Spirituality How to know if your spiritual life needs to improve

How do you know

Well, St. Francis de Sales, a 17th-century spiritual master, has the best answer for you.

In his book titled Introduction to the Devout Life, Aleteia reports that he advises believers to do the following in order to improve their relationship with God.

How to examine your spiritual life

1. "To begin this examination, place yourself in the Presence of God."

2. "Invoke the Holy Spirit, and ask light of Him, so that you may know yourself, as St. Augustine did, crying out, "Lord, teach me to know Thee, and to know myself;" and St. Francis, who asked, "Who art Thou, Lord, and who am I?" Resolve not to note any progress with any self-satisfaction or self-glorification, but give the glory to God Alone, and thank Him duly for it."

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3. "Resolve, too, that if you should seem to yourself to have made but little progress, or even to have gone back, that you will not be discouraged thereby, nor grow cool or indolent in the matter; but that, on the contrary, you will take fresh pains to humble yourself and conquer your faults, with God's Help."

4. "Then go on to examine quietly and patiently how you have conducted yourself towards God, your neighbor and yourself, up to the present time."

5. "It is desirable to go through this second point in three days and two nights at the most, taking that season which you can best manage."

6. "After each point of examination observe wherein you have failed, and what is lacking to you, and in what you have chiefly failed, so that you may be able to explain your troubles, get counsel and comfort, and make fresh resolutions."

"Everything must be done with a heart full of God's Love, and an earnest desire for spiritual perfection," St. Sales concludes.