Reflecting on the book
Introduction to the Devout Life
Someone is so right to say, “No one is an island”. Meaning to say, to survive in this life, we need accompaniment and rely on others. Thus, to make friend is the deepest desire and nature of human beings. However, how to have true friendship is a big question for us. For friend can help us but also can destroy us both in spirituality and life. Fortunately, Francis de Sales enlightens us how to search true friendship and avoid vain friendship through the book entitled “Introduction to the Devout Life”. Through assigned number of the book, I will attempt to find out what the writer wants me to think, to do, and to bring with me in daily and mission.
Reflecting on this book, the first question came to my mind is, what is the connection between the devout life and holy friendship and why the holy friendship was emphasized so much in this time. Going back to the history of spirituality, I realize that the reason why the holy friendship was emphasized in this time is perhaps because the Church was confronting the schism of Protestant. The main cause for this problem is because Church men had false friendship. It leads to the crisis of morality and abuse of people. Thus, the remedy for this problem is nothing else but true friendship. It is because, for the writer, the true friendship comes from God and it leads us to God. It has been testified through the history of spirituality as we have seen in the friendship of Francis Assisi and Clara, Vincent de Paul and Louise Marillac, Ignatius and group of University Students including Francis Xavier, or Saint Anthony Maria Claret and Maria Antonia Paris, etc. For this reason, the writer invites me to think how to search for the meaning of true friendship to obtain it and how to avoid the false friendship.
In order to do it, I first should know the connection between the true friendship in this world and friendship in the eternal Kingdom. For the writer, there is close relationship between them. Thus, I am challenged to think how to learn to make the true friendship or to cherish one another in this world as I shall do eternally in the heaven. The question here is that what kind of true friendship it is that the writer wants to point out. It is spiritual friendship by which two, three, or more persons share with one another their devotion and spiritual affections. In this sense, they serve and worship God in the unity. Thus, it is possible to say, the true friendship is a way to unite one another. Unity is the main purpose God the Son incarnated, suffered and dead. It is the main purpose of our call to be a religious life. Indeed, such true friendship defines our consecrated life and its spirituality. It is truly enough; the religious life is the call of God for us to enter into the friendship with God in order to do mission of friendship by bringing others in the world to the eternal friendship with God. Therefore, learning how to make true friendship and avoid false friendship is to learn how to live the consecrated spirituality and avoid its temptations.
Therefore, I am challenged to think how to make friendship with God, with my sisters in the community, with people in my apostolate in my daily life, and how important it effects on my life and spirituality. In short, the writer encourages me to think how to witness the true friendship of Christ. It is possible to say, the Gospels are the Books, in which they recorded all holy friendship the Jesus Christ had done to people or a Books of Holy Friendship Spirituality that people, in every age, attempt to live out such spiritual friendship. Therefore, to fulfill my promise with the Lord, I have no way but think deeply how to renew my holy friendship with God and others. It is what the writer wants me to do.
First, I have no way but distinguish what is true friendship and false one. As the writer has pointed out that there are many ways of false friendship disguised under virtues of friendship, such as poison and honey. Indeed, it often happens in our religious life. Many priests and sisters have fallen in love with one another. First, they just made friend, later on, they become spiritual brothers or sisters. In this friendship, they are easy to express their care and concern to each other. Finally, they fell in love with each other and gave up their vocation. Besides, there are a lot of people, who take advantage of friendship for serving their personal purposes or self-interest. Thus, they often praise others, using very sweet words and over-speak of the beauty and quality of body. It is really tempted to hear. Because it encourages so much my false self; thus, it is so dangerous for my spirituality. To overcome it, I am challenged to learn how to accept correction, plain words from others so that I may be grown in love and perfection.
I can do it only when I have strong relationship or friendship with God. Thus, I am invited to constantly renew my friendship with God and others. Indeed, our spiritual life is the journey of renewal of friendship with God and others. This journey is named under ‘devout life’. Therefore, when we talk about the devout life, we do not mean only the constant prayer life, but also the love practice’s life. For many people are very devout in prayer but their life is so different. In other words, true friendship requires a lot of sacrifices and modest, a long time for discernment of self-motivation and daily events, and moderate our senses. Especially, these things must be practiced daily so that our conscience become more sensitive. At result, it not only helps me to grow in true friendship with God and others but also to help others to grow in their spirituality. Finally, as we know accompaniment is so important for the religious life. Thus, I should be humble to ask for accompanying from devout people and learn how to accompany with others in their vocation’s journey. This is friendship and mission. This is a thing I should put it in my mind.
In short, through this book, the writer challenges me to be aware of things leading to false friendship and try my best to overcome its temptation. Besides, I need to discern well of my desire and motivation and my daily event by questioning myself whether this action or behavior bring me close to God and others. In addition, I am challenged to be willing to correct and embrace the cause of sincere and true friendship, of the witness of true friendship with God. For being true friendship sometimes cause so much pain and suffering as Great Teacher Jesus had experienced. Thus, being true friendship is really my vocation and my mission. To fulfill this mission and call, I have no way but renew my relationship and friendship with God, with my sisters, and others in my apostolate always. So that, their accompaniment of mine and my accompaniment for others may be fruitful.
Sr. Hồng Ngân, LHC. Thu Duc