Any one here a Lay Dominican?

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phil19034

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Anyone a Lay Dominican (Third Order)? I’m thinking about it, but would like to know more. What’s it’s like? I have a intellectual devotion to St Thomas Aquinas, so I’m thinking the Lay Dominicans might be good for me.

But I also have a devotion to the Blessed Mother, so I’ve been thinking about the Confraterity associated with the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. And I’ve also thought about the Mercedarian Third Order.

Any thoughts?
 
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Inquirer here.

I’ve only recently begun, but I like it so far! We do one of the Hours from the LOTH in community during our monthly reading, pray the rosary, and are studying a Papal document at the moment. You can have your Marian devotion and eat it too in the Dominicans: she is held in high esteem and devotions to her encouraged! There’s a story that once St. Dominic had a vision of Heaven, and saw people wearing all sorts of habits in Heaven – except there were no Dominican ones. Horrified, he turned to Our Lady and asked, “Is there not a single one of mine?” Our Lady then lifted her mantle to reveal many Dominicans under it. “Your Order shall be under my protection”, she told him in reply. Plus she also designed the Dominican habit; we’re very grateful to her! 😛
 
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Candidate here.

Our chapter gathers for formation, morning prayer, chapter business, and then study. We meet one Saturday per month, and have a retreat a couple times a year.

Currently we’re working through “The Life of St Catherine” by Raymond of Capua. Study is part of what we do; typically about the Dominican saints or works by Dominicans.

As a Dominican, we recite the Divine Office (typically morning and evening prayer) and rosary daily.
 
@Mrs_cloisters_OP is far better at explaining this sort of thing than I am.
I am a lay Dominican and believe me there isn’t enough room here to fully explain the charism. If you’re particularly attached to Our Lady I would say there isn’t a better order to join than the Dominicans. If you like to study and contemplate the faith and truth the Dominicans are for you!
 
Ask Our Lady to purify your intentions. Then drop all ambition to anything, and live a Sacramental life. Our Lord often reveals His will through life events. St Dominic often comes after his own.

Aim for daily Mass. Pick up use of the Liturgy of the Hours twice daily. Try your best to pray the rosary daily, as well. Make sure that you bring intentions to both. The more precise the intention, the more likely we are to receive it. Adoration is indespensable. Make a good general confession.

Ask your diocesan vocations director for guidance to those Third Orders in your diocese.

As for what it’s like, we always strive for truth, both spiritually and physically. Truth in all situations. Dominicans should have a great love for the Holy Name of Jesus. Our Lady conceived our charism in an effort to save her children who had fallen for Albigensