Saint Vincent Seminary faculty member Father Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B., has authored a new book, So We Do Not Lose Heart: Biblical Wisdom for All Our Days. Released by Archabbey Publications, the book contains eighty-three short reflections on passage of Scripture, which address, from various perspectives, the perennial human problem of mortality.
A prominent theme is, therefore, an invitation to trust the goodness of God in situations where we experience loss of control and the consequent need to rely on a higher power for love and support. These reflections also remind us that reliance on the goodness of God need not be a desperate last resort but can be in fact a joyful discovery that will illuminate the whole landscape of our lives.
This is the fifth book from Father Demetrius, a native of Carrolltown, Cambria County. His others are Cherish Christ Above All: The Bible in the Rule of Benedict; Flowers in the Desert: A Spirituality of the Bible; A Mystical Portrait of Jesus: New Perspectives on John’s Gospel and Praying the Scriptures.
The cover of So We Do Not Lose Heart has a symbolic as well as an historical meaning. Historically, said Father Demetrius, “it is a photograph of five of my grandnieces and grandnephews who are gathered in the cemetery of Saint Vincent Archabbey and Parish. They are children of my nephew, Pat, and his wife, Virginia, ranging in age from two to twelve. They are typical children who are full of life and who do not at all feel threatened by the existence of cemeteries. Symbolically, these children represent the ultimate victory of life in a society where death is feared and where the final victory of life seems to be little more than a fanciful dream. By contrast, these children are not at all concerned about the implication of the crosses and the tombstones in the cemetery where they are seated. In that respect, they are unwitting models for all of us who dare to dream of unending life through our union with Christ.”
“Our yearning for eternal life and happiness is also encouraged by the title of this book, which is taken from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians: ‘So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day’ (4:16),” Father Demetrius added.
“Vibrant children in a cemetery remind us therefore, through all our days but especially as we grow older, that the horizons of human life are constantly illuminated by God’s love for us, guaranteed by Jesus himself, who represents a resounding “Yes” to all God’s promises, including especially the promise of life (see 2 Cor 1:20).”
Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B., received a doctorate in theology from the Atheneum of Saint Anselm in Rome, and after graduate studies at the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem, was awarded the License in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Commission in Vatican City. Father Demetrius has taught Scripture at Saint Vincent Seminary for over fifty years and was rector of the Seminary for seventeen years.
So We Do Not Lose Heart is available for $12.95 plus $4 shipping from Archabbey Publications, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690, Saint Vincent Store
