Summa of the Christian Life

Selected Texts from the Writings of Venerable Louis of Granada, O.P.

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• Publisher: TAN Books
• Year: 1979
• ISBN:
  9781505105841
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

This work consists of passages from Ven. Louis' works--principally his four masterpieces of spiritual theology: Book of Prayer and Meditation; The Sinner's Guide; Memorial of the Christian Life and Introduction to the Creed; plus his Compendium of Christian Doctrine. Selections are arranged by topic according the plan of the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas. Includes a brief biography of Ven. Louis.

BOOK ONE

The Existence and Perfections of God

Prologue

JUST as there is a diversity of tastes and opinions among authors, so also is there a variety of subjects and themes which they treat. Some are enchanted by the beauty of eloquence and, consequently, they attempt to create the perfect orator, taking their pupil in his earliest years and leading him through all the steps and phases of this art until they place him at its very summit. Others use the same method to fashion a perfect prince, a great captain, a courtier, and so forth. Thus each writer strives to clarify and illustrate whatever he esteems most highly.

But it is certain that of all human vocations there is none more lofty than that of the perfect Christian who, being ordained to a supernatural end, lives a life that is likewise supernatural. For that reason the saints call such a person a celestial man or an angel on earth. Now if authors have most diligently taught whatever is required for those other vocations in life, which are so much the less noble as their ends are less noble, how much more necessary it is to do the same thing as regards the Christian vocation which, since it is so much more lofty than the others, is much more difficult to attain.

The Apostle wrote to the Colossians¹ that the words and doctrine of Christ should be preached abundantly among them and that they should teach and admonish one another concerning their respective duties. If there is no occupation, however lowly, that does not require rules and regulations in order to be well done, how much more is this true of the greatest of all occupations, which is to serve and please God, to conquer the kingdom of heaven, and to prevail against the powers and deceits of the enemy.

How will the uneducated man know what this occupation demands if he is not reminded of God's promises and warnings and the weighty obligations that he has of serving Him? How will he be able to confess correctly if he is not taught the parts of the sacrament of penance and how to perform each one of them? How can he have sorrow for his sins and a purpose of amendment if he is not reminded of the reasons and motives for lamenting them? How can he receive Communion worthily and profitably if he is not taught the things required for this? How will he be able to regulate his life, cultivate virtue, and flee from sin if he does not know the means by which he must seek the former and avoid the latter and does not recognize the temptations and snares of the enemy? How can he formulate a prayer that will be fruitful and accompany it with the necessary conditions and virtues if he has not the doctrine for this? How can he ever reach the love of God if he knows not the means by which it is attained, as well as the things that impede it? We need enlightenment in all these matters, for we did not receive them in the womb of our mothers before we were born. Hence, with good reason are we likened to that man in the Gospel who was born blind from his mother's womb.

For many years I have desired to see a book that would treat of the formation of the perfect Christian and would be a summa of all that pertains to the Christian vocation. Good workmen strive to have at hand all the tools that are necessary for their labor and those who study any art or science seek some book in which is compiled all that pertains to their subject. It would seem profitable to do the same in regard to this art of arts and science of sciences. Possessing such a compendium, those who truly desire to serve God would easily find doctrine and light for their life, while preachers and confessors zealous for the good of souls would have something from which they could readily dispense to their hearers whatever is necessary for the fulfillment of the Christian vocation.

I am well aware that there is no lack of books on sound Catholic doctrine, but most of them treat of some particular aspect and do not attempt to treat of everything in a brief space. Furthermore, although the various catechisms, which are syntheses of Christian doctrine, treat of everything that pertains to the Christian life, they state merely the bare substance of doctrine and only that which is necessary for a clear understanding. They are more speculative than practical, for they are meant to enlighten the understanding rather than move the will to the practice of the virtues. For this reason I have decided, with the help of the Lord and the writings of the saints, to compile this book wherein all these matters will be treated. My purpose is the formation of the perfect Christian and I shall lead him through all the steps and exercises of the Christian life from the beginning of his conversion to the summit of perfection.

