Grou, Jean Nicolas: The Spiritual Life

We found this lost classic among the cherished works that French Catholics risked everything to save when the Church was under attack - in the frenzied days of the French Revolution and its aftermath.

Written by Fr. Jean Nicolas Grou, The Spiritual Life might seem on the face of it an odd choice for the embattled Catholics of France to preserve. After all, it only gives a few small hints here and there of the great crisis that was engulfing France. Yet preserve it they did.

A closer look at its contents reveals why: it's a tough, uncompromising handbook to help you deal with all the obligations and problems of the spiritual life. As such, it teaches you what you need to know and to do when the comforts and supports of life have been swept away.

Indeed, Fr. Grou reminds you right at the beginning that salvation is only won at a great price. He wrote this book for those who are willing to pay that price themselves. His focus is firmly on Christ, whom he maintains should be the model for your own spiritual life - not just in theory, but in the hard fact of sacrifice and love so great as to pierce your heart.

Our times are not so far removed from the Godless irrationality that swept across France in Fr. Grou's day. That's why, in our own tumultuous age, The Spiritual Life is so desperately needed. It's the one guide that offers you real help to navigate the treacherous spiritual waters of today's world, and through it all, to keep the Faith.