The Joy of Devotion to the Lord

A friend of mine has been reading this summer the classic work of St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life.  Though I've read this years ago during my graduate studies in Theology, the influence of this friend has inspired me to "rediscover" this phenomenal spiritual tome.  Right from the beginning, the "gem of savoy" (as he was known in his time) masterfully captivates me with that deft ability of his to express profound spiritual notions within the context of describing the ordinary world.  And in it, I find this Saint invigorating me once more toward a certitude that devotion (piety) is the true means to joy and not what it is commonly misunderstood to be, namely a repression of human satisfaction.  the Saint writes:

"It is in this manner, my dear Philothea, that the world vilifies holy devotion as much as it can.  It pictures devout persons as having discontented, gloomy, sullen faces and claims that devotion brings on depression and unbearable moods. But just as Joshua and Caleb held both that the Promised Land was good and beautiful and that its possession would be sweet and agreeable so too the Holy Spirit by the mouths of all the saints and our Lord by his own mouth assure us that a devout life is a life that is sweet, happy, and lovable.

The world sees people as they pray, fast, endure injuries, take care of the sick, give alms to the poor, keep vigils, restrain anger, suppress their passions, give up sensual pleasures, and perform other actions painful and rigorous in themselves and by their very nature.  But the world does not see the heartfelt inner devotion that renders all such actions pleasant, sweet, and easy.

Look at the bees amid the banks of Thyme.  They find there a very bitter juice but when they suck it out they change it into honey because they have the ability to do so.  O worldly men!  It is true that devout souls encounter great bitterness in their works of mortification but by performing them they change them into something sweet and delicious."

My wife will be the first to confirm that the quickest way to quell my own crabbiness and quiet my foul moods is to enter into silence and open my soul to Christ's Spirit in prayer and devotion.  Indeed, those times that grant me the greatest peace and offer me the greatest sensation of being "whole" are the moments of devotion to the Lord in prayer and the sacraments and the exercise of virtue.  When I do what the world suggests as a path to satisfaction, I invariably find that it is neither lasting nor complete in its promise of happiness - devotion and virtue alone have given a "sweetness" to my life that is lasting and relentlessly captivating.  Beyond all other good pleasures, this alone is my delight of delights.