Today the Church commemorates St Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order popularly known as Order of Preachers. Dominic was a great preacher and pious religious priest who led many souls to piety and to religious life. My reflection comes from the readings suggested for today’s Memorial (1 Cor 2:1-10; Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10; Lk 9:57-62).
The Life of St Dominic
St Dominic was born about 1175 in Castile (Spain). He hailed from the illustrious Guzman family. First, he was a canon regular at Osma; then he founded the Dominican Order, which was approved in 1216. Alongside the Franciscans, it became one of the most renowned Orders in medieval times. The Church gained illustrious preachers — St. Vincent Ferrer, contemplatives, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Pope Pius V. The order contributed immeasurably to maintaining the purity of the Christian faith. Through their religious life and the apostolate of preaching the word of God, and through their religious foundations, the two contemporaries, Dominic and Francis, effected a tremendous spiritual renewal. Dominic was renowned for his intellectual and organizational talent. His spirit of moderation, clarity of thought, and burning zeal for the Christian life have become the heritage of the Dominican Order. To St. Dominic is attributed the origin and spread of the Holy Rosary. He died in at the age of 50 in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.*
Steadfastness in following the Lord
The liturgical readings for the memorial of St Dominic present some qualities of discipleship. According to Jesus’ teachings in the Gospel, steadfastness and docility in pursuit of virtue are aspects of discipleship. When we embrace God and the life of the Spirit of God, we can discern the will of God for us, and we are encouraged in our good decisions. One of the ways God’s will for us could be discerned is through reflection on the life of Jesus Christ, the crucified one.
The cross of Christ presents us with the irony of strength and weakness which characterize our own life. The cross as the symbol of discipleship and steadfastness reminds us to dedicate our life -intellect and will- for the sake of Christ and for the sake of bearing witness to him. This life of discipleship is such that our vocation emerges in living out the true wisdom of God in our daily life. It implies steadfastness in the pursuit of God’s will for us in our life and the resolve not to be discouraged by the vagaries of life. As the first reading puts it, God has a lot in store for us: “what eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1Cor 2,9). Looking at Jesus’s life and the example of the saints could encourage us in our little effort and bring us the understanding that our efforts will be transformed into greatness.
*The reflection on the life of Saint Dominic is excerpted from Catholic Culture, https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2020-08-08
