Book: Deep Conversion / Deep Prayer by Fr. Thomas Dubay

[Crumpy]

This book is apparently the shorter version of the author’s deeper work on a similar topic, (The) Fire Within.

This is a self-help book on becoming a saint, on maximizing our holiness in life.

The road is deceptively simple: eliminate mortal sins, eliminate venial sins, develop a deep intimate relation through prayer with the Blessed Trinity.

The “surefire” program for doing this: Be concerned. Be determined. Be committed to meditative and contemplative prayer. Be motivated. Be humble. Be Specific. Be persevering.

And, part of the plan, focus confessions on the mortal sins, and the most important venial sins that we’re trying to overcome.

Become more loving of God and our neighbor. Use scripture, liturgy, and the lives of the saints to help yourself along.

Got it? any questions?

Well, you should. Fr. Dubay “punts” a lot to move the ball downfield. Under “humble” for example, he says to pray for prudence to apply the “beauty of the gospel” to the “immense” number of details of anybody’s life. (The rest is up to you.)

Keep this book in mind for your spiritual growth, but I suggest you keep shopping around for something less vague.

If you like a book that keeps nagging you about the fault of not eating correctly – the right kind of food and the right amount – this book may be for you.

 

[Crumpy]

A bit more on the title and theme of Fr. Dubay’s book:

MK 1:15 “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” NAB

Fr. Dubay uses the Jerusalem Bible which renders this verse as “Be converted and accept the gospel.” So, that gets us on our way.

He points out that most Catholics he knows by reputation or experience in the confessional commit the same sins over and over, year after year, decade after decade. So, he’s preaching the Gospel when he says “be converted.”

But, he’s also talking about “deep” or “complete” or “total” conversion, where we really strive to leave all sin behind us.
That’s what his book is about.

I’m still slowly reading about this subject from a different perspective: I’ve been reading Lutheran mnister Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “The Cost of Discipleship” which is essentially on the same idea, but from the perspective of being a disciple of Jesus Christ and what it entails.

If you can sidestep his apologetics for Lutheranism early in the book, you get to his gospel preaching on true discipleship and what he feels it entails. He’s in the same ballpark as Dubay. Discipleship means total rejection of sin. Jesus says to the disciple “follow me” and we must do the same as the disciples did in the gospel, they dropped their nets (or whatever) and immediately left to follow Jesus.

I haven’t finished reading the entire book yet; for me, it’s quite a burden to absorb his ideas. I suppose I’m in the same boat as the rich young man who left Jesus in a troubled state. Jesus told the young man to sell all he had and give the money to the poor and then to follow Jesus. Like so many, I imagine, how do I do that?

It’s the same dilemma that Dubay posits, that I described in the preceding post, of applying the gospel to the “immense” number of details in our life.

So far, Dubay’s explanation of our resistance to total conversion – our inborn egotism – is a bit clearer than Bonhoeffer’s.

Neither author offers any consolation to anybody who looks for an excuse for besetting sins. And, they can’t, as Jesus offers no refuge for a sinner. “Go and sin no more” Jesus says.

Our life has the promise of being “more abundant” in many ways if we separate ourselves from our egotism and sins and live a life in Jesus Christ.

 

[yinekka]

I have not read any of Fr Dubay’s books but I am sure that they are very helpful. At the moment I am reading The Fulfillment Of All Desire - a guidebook for the journey to God based on the wisdom of the saints by Ralph Martin.

This book discusses how one can attain union with God by quoting from doctors of the Church such as St Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross, St Bernard of Clairvaux and St Therese of Liseaux. RalphMartin referrs to the Doctors when speaking about the three stages of the spiritual life; the Purgative Way, The Illuminative Way and the Unitive Way.

Ralph Martin makes this difficult subject intelligible for people like me who don’t have any theological training but doesn’t dumb down the subject. Maybe when I finish this book I will go on to one of Fr Dubay’s books.

 

[DBT]

This is a self-help book on becoming a saint, on maximizing our holiness in life.

The road is deceptively simple: eliminate mortal sins, eliminate venial sins, develop a deep intimate relation through prayer with the Blessed Trinity.

The “surefire” program for doing this: Be concerned. Be determined. Be committed to meditative and contemplative prayer. Be motivated. Be humble. Be Specific. Be persevering.

And, part of the plan, focus confessions on the mortal sins, and the most important venial sins that we’re trying to overcome.

Become more loving of God and our neighbor. Use scripture, liturgy, and the lives of the saints to help yourself along.

Sounds like a pretty good plan to me

Got it? any questions?
Well, you should. Fr. Dubay “punts” a lot to move the ball downfield. Under “humble” for example, he says to pray for prudence **to apply the “beauty of the gospel” to the “immense” number of details of anybody’s life. **(The rest is up to you.)

And I think this is where contemplation comes into play. Through contemplation the soul will be shown light to do exactly what you say. The specifics, however, will vary by individual which is probably why it seems vague. My guess is that Fr. Dubay would have the reader move on to other books/guides when this stage is reached. Fr. Dubay knows his stuff . . . and he’s a wonderful spiritual guide.

I haven’t heard of this book . . . thanks!
Dave