Prayer of Dedication
Acknowledging My Seven Clergy Editors
Introduction: Why This Book Was Written
Background
Who Was Francis de Sales?
How This Book Was Written
Book One: Preparation for the Rest of the Book: The Science of Love
Chapter One: We naturally love the good
Chapter Two: The greatest good is God
Chapter Three: The ninety-nine names of God
Chapter Four: God is more lovable than anything because God is more loving than anything
Chapter Five: The role of free will in loving or rejecting God
Chapter Six: The necessity of God’s grace
Book Two: The Generation of Divine Love
Chapter One: Plan A: Incarnation Plan B: Redemption
Chapter Two: All of creation is for and by the Universal Christ
Chapter Three: All is by grace
Chapter Four: How God draws us
Chapter Five: Turning toward God
Chapter Six: How grace leads to love of God
Chapter Seven: On the progress and perfection of love
Chapter Eight: On loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength
Chapter Nine: The progress and perfection of love continued
Chapter Ten: The heavenward growth of love
Chapter Eleven: The ease and perfection of loving God in heaven
Book Three: On the Decay and Ruin of Our Love for God
Chapter One: The onslaught of distraction and temptation
Chapter Two: Biblical figures who lost their love of God
Chapter Three: Loss of love of God is our choice
Chapter Four: The danger of imperfect love of God
Chapter Five: We overcome imperfect love by returning to God
Book Four: The Two Main Exercises of Sacred Love: Complacence (Resting in God’s Love) and Benevolence (Acting in God’s Love)
Chapter One: A mutually reinforcing circle of love
Chapter Two: Increasing our complacence and benevolence
Chapter Three: Endless praise completes our complacence and benevolence
Book Five: Concerning the Exercises of Holy Love in Prayer
Chapter One: Meditation and contemplation unite our actions and heart to God
Chapter Two: Deep contemplation
Chapter Three: Sacred repose
Chapter Four: Sacred wounds
Book Six: The Soul’s Union with God is Perfected in Prayer
Chapter One: Types of ecstasy and rapture
Chapter Two: Discerning between divine and diabolical inspiration
Chapter Three: Love Is stronger than death
Book Seven: Living in Harmony with God’s Will
Chapter One: Loving God by loving God’s commandments
Chapter Two: Loving God by loving God’s counsels
Chapter Three: Loving God by loving God’s inspirations
Book Eight: Surrendering to God’s Will
Chapter One: Loving God by loving whatever God allows
Chapter Two: Loving God by submitting to God’s will
Chapter Three: Loving God by trusting God alone
Book Nine: Loving God Above All Else
Chapter One: Love of God above all perfects all things
Chapter Two: We must love God above our self
Chapter Three: True and false zeal for God
Chapter Four: Twelve marks of Christ’s most excellent love
Book Ten: Love is the Ultimate Virtue
Chapter One: Love of God, the supreme virtue
Chapter Two: Love of God perfects and unites all the virtues
Book Eleven: The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Twelve Fruits of the Love of God
Chapter One: The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
Chapter Two: The role of fear in the love of God
Chapter Three: The role of sorrow in the love of God
Chapter Four: The twelve fruits of the love of God
Book Twelve: Counsels on Holy Love
Chapter One: Integrating holy love into our life
Chapter Two: The ninety-nine names of Jesus the Christ
Chapter Two: The greatest love of all
Epilogue
Scripture Cited
Footnotes from Treatise on the Love of God
Heart, Mind, and Soul Bibliography:
Books to Stimulate Loving God with Total Passion, Intellect and Depth
About the Author