Then pray, or rather practice prayer, because prayer is not merely asking God for things, but meditating on his word and uniting ourselves with Jesus Christ in everything and in every event. Then act according to God’s will, doing what pleases him, beginning with charity, which is expressed in patience, humility, gentleness, care and diligence in our activities, obedience, chastity, poverty of spirit, friendship… It is also a matter of fighting our seven enemies: fear, discouragement, temptations, agitation, sadness, the search for consolations and aridity. Finally, renew our commitment every year, that is, our covenant with the Lord.

Conclusion

Philothea, then, introduces the friend of God - that is, the person who loves or wants to love God, who desires to live according to the Gospel, take the commitment of their baptism seriously and be a true child of God - to true devotion. Its purpose is to stimulate the faithful person’s responsible and active response to God’s grace. It is useful for those who are beginning the spiritual life and wish to reorient their lives toward Christ. Its value is unquestionable because it wonderfully unites holiness, as a universal calling belonging to every human being, with the moral and spiritual life, all fused in charity.
It is an exceptional work, surely the most complete in every respect for leading a Christian life worthy of being called such.
There is no subject that is not examined, analyzed and addressed according to the Word of God.
An incredibly well-crafted, comprehensive guide that answers every kind of question and is rich in practical advice on conduct and in exceptionally clear guidance for every circumstance and condition of life.
Nearly four hundred years after Saint Francis de Sales entered heavenly glory, may the author of Philothea obtain an abundance of grace for all those who will read and meditate on these pages.

Have a good journey!