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Seeking Spiritual Direction: How to Grow the Divine Life Within
Father Thomas Dubay has written a guide for Christians who are considering spiritual direction or who are already engaged in the process. He explains what spiritual direction is, the qualities to look for in a good spiritual director, the process of finding a director, ways to develop a deeper prayer life, and how to continue growing when your enthusiasm wears thin. A Servant Book.
301 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
very-soon
March 4, 2014The sequel to Fire Within!
March 13, 2018
This is a meaty book that takes the reader on a spiritual journey toward advancement in holiness
October 4, 2021
One of my favorite spiritual direction books.
February 25, 2016
I don't know how many sentences I have underlined and put a check mark to remind myself that this sentences, these words are very powerful and informative. This book is definitely worth reading. It not just undertakes the Spiritual director and Directee relationship but how to live like a Saint and why Saints are saints and why Mary the mother of God should be mediated upon. This book is fantastic. Though definitely there are many sentences or even paragraphs that I have underlined and put a check on this book, I'll try to put some.
Definitely one of my favorite part of this book:
"Catholic Church is certainly not a democracy. She does not teach according to the latest polls. But she is not a dictatorship either. The first occupant of the papal office explicitly ruled out the dictatorial approach of leadership: no one may be forced to accept truth. Yet, we may still ask why the Church is not democratic in her teaching role- as she in many practical procedures. The fundamental reason is identical to why no classroom is democratic in the work of instructions. University professors are as dogmatic as the pope and bishops when they claim to be dealing with the truth. No chemist would accept the idea that water has no hydrogen in it. No geographer would agree with an assertion that Sydney is a suburb of Singapore. In grammar school, there are not five correct ways to spell the same word. No teacher takes a poll to resolve disagreements about arithmetic among the pupils.
The poll approach to religion and morality is shot through with a philosophical relativism (which is nor Einstein's physical theory) that rejects objective truth. By definition, truth is the conformity of mind and with reality. I possess the truth when I know that Sydney is on the southeast coast of Australia and that water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen. As soon as one accepts a final, objective divine revelation... Thus, there can be no naive declaration that "I am led by the Spirit" alone. Spiritual direction can flourish only when it is solidly grounded in the ecclesial community to which that revelation has been committed. We approach the guiding task not by promoting our private opinions but through the Father of lights, who gave his Spirit to the Church to bring her into all the truth..." p.40
"...the Holy Spirit is the chief guide both of the official teachers, the magisterium and of each of the ordinary faithful... "Spirit of Truth" would lead them "to the complete truth." p.35
"... when the Catholic Church examines the lives of candidates for canonization, she does not explore their inner delights or lack of them. She looks for heroic virtues, the concrete living of the Gospel...... Hence, if a person is generously giving God everything with no reservations, he or she need not worry about dry, empty-feeling periods at prayer. Most probably they are purification which prepare one for still deeper immersion in the Triune God..." p.160
".. Contempletion heals anyone at the deepest levels where the person is most radically fractured. Sin is the illness. Serious sin is a basic split from God, an alienation from truth, beauty, love. Venial sin is distancing of oneself from one's it is an illness but not unto death. Moral sickness often creates inner havoc, even when it does not beget neurosis or psychosis..... Contemplation and the Gospel virtues which are a condition for its flourishing definitely have a healing effect, even when they are not the sole remedy..." p.168
Okay that's enough quoting but really this book, as far as I consider myself as Agnostic but this book makes me realized that God is really something... a good something.. that makes me want to go back. This book gives me the thirst of being a Christian.... well.... aside from that I also like the dialogue method of explaining things here, the question and comment one.. This book is great and worth reading...
Definitely one of my favorite part of this book:
"Catholic Church is certainly not a democracy. She does not teach according to the latest polls. But she is not a dictatorship either. The first occupant of the papal office explicitly ruled out the dictatorial approach of leadership: no one may be forced to accept truth. Yet, we may still ask why the Church is not democratic in her teaching role- as she in many practical procedures. The fundamental reason is identical to why no classroom is democratic in the work of instructions. University professors are as dogmatic as the pope and bishops when they claim to be dealing with the truth. No chemist would accept the idea that water has no hydrogen in it. No geographer would agree with an assertion that Sydney is a suburb of Singapore. In grammar school, there are not five correct ways to spell the same word. No teacher takes a poll to resolve disagreements about arithmetic among the pupils.
The poll approach to religion and morality is shot through with a philosophical relativism (which is nor Einstein's physical theory) that rejects objective truth. By definition, truth is the conformity of mind and with reality. I possess the truth when I know that Sydney is on the southeast coast of Australia and that water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen. As soon as one accepts a final, objective divine revelation... Thus, there can be no naive declaration that "I am led by the Spirit" alone. Spiritual direction can flourish only when it is solidly grounded in the ecclesial community to which that revelation has been committed. We approach the guiding task not by promoting our private opinions but through the Father of lights, who gave his Spirit to the Church to bring her into all the truth..." p.40
"...the Holy Spirit is the chief guide both of the official teachers, the magisterium and of each of the ordinary faithful... "Spirit of Truth" would lead them "to the complete truth." p.35
"... when the Catholic Church examines the lives of candidates for canonization, she does not explore their inner delights or lack of them. She looks for heroic virtues, the concrete living of the Gospel...... Hence, if a person is generously giving God everything with no reservations, he or she need not worry about dry, empty-feeling periods at prayer. Most probably they are purification which prepare one for still deeper immersion in the Triune God..." p.160
".. Contempletion heals anyone at the deepest levels where the person is most radically fractured. Sin is the illness. Serious sin is a basic split from God, an alienation from truth, beauty, love. Venial sin is distancing of oneself from one's it is an illness but not unto death. Moral sickness often creates inner havoc, even when it does not beget neurosis or psychosis..... Contemplation and the Gospel virtues which are a condition for its flourishing definitely have a healing effect, even when they are not the sole remedy..." p.168
Okay that's enough quoting but really this book, as far as I consider myself as Agnostic but this book makes me realized that God is really something... a good something.. that makes me want to go back. This book gives me the thirst of being a Christian.... well.... aside from that I also like the dialogue method of explaining things here, the question and comment one.. This book is great and worth reading...
February 21, 2012
As someone who is just staring Spiritual Direction, this book was very valuable in setting my expectation for entering the process. What was especially helpful for me was the Q&A format that is used throughout most of the book. Those sections that were not Q&A were still extremely helpful in educating the reader as well. I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering finding a spiritual director or who has been at it for a while and wants to get refocused on the purpose of the process.
Want to read
April 28, 2010Father Dubay is a wonderful spiritual writer. I borrowed this title through interlibrary loan but had to return my copy before I'd had a chance to really read it through. Another happy Amazon purchase!
August 25, 2014
Excellent introduction to getting serious about a life in Christ.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews