I have already written about the first two chapters of Part III, which function as an introduction and which guide the judgement in selecting virtues to practice. The rest of this part is given up to discussions of specific virtues or habits both good and bad. There are forty-one chapters in all, but some of the chapters naturally go together in common themes -- not necessarily in the order that St. Francis presents them. It seems, for example, that St. Francis wanted to put chapters on poverty, chastity, and obedience next to one another, even though the themes appear to flow more naturally if they are not.
Here is a thematic list of the chapters in Part III:
Introduction. These chapters all deal with the discernment of which virtues to focus on and how to go about practicing them prudently. They are more general than the other chapters.
- Ch 1-2 The choice of virtues
- Ch 37 Discernment of desires for things we should not have or cannot have; dealing with over-ambitious desire for virtues
- Ch 23 Mortification of the body
- Ch 24 Society and Solitude
The rest of the chapters all deal with practicing virtue in everyday life.
- Virtue when in troubles: Ch. 3. Patience
- Virtue when others find fault with us: Ch. 4-7. Humility, love of humiliation, and care of our good name
- Virtue when faced with frailties, faults, and weakness in ourselves and others: Ch. 8-9, Gentleness towards others and patience with ourselves
- Virtue in the performance of duties Ch. 10-11 and 35: Avoidance of over-eagerness and anxiety; obedience; fidelity on all occasions
- Virtue in the face of material riches or material poverty: Ch. 14-16 Spiritual poverty
- Virtue in friendship: Ch 17-22 Friendships, true and false
- Virtue in sexual matters: Ch 12-13 and 38-41. Chastity, with specific advice to those who are married, to widows, and to virgins
Finally, some advice for remaining devout in dealings with society:
- Ch 25 Proper attire (not modesty, but attractiveness of attire)
- Ch 26-30 Honest and respectful speech
- Ch 31-34 Fun and recreation
- Ch 36 "We must be reasonable." Fairness to neighbor as to yourself.
As I go on writing more about the book, I'm going to take the chapters (more or less) in the order I gave them above rather than straight through. Unless I just decide to write about them in the order that seems most useful to me.
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