Spiritual Works of Louis of Blois

About this book

The collected spiritual works of Louis of Blois, the Flemish Benedictine abbot known as Blosius, gathered from his treatises, rules, and prayers. Blosius writes on the interior life with unusual clarity and sweetness, directing monks and devout laypeople alike toward humility, recollection, and union with God. His writings were among the most widely read Catholic devotions of the sixteenth century.

Contents

1. Preface
2. Chapter I. The Confidence in God of a Repentant Sinner.
3. Chapter II. On the Consideration of the Goodness and Justice of God.
4. Chapter III. How Easy It Is for the Faithful Soul to Blot out Sins, Especially Venial Ones.
5. Chapter IV. What is the Best KInd of Contrition and Satisfaction.
6. Chapter V. Remedies fro Pusillanimity in the Converted Sinner.
7. Chapter VI. The Skill and Diligence with Which We Are to Resist Temptations.
8. Chapter VII. We Are to Fight Against Vices by Imitation of the Humility and the Other Virtues of Christ.
9. Chapter VIII. The Strife of the Truly Humble Against Vain Glory and Self-Love.
10. Chapter IX. Adversity Is to Be Accepted as Sent to Us by the Favour of God. Our Duty in Adversity.
11. Chapter X. Indifference of Our Will and Conformity to the Will of God in Adversity.
12. Chapter XI. Perseverance in Confession of the Faith Under Trials, After the Example of Christ.
13. Chapter XII. On True Confidence in God, and Vain Anxiety Concerning the Future; and Against the Folly of Astrologers.
14. Chapter XIII. On Scrupulous Confessions and Faint-Heartedness. 🔒
15. Chapter XIV. On Perfect Peace and Quiet of the Soul. 🔒
16. Chapter XV. God Is to Be Loved Without Measure, but Men within Limits. 🔒
17. Chapter XVI. For What End and in What Manner the Holy Scriptures Should Be Read. 🔒
18. Chapter XVII. On the Necessity and Utility of Devout Prayer. 🔒
19. Chapter XVIII. On the Worship of the Blessed Virgin and of the Saints. On Psalmody. 🔒
20. Chapter XIX. Of Meditation on Our Lord’s Passion. 🔒
21. Chapter XX. Some Methods of Meditation on the Infancy of Christ Our Lord. 🔒
22. Chapter XXI. A Method of Meditation on the Passion of Our Lord, and on the Most Holy Trinity. 🔒
23. Chapter XXII. Pious Aspirations, or Darts of Love. 🔒
24. Chapter XXIII. On Discretion in Undertaking, Continuing, and Giving up Pious Exercises. 🔒
25. Chapter XXIV. Some Rules of Discretion with Regard to Exercises. 🔒
26. Chapter XXV. Further Rules of Discretion. 🔒
27. Chapter XXVI. On Sensible Devotion. Revelations, Consolations. The Holy Eucharist. 🔒
28. Chapter XXVII. On Obedience and Disobedience. On a Modest and Edifying Deportment. 🔒
29. Chapter XXVIII. The World is the Great Book of God. 🔒
30. Chapter XXIX. The Use of Creatures as Steps to Ascend to God. 🔒
31. Chapter XXX. The Devout Man Must Carefully Strive to Have a Right Intention, and Cultivate Purity in All Things. 🔒
32. Chapter XXXI. On the Custody of the Tongue and of the Ears, and the Love of Our Neighbour. 🔒
33. Chapter XXXII. On Judgment and Censure of Others. On Watchfulness over Ourselves by Day and by Night. 🔒
34. Chapter XXXIII. In Order to Eradicate Our Defects We Must Have a Firm and Courageous Will, and Confidence in God. 🔒
35. Chapter XXXIV. On Desire of the True Joys of Heaven. 🔒
36. Chapter XXXV. On the Delights of Our Heavenly Country. 🔒
37. Chapter XXXVI. On Preparation for a Happy Death. The Profession of One About to Die, and His Consolation. 🔒
38. Chapter XXXVII. Christ is the Sure Hope of Our Salvation. 🔒
39. Chapter XXXVIII. Against Despair and Anxiety in the Hour of Death. 🔒
40. Preface. 🔒
41. § 1. On the Knowledge of God and of Self. 🔒
42. § 2. On the true Faith. 🔒
43. § 3. On Innocence of LIfe. 🔒
44. § 4. On Courageous Hope. 🔒
45. § 1. Patience. 🔒
46. § 2. Resignation. 🔒
47. § 3. Obedience. 🔒
48. § 4. Avoiding of Vain-Glory. 🔒
49. § 1. Interior Affection. 🔒
50. § 2. Exterior Manner and Conduct. 🔒
51. § 3. Beneficence. 🔒
52. § 4. Benevolence. 🔒
53. § 5. Compassion. 🔒
54. § 6. Judgment of Others. 🔒
55. § 1. The inordinate Love of Creatures. 🔒
56. § 2. Mortification. 🔒
57. § 3. Moderation in Dress and Furniture. 🔒
58. § 4. Bodily Refreshment. 🔒
59. § 5. The Government of the Tongue. 🔒
60. § 6. The Custody of the Senses. 🔒
61. § 7. Manners and Gestures. 🔒
62. § 8. The Control of our Thoughts. 🔒
63. § 1. The avoiding of Singularity. 🔒
64. § 2. And of Austerity. 🔒
65. § 3. Let God be the End of our Actions. 🔒
66. § 4. The Assistance of Grace. 🔒
67. § 5. The Merits of Christ. 🔒
68. Chapter VI. Rules for the Consolation of the Tempted. 🔒
69. § 1. Custody of the Heart. 🔒
70. § 2. Sorrow in Desire. 🔒
71. § 3. Sins from Human Frailty. 🔒
72. § 4. The Assaults of Temptations. 🔒
73. § 5. Perseverance. 🔒
74. § 6. Confidence in God. 🔒
75. § 7. Prayer. 🔒
76. § 1. The Perfection consisting in Good Will. 🔒
77. § 2. The Value of a Good Will. 🔒
78. § 3. Mortification. 🔒
79. § 4. Union of our Works with Christ. 🔒
80. § 1. The Praise of Humility. 🔒
81. § 2. The Acts which are Special to Humility. 🔒
82. § 3. The Virtue of Patience. 🔒
83. Chapter IX. The Doctrine and Various Practices of Resignation. 🔒
84. § 1. The Presence of God. 🔒
85. § 2. The Blessed Trinity. 🔒
86. § 3. The Attributes of God. 🔒
87. § 4. Prayer. 🔒
88. § 5. Spiritual reading. 🔒
89. § 6. Variety of exercises. 🔒
90. § 7. The Sacred Humanity of Christ. 🔒
91. § 1. Mystical union with God. 🔒
92. § 2. The Danger of false union. 🔒
93. § 3. Revelations. 🔒
94. § 1. The Holy Eucharist. 🔒
95. § 2. The worship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 🔒
96. § 3. The invocation of the Saints. 🔒
97. § 4. The images of the Saints. 🔒
98. Chapter XIII. An Antidote to Aridity and Desolation. 🔒
99. § 1. The thought of death. 🔒
100. § 2. The thought of paradise. 🔒
101. § 3. The miseries of hell. 🔒
102. Preface. 🔒
103. Chapter I. The Immense Mercy of God, and the Benignity of the Mother of God Towards Sinners Demonstrated by Various Revelations. 🔒
104. Chapter II. On Discretion and Purity of Intention. 🔒
105. Chapter III. On Prayer and the Divine Office. 🔒
106. Chapter IV. Daily Defects, and Their Remedies, with Consolation Under Temptations. 🔒
107. Chapter V. Frequent Confession and the Desire to Confess. 🔒
108. Chapter VI. On Frequent Communion. 🔒
109. Chapter VII. On Participation in the Merits of Christ, and the Value of Obedience. 🔒
110. Chapter VIII. Of the Refreshment of the Body. 🔒
111. Chapter IX. On the Manner and Regulation of Our Sleep. 🔒
112. Chapter X. On the Advantage of Tribulations. 🔒
113. Chapter XI. On Confidence in Divine Providence, and Perfect Resignation. 🔒
114. Chapter XII. On a Happy Death. 🔒
115. Chapter XIII. On the Pains of Purgatory. 🔒
116. Chapter XIV. On the Joys of Paradise. 🔒
117. 1. Of St. Bridget. 🔒
118. 2. Of St. Catherine of Siena. 🔒
119. 3. Of St. Mechtildis. 🔒
120. 4. Of St. Gertrude. 🔒
121. 5. On the authority of the foregoing Revelations. 🔒