After the success of The Catholic Girl's Guide in 1906, Father Lasance followed it with The Young Man's Guide in 1910, offering Catholic boys and young men a companion volume written especially for the challenges they would face on the road to manhood. Members of the Blue Knights Boys' Clubs, which were inspired by this book, will find much that is familiar in its approach to Christian virtue.
Here, the Christian life is presented as a battle, and the young man as a soldier who must be properly armed if he hopes to conquer. Drawing upon St. Paul's image of the armor of God, Father Lasance equips his readers with the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Hope, the Breastplate of Justice, and a whole arsenal of spiritual weapons. The virtues are not merely qualities to admire, but weapons to be wielded in the daily struggle against temptation and sin.
Yet victory in this battle means more than resisting evil. Lasance also offers practical counsel on work, friendship, self-control, courtesy, and the responsibilities of manhood, before turning to the important decisions concerning marriage, the priesthood, and religious life. Throughout, he reminds young men that the character they form now will shape both their earthly lives and their eternal destiny.
Like its companion volume, the original Young Man's Guide also served as a prayer book, containing numerous devotions, litanies, and a Latin Missal. To make this edition more portable and affordable, most of that material has been omitted, while selected prayers and the original preparation for Confession, including its thorough examination of conscience, have been retained. The instructional text remains complete, making this an abridged edition only in its devotional contents.
Brand-new illustrations by Julie Streeter bring the spiritual weapons of this classic guide to life, making it a handsome companion to The Catholic Girl's Guide.
5.5" x 8.5" paperback 458 pages
