ation ▁to ▁hell . ▁A ▁personal ▁crisis ▁of ▁desp air ▁resulted . ▁This ▁conv iction ▁last ed ▁through ▁December ▁ 1 5 8 6 . ▁His ▁great ▁desp air ▁made ▁him ▁phys ically ▁ill ▁and ▁even ▁bed rid den ▁for ▁a ▁time . ▁S omet ime ▁in ▁either ▁late ▁December ▁or ▁early ▁January ▁ 1 5 8 7 , ▁with ▁great ▁difficulty , ▁he ▁visited ▁the ▁old ▁parish ▁of ▁Saint - Ét ienne - des - Gr ès , ▁Paris , ▁where ▁he ▁pray ed ▁the ▁" Mem or are " ▁before ▁a ▁f amed ▁statue ▁of ▁Our ▁Lady ▁of ▁Good ▁Del iver ance , ▁a ▁Black ▁Madonna . ▁He ▁consec r ated ▁himself ▁to ▁the ▁B less ed ▁Virgin ▁Mary ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁dedic ate ▁his ▁life ▁to ▁God ▁with ▁a ▁v ow ▁of ▁ch ast ity . ▁He ▁then ▁became ▁a ▁t ert i ary ▁of ▁the ▁Min im ▁Order . ▁ ▁Sales ▁ultimately ▁concluded ▁that ▁God ▁had ▁good ▁in ▁store ▁for ▁him , ▁because ▁" G od ▁is ▁love ", ▁as ▁John ' s ▁First ▁Ep ist le ▁att ests . ▁This ▁faithful ▁dev otion ▁to ▁God ▁not ▁only ▁exp elled ▁his ▁doub ts ▁but ▁also ▁influenced ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁and ▁his ▁teach ings . ▁His ▁way ▁of ▁teaching ▁Catholic ▁spiritual ity ▁is ▁often ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁Way ▁of ▁Div ine ▁Love , ▁or ▁the ▁Dev out ▁Life , ▁taken ▁from ▁a ▁book ▁he ▁wrote ▁of ▁a ▁similar ▁name : ▁Introduction ▁to ▁the ▁Dev out ▁Life '''