Happy are You Poor: The Simple Life and Spiritual Freedom

Great book if you are ready to be salty and take the plunge in living out the Gospels. Highly recommend.

Excellent as always, the late Father Thomas Dubay (1921-2010) tackles the question of what Gospel poverty means for the various states of life.I read another review which found the first four chapters kind of boring. But whether it was his EWTN shows, or his books, Father always proceeded in a deliberate manner, defining terms, and it pays off in the end. Father doesn't give a one-size fits all answer to what Gospel poverty means for each state in life (He says some positions may require certain trappings), but in general he says we need necessities but don't need superfluities."A superfluity ... is a thing that is needed neither for itself as an end nor as a means to get to something that is so needed. Food is superfluous when because of quality and/or quantity it is not needed for health. ... Pursuing a superfluity is pursuing a dead end. ... This is the advice given to Titus: we must give up everything that does not lead to God (Tit 2:12)." (P.104)I think the best things about this book are all the anecdotes Father includes about the saints and how they viewed Gospel poverty, and Father's personal thoughts. For instance:"He (St. Robert Bellarmine) had a fixed principle that it was better to be deceived a hundred times (by beggars) than miss one genuine case." (P.71)"What are we to fear? Death? 'Life to me means Christ, and death is gain.' Exile? 'The earth and its fullness belong to the Lord.' The confiscation of our goods? 'We brought nothing into this world and we shall surely take nothing from it.' I have only contempt for the world's threats, I find its blessings laughable. I have no fear of poverty, no desire for wealth." - St. John Chrysostom who was exiled (P.60)And some of Father Dubay's personal thoughts:"Our destiny is literally out of this world. ... Before this destiny all worldly glitter is dull ... nothing, absolutely nothing on the face of the earth compares with the advanced possession of God in deep prayer. ... Our sole end in life is immersion in ... God." (PP. 41, 92)

I read this book in one day almost straight through. It is very good. It was tough at times to read as it leaves little room for the reader to try to convince himself that it doesn’t apply to him. Everything he writes is very well supported by scripture with lots of citations.I think that when we hear that we are to pick up our cross and follow Jesus we often forget that we are following him to Calvary to be crucified at the end. Thomas Dubay shows very clearly the gospel message of how we are to ‘Crucify our desires’ as it regards material things. I highly recommend for anyone who wants to respond to the call to sainthood.

This is an excellent outline for daily life for everyone. I thought I lived a simple life, I realize that I have a long way to come. This was a good way to put it in words and structure. It was definitely a challenging book for a daily life prayer.

This book was mentioned in an interview with Taylor Marshal on EWTN's Journey Home hosted by Marcus Grodi. Marcus Grodi briefly mentioned in the book as noteworthy and the name instantly jumped out at me. As a young adult I find myself spending a significant amount of time on matters such as owning a home and financial security. I was very intrigued about the contents of the book and how it could help me gain a better perspective on life as a Catholic. I am happy I did and I can honestly say it has changed my entire perspective on life and living out my vocation (whatever that turns out to be) Purchased the Kindle version but would like to own the hard copy as well.The Pro's- simple table of contents structure- many examples of lives of the saints in relation to how they lived out the message of the book- in text biblical citations great for further reading and referencing when sharing topic with others- short in length- offers great insight for growing in faith as a pilgrim here on earth- examen at the end of the book provides great questions for self reflection and prayer. The examen follows the outline of the book so it is easy to refer back to certain sections when answering some questions.Cons-The book is NOT very reader friendly for average people in the sense it could have been written more simpler to appeal to even someone who has basic education. While I appreciate expanding my vocabulary, too many times was I required to use the dictionary feature in the Kindle app to the extent that it because the only turn off when reading the book. While the content is great, it is not a book for everyone based on this aspect.

You probably will not enjoy this book. For a spiritual book, it is not difficult reading. But it can be painful reading, as it cuts to the quick. Many of us need to ask whether our treasure is in things, rather than God. Doing so is not diverting. But it might save your soul.

If only a few thousand or even just a few hundred people read this book and actually lived out the very challenging message then the world would be changed. Just as the Early Church evangelized and converted much of the world at the time, the same spread of Catholicism could be seen today if people actually lived the radical lifestyle Jesus taught.This book gives a very challenging way of doing that. It provides steps and helpful questions along the way to determine if the reader is living a life of virtuous poverty. Father Dubay goes in to great detail about what poverty is and is not and does not give an easy way to wiggle out of an obligation that every Christian is called to. Great read. Prayerfully consider this call to live out this beatitude.

Reading this book felt like running a marathon when unprepared! The first 49 pages were a really hard slog, replete with theological concepts and rich Roman Catholic jargon. I made slow progress and on several occasions felt like abandoning this book. Fr Dubay originally wrote this title in 1981 and his style is dated and pious and he stacks up his arguments with up to eight reasons in support of a point he makes. No doubt it's theologically sound, but just not very reader-friendly.However, like running a marathon, if you keep going, and run through the 'wall' it's possible to get into a good rhythm and enjoy the run to the finishing line. For me, it was really good from page 102 (of 170) in Chapter 11, entitled 'Necessities and Superfluities' – that choice of title alone may give some indication of the author's wordiness. The final chapter, contrasting joy with pleasure, was thought-provoking and made the whole exercise worthwhile. Just as in running a marathon, it was a stretch but gave a sense of achievement on completion.Dubay's messages are stark yet simple – the more you fill your life with materialism and 'stuff' the further you are from living the life that Jesus taught us to follow. Dubay acknowledges what is reasonable and appropriate for today's world – computers, phones and air travel can all be okay, as is making sound provisions for your family – however, he cautions against excess and waste.This book is exceptionally well-researched on two dimensions – in quoting verses from the Bible in support of the theological points made; and in quoting examples from the lives of saints to illustrate acceptable ways in which people have balanced gospel poverty within their own lives.Having finished the book I felt joyously happy and immediately dived back into several of the chapters, in particular Chapter 11! It could be that starting from the beginning again may make a second reading more rewarding.The message is quite unique and the book is worth reading. However, it is not an easy read and it won't be for everybody, which is why I have given it only four stars.

In some respects, I have mixed feelings about this book. It's hard, really hard, to read at times. Not because the author is unskilled (on the contrary, he's a compelling and interesting writer), but the topic is mentally and spiritually exhausting to read! On my third reading (I read it four times in about 6 months), I finally wised up and tackled it with a highlighter. It made it easier to digest in the long run, and if I put it aside for a few weeks I could "catch up" by just reading the highlighted portions.This book will change how you think about not only your "stuff", but how to interact with the world, especially the less fortunate. It will make you think long and hard about certain gospel passages that you *thought* you knew and understood. It will make you feel guilty and ashamed of how you've squandered money and resources. It will drive you to Confession once you come to terms with the enormity of what he says. At least, it did for me. It was the only way I could move forward and shed the guilt and do better.

Very humbling

Very radical book. Still trying to process it!

Inspiring. Everyone should read it.