Hi, I'm Father Jacob Bertrand Jansick.

And I'm Father Gregory Pine.

And you're listening to the Catholic Classics Podcast, where we seek to grow our prayer lives by learning from the

church's greatest saints and teachers. Spiritual reading can be challenging for

many Catholics so this podcast is here to help. Each season will read

through a great work, unpack its timeless wisdom, and encourage

you with practical tips for the pursuit of holiness. The Catholic Classics podcast is brought to you by

Ascension. This season we're reading Ascension's edition of

Introduction to the Devout Life by St Francis de Sales. To get your copy of the book

and download the reading plan for this season visit Ascension Press.com slash Catholic Classics or text intro to

33 777. Be sure to follow us on your favorite podcast app. This is day 12. Today we'll be reading part 2, instructions for elevating the soul to

God through prayer and the sacraments, chapters 19 through 20, pages 161 through 168 in the Ascension edition of this book. Before we get into the reading, a quick look at what we're covering today.

This is the penultimate episode of Part 2 of Introduction to the Devout Life and here St Francis

continues to guide us more deeply into the Sacramento life. Today we're

going to continue to talk about two we could say central sacraments to the devout life, confession and the

Eucharist. Again, moving us into action, into living the devout life, St Francis

gives us some practical steps in how to make a good

confession, how to prepare for that, and how to receive Holy Communion frequently and

well. Before we get into our reading, let's say a quick prayer.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Grant us grace, oh merciful God, to desire ardently all that is pleasing to thee, to examine

it prudently, to acknowledge it truthfully, and to accomplish it perfectly for the praise and glory

...