The project that we are here attempting—the formation of the perfect Christian—is properly the work of the Holy Ghost, but just as grace does not preclude our own industry but rather concurs with it, so also neither does the interior instruction of God exclude the exterior teaching of men, but necessarily demands it. This office belongs especially to the priests and ministers of the Church to whom God commits us so that they may teach us and inform us of His law. So important is this office that Moses reserved it for himself alone, at the advice of Jethro, his father-in-law, who told him to refer all temporal matters to other judges but to keep for himself whatever touched upon religion and divine worship.² And because certain priests were later careless in this office, God spoke to them through a prophet, saying:³ "Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee, and thou shalt not do the office of priesthood to Me." Again, through the mouth of Isaias,⁴ God threatened them with a severe chastisement, saying that because of their attachment to their sins He would punish them with a terrible scourge in which wise men would lose their wisdom and the understanding of the prudent would be obscured. If the lack of wisdom in the elders was considered a great and terrible chastisement, the same is true if wisdom be lacking in the Church's ministers, for without the light of the intellect which guides and regulates the whole Christian life, what can be expected but blindness, irregularity, and other serious evils?

Although it is the office of preachers to cure this blindness with the light of God's word, preachers are not always available nor do they always treat of the matters that are most necessary. Neither are they able, as a rule, to descend to the particulars that moral doctrine demands, for this requires individual instruction which is not usually given from the pulpit. Therefore the reading of good books is highly profitable, for books are mute preachers that neither weary us because of their length, for we can always put them aside, nor leave us wanting because of their brevity, for it is within our power to continue reading as long as is necessary.

Although spiritual reading has always been necessary, it is even more so at the present time. In the ancient days of the primitive Church pastors and priests were so fervent and conscientious in the ministry of the word of God that preaching was of itself sufficient to preserve and promote the virtue of the faithful. Today, however, many priests think that nothing more is required of them than the administration of the sacraments and the celebration of Mass at specified times, and they content themselves with this. Therefore, the greater the lack in preaching, the greater the necessity of supplying for this deficiency by means of good books.

The fruits of the word of God, who can expound them? For His word is the light that illumines our understanding, the spark that inflames our will, the hammer that softens the hardness of our hearts, the knife that cuts off the excesses of our passions, the candle that illuminates all the steps of our lives, and the seed that bears fruits of eternal life. It is a food and nourishment that sustains us and a delight that enlarges and fortifies our souls in God. Whoever reads books on sound doctrine is able to partake of and enjoy such fruits.

So great is the light and fruit of spiritual reading that we know from experience many persons who have changed their entire lives by this means. When asked the root and cause of such a change, they responded that after reading such and such a book they resolved to amend their lives. So also the treasurer of the Queen of Ethiopia was reading the prophet Isaias while riding in his chariot and God converted him through St. Philip, who took as the text of his instruction the very passage that the eunuch had been reading.⁵ Moreover, the remarkable and heroic works that King Josias performed during his reign, whence did they proceed but from the reading of a sacred book that had been sent to him by the priest Helcias, as is related in the Book of Kings?⁶ And the astounding conversion of St. Augustine, did it not also begin with the reading of a holy book?

So sublime are the mysteries that the Christian religion proposes to man and so powerful for moving hearts that I would not be surprised if they effected a great change in anyone who attentively considers them. Moreover, spiritual reading serves not only to arouse those who are sleeping but also to safeguard those who are already awake. For that reason the word of God in Scripture is called bread or nourishment, because it sustains and preserves souls in the spiritual life just as material bread sustains the body in its corporeal life.

This is not a business to be hurried, but one that requires great deliberation, for it concerns the government of your entire life and what follows after. How insistent you are that your worldly affairs be carefully sifted and examined. You are not content with only one opinion concerning them, but you consider and review your case in numerous conferences with experts lest you make a mistake. But in this business of your Christian life you are not dealing with things of earth, but of heaven, nor of external affairs and interests, but of yourself. Realize, therefore, that the discussion of it must not be accompanied by dozing and yawning but with utmost attention. Therefore, do not read this book rapidly, as you would any other kind of book, scanning the pages hurriedly in order to reach the end. But sit down as a judge in the tribunal of your heart and listen to the words in silence. If up to this point you have erred, take care that you make a fresh start. Be sensible; cut the thread of your mistakes and begin to wind it in the other direction.

Which of you will say now that you believe me and will listen with attentive ears and later, like a good judge who has heard the allegations and proof, will pass sentence on yourself? What a blessed enterprise! What an effort well expended! I know well that I am attempting a great deal and that no amount of writing is sufficient to realize this task. For that reason, at the very outset I entreat Him who is the virtue and wisdom of the Father, to be present here and give spirit and life to my words so that they will move the hearts of those who read them.

