the Christian formation of not a few generations.527

An outstanding figure in the field of spiritual guidance for youth is Charles Gobinet (1613-1690): a priest from Paris; he was the author of a popular book I’instruction de la jeunesse en la pieté chretienne, tirée de le écriture sainte et de Ss.Péres, Divisée en cinq parties. (The instruction of youth in Christian piety, drawn from Sacred Scripture and from the Fathers of the Church divided into five parts).528 Many others who offer similar educational schemes, usually spiritual in content and all exclusively directed to the youth of a certain social and cultural level, follow Gobinet.

The following are worth mentioning: Francis Avondo's Theotimus, namely, family-like instruction on the Christian duties of young people and especially young students. A booklet suited to all classes of people.529 Cardinal De La Luzerne's A Booklet on the duties of the young530; Claudio Arvisenet's An Address to Youth;531 A bouquet of flowers for boys and girls, namely a Christian antidote in defence of innocence.532

The basic themes are found more explicitly expressed in the model described by Charles Gobinet in The Instruction of Youth.533 The first volume describes, in five parts, the fundamental aspects of youth, a help towards their Christian salvation and the journey leading to the attainment of virtue, that is holiness:

l) On the reasons and motives which justify a man's duty to pursue virtue from his early

years.

2) On the means needed to acquire virtue during youth.

3) On the obstacles which turn the young away from virtue.

4) On the virtues needed by the young.

5) On choosing one vocation in life.534

The crowning point is provided by a Treatise on meditation, namely, on mental prayer regarded as possible and necessary for the young also.535 The second volume, a bit less bulky, is entirely dedicated to the two sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist: Instruction on Penance and on the means needed to return to God through real conversion536 and Instruction on Holy Communion. 537 There is an

527 P. Stella, Valori spirituali nel “Giovane provveduto”, 22.

528 Istruzione della Gioventù nella pietà cristiana, (Turin: Association Librai Maspero e Serra, 1831), “Scelta biblioteca

economica d’opere di religione”, vol. 23. There were some Italian editions amongst which Venics, 1708, 1765, 1831,

and at Lodi 1815.

529 Turin, in the press of Giacomo Giuseppe Avondo, 1768, 440 pages. Fr Francesco Avondo was a son of the printer’s;

Doctor in theology, inclined to Jansenism, he died in 1776.

530 Genoa, tip. Como 1842, 71 pages.

531 Milan, tip e libr. Pirotta e Comp., 1842, 240 pages. Fr Verrà then published also in Letture Cattoliche, year 7, number

7, September 1859, under the title “La Guida della Gioventù nelle vie della salute”, (Turin: Paravia, 1858).

532 Turin, from the Paravia Press 1836, 252 pages. The second edition came out the same year, printed by Giacinto

Marietti, “riveduta e migliorata aggiuntovi un breve esercizio per la confessione, comunione e messa. Del sac. S.B.A.”,

304 pages, an extract from Antiveleno, the Memoriale cristiano ossia indirizzo pratico di vita cristiana con un

brevissimo esercizio per la S. Confessione, Comunione e Messa tratto dal Mazzolin di fiori ai fanciulli ed alle fanciulle,

(Turin: per Giacinto Marietti Tipografo Librajo), 36 pages.

533 Quoted from the Venice edition of 1708 in two works: Instruzione della gioventù nella Pietà Cristiana, cavata dalla

Sacra Scrittura, e da’ Santi Padri. Opera del signor Carlo Gobinet Teologo della Sorbona, and Primicerio del Collegio

Plessis-Sorbona, (Venice: Paolo Baglioni, 1708).

534 C. Gobinet,Instruzione, 1, 1-563.

535 Ibid., 564-610.

536 Ibid., 2, 3-27-