February 11, 2009

Deep Conversion/Deep Prayer

Someone looking after my soul lent me Thomas Dubay's Deep Conversion/Deep Prayer, and I read it last week when I wasn't feeling well. It's an inspiring little book, and worth the time for anyone who has become complacent and needs a little kick in the spiritual pants.

Dubay sets the tone for the book with this quote from St. Bernard: "There are more people converted from mortal sin to grace, than there are religious converted from good to better." He then develops this thought in an effort to deliver the reader from complacency and to convince us that we ought to drive ourselves on to become saints. To replace serious sins with regular spiritual practice is just the beginning; we should spur ourselves on to total devotion and complete sanctity.

To this end Dubay provides us with a "surefire program" under the following headings:

Be concerned.
Be determined.
Be committed to meditative and contemplative prayer.
Be motivated.
Be humble.
Be specific.
Be persevering.

I know that he is a popular spiritual writer, but this is the first book by Dubay that I have read. It was enough to get me intrigued, though, so I'll be looking for more.
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1 comment:

  1. for narnia8:54 PM

    great post, Fr. C! i'm not familiar with thomas dubay, but it sounds like the book you talk about is a very helpful book for "anyone who has become complacent," as you mention in your post. going through conversion and deep praying is not easy. i think we really have to change our way of thinking and acting and the way we see things - we should try to see God and the good in everyone and everything - if we look hard enough, there is always some good in every situation in life. if i had to pick just a few things that seem to help me stay focused from the list of headings that you mention, i would say that determination, committment, motivation, being humble and persevering are the things that i try to stick with that help me in prayer and everyday life. (sometimes i'm not concerned or specific enough, but i'm working on it!) thanks for sharing this, Fr. C! it's an important reminder for us all! PEACE! ~tara t~

    ReplyDelete

Faithful, or even just thoughtful criticisms are always welcome. Uninformed rudeness to other posters or to the Lord and His Church is not.

I also reserve the right to reject comments promoting things like private revelations and fringe points of view, if it seems to me like they are being presented in a misleading way.

If you raise a disagreement with something I say but I do not respond, please do not feel slighted or insulted, or imagine that this automatically means I disagree or agree with you. It's just that I don't find the comment box to be a constructive medium for certain forms of debate.