Therefore, Christian reader, receive this little work which in a short time and with a little effort on your part will partially supply your needs. It will serve as a preacher, exhorting you to live well, and will furnish you with doctrine that will teach you how to live well. It will serve as a guide in your examination of conscience, as a preparation for the reception of Communion, as an impetus to prayer, and as a fruitful source of meditation. If this book has any merit at all, it is because it treats of everything that pertains to all Christians, whether they be beginners or proficients in the Christian life. Finally, if it has required great diligence and effort to compile all this material and present it in a smooth and easy style, all will be considered well spent if the fruitfulness of the book is equally as great, for no physical labor can begin to compare with the least spiritual benefit.

CHAPTER 1

God's Existence

THE first thing proposed for our belief among the articles of faith is that there is a God, for it is necessary to know that there is a ruler of the universe, a first truth and goodness, and a first cause on which all other causes depend and which itself depends on no other. This is the very foundation of our faith and the first thing which must be believed. Therefore the Apostle states: "For he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and is a rewarder to them that seek him."¹

This truth is so manifest to the natural light of reason that it can be acquired through an evident demonstration, as was done by many philosophers and is still done today by all wise men who, from a knowledge of the effects existing in the world, rise to a knowledge of the first cause from which they proceed, namely, God. For that reason St. Thomas says that learned men do not have faith in this first article because they possess evidence of its truth, and evidence is incompatible with the obscurity which is annexed to faith. But the ignorant do not possess such evidence and therefore they have faith concerning this article. They believe it because God has revealed it and the Church has proposed it for belief.

It may seem that one could be excused from discussing this question among Christians because they all profess this article of faith. So they do; but in spite of that, we have seen and still see daily men who are so impudent, so impious, and so perverse that although intellectually they confess that there is a God, they deny Him in their works. They do not live any differently as a result of believing in Him than if they did not believe in Him at all. For such as these, who keep the light of faith so hidden and forgotten, it will be beneficial to show clearly by the light of reason that there is a God. Perhaps this will give them a sort of jolt so that they will look to themselves. In addition to this, there is another and greater benefit which is common to all, namely, that the very things that proclaim God's existence likewise declare many of His perfections and especially His wisdom, omnipotence, goodness, and the providence by which He rules and governs all things.

Let us now see what principles the philosophers used in order to attain this truth so that we shall embrace with greater joy what our faith teaches. For when faith is wed with reason and reason with faith, the one attesting to the other, the soul enjoys a most lofty knowledge of God which is firm, certain, and evident. Faith strengthens us with its firmness and reason gladdens us with its clarity. Faith shows God to us covered by the veil of His greatness, but reason partly removes this veil so that God's beauty may be seen. Faith teaches us what we ought to believe; reason enables us to believe with joy.

These two lights together dissipate all darkness, calm the conscience, satisfy the understanding, remove doubts, and make us sweetly embrace the sovereign truth. Hence, we have two teachers: Sacred Scripture and creatures, both of which aid us greatly in the knowledge of our Creator. Therefore, let us consider some of the principles and arguments that the philosophers used for attaining the truth of God's existence. I say some, because we shall treat only of those that are most clear and best accommodated to the capacity of the laity, leaving the more subtle ones for the schools of theology.

Of all these arguments Cicero places great importance on the following: Among the many and varied nations in the world there is none so barbarous or savage that, although it may not know the true God, it will not at least understand that a God exists and honor Him with some type of veneration. The reason for this is that apart from the beauty and order of this world, which give constant testimony that there is a God who governs it, the Creator Himself has imprinted on the hearts of men a natural inclination to love and reverence God as the universal Father who sustains and governs all things. From this inclination proceeds that outward expression of religion which we see in all the nations of the world. And so strongly is this inclination impressed on human hearts that in its defense one nation will battle against another without having any other reason for fighting, as happened between the Christians and the Moors. For each side believes that its religion is the true one wherein God is fittingly honored and feels obliged to speak out in behalf of God and to wage war on those who do not honor Him as they believe He should be honored.

Moreover, each day we see men pass over from diverse sects to our religion, sometimes making great sa...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• Translator's Preface
• Foreword
• General Introduction
• Summa of the Christian Life - Volume 1
• Summa of the Christian Life - Volume 2
• Summa of the Christian Life - Volume 3