Are you looking for a master class in Catholic spirituality? Have you ever read the Scripture, “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” and thought, “that seems impossible!”? If so, a book written in the 16th century might be for you. The Sinner’s Guide by Venerable Louis of Granada, OP (1556), has stood the test of time. In fact, it was so edifying upon its initial publication that the revolutionary liberal atheist, Marchena, carried it around with him, unable to put it down. The patron saint of catechists, Charles Borromeo, a contemporary of Louis of Granada praised him and his work. Saint Teresa of Avila, another contemporary, credited it with converting over a million souls and made it mandatory reading for her congregation. Pope Saint Gregory XIII encouraged the autho rto write additional works, saying:“You have thus benefited your fellow creatures more than if you had given sight to the blind and raised the dead to life” (1582). Three centuries later, it was discovered that The Sinner’s Guide was used to keep the faith alive in Japan during the Christian persecutions and martyrdoms there. With such acclaim and proven efficacy, I echo a wholehearted recommendation of The Sinner’s Guide to all.  

Its author, Louis de Sarria was born in 1504 in Granada, Spain. When Louis was five years old, his father died, after which Louis and his mother lived in poverty. Louis begged alms from the Convent of the Holy Cross, where he later received the habit of a Friar Preacher (1524) and became known for his exact observance of monastic life. Also, it was here that Friar Louis began a career in rigorous academics, in which he demonstrated a unique brilliance that led to his appointment as a teacher at the College of Saint Gregory; then to “Preacher General” in 1544; and then “Provincial of the Dominican Province of Portugal” in 1556. Friar Louis greatly desired to go to Mexico as a missionary, but his superiors did not allow it. Disappointed, he turned his attention to spiritual writing—a benefit to many, including Queen Catherine of Portugal, who selected him as her confessor. Even while at the royal court, he remained humble, practicing many mortifications. In his obedience to God’s will, he became a missionary in another way: he, so to say, went viral. Writing in the aftermath of Martin Luther’s introduction of external justification (and other heresies spreading at the time), Friar Louis remained orthodox, focusing on Scriptures, Church Fathers and Doctors (particularly Aquinas), the thoughts of the saints, Aristotelian logic and classical literature. Today he is remembered as “the writer of the Spanish Empire”, “Spanish Cicero”, and “the light of the Council of Trent”. If Venerable Louis’ intellectual genius seems intimidating, don’t worry. Although The Sinner’s Guide is his most scholastic work, he was criticized for “writing for the wives of carpenters”—the laity; and his works remain easy to read even today. 

The Sinner’s Guide begins with laying out several motives for practicing virtue. They focus on why God is everything to man, and why God must be the reason for man’s actions. The author relies on nature, common sense, and the arguments of his intellectual predecessors. I read through this slowly—I felt the urge to really sit with each motive, even reading some more than once. I had previously read about entering into silence with God; but somehow until The Sinner’s Guide, I had missed seeing silence as a way to simply appreciate God. I previously had tried to get something out of “silence”, such as gaining discipline or waiting for God to speak to me. Perhaps I did this out of misunderstanding, or maybe I wasn’t ready to go deeper in my prayer life. Whatever the case, this book revealed for me a struggle: that I regularly take God’s presence for granted. How often do I thank Him or contemplate His attributes? He created me and continues to preserve me. It’s such a simple thing: gratitude, but I forget it all too often. Louis framed this well: “I doubt whether one man ever treated another as we dare to treat God.” This is certainly true in my case. 

If you are like me, and the love of God is sometimes not enough motivation for practicing virtue, Louis includes additional motivations, such as: the fear of death, the fear of hell, the desire of heaven, and the benefits of practicing virtue even in this life. In fact, he devotes twelve chapters specifically to address the immediate privileges attached to practicing virtue, echoing the promises in Scripture: “All things work together unto good” for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Louis assures us that even beginners can receive ineffable rewards. Some of the privileges include: wisdom, peace of conscience, answered prayers, temporal assistance, and a happy death. I appreciate that in the presentation of each, the author uses Scripture, showing that temporal and spiritual rewards were promised in divine revelation: “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love Him.” (1 Cor 2:9)

He emphasizes our duties—obligations that we can’t just dismiss; they are inborn in us. We were created to know, love and serve God. Deviations from our innate nature cause us to be miserable. How many of our benefits have we perverted? The author cautions against folly and procrastination. He says that we still have time to make amends and seek the perfection for which we were each made. Despite perversion and squandering, a man’s natural inclination towards good can’t be destroyed. Although full of excuses, our remorse of conscience is a gift. Hope remains as long as we have minutes to spend. 

Louis knows that without courage we remain stuck and helpless. So, he encourages us to acquire this necessary virtue. He tells us to look at Christ on the Cross—the surest way to overcome self-love and fear. Louis devotes over ten chapters to offering remedies for  sin and other shortcomings. I was very eager to get to these. However, I had to remind myself that this wasn’t written in the style of a modern self-help book; he doesn’t provide step-by-step or check-off instructions. Rather, he reiterates the teaching and recommendations of the Church, showing their personal necessity. Those who read this book will find solid advice against many sins and shortcomings. Readers will be encouraged to reform their body and will, to govern their senses (including their tongue), imagination, and understanding. They will be encouraged to mortify passions, establish temperance, and to increase their love of God and neighbor.     

The Sinner’s Guide awoke in me a deeper incentive toward virtue. I recommend that everyone read this wonderful guide. It is a very thorough and personal study. It has the possibility of changing your life now, and also where you spend eternity. Yet, if my words do not compel you, perhaps Saint Charles Borromeo can: “Of all those who up to our time have written on spiritual matters… no one has written books… of greater selection and profit than Louis of Granada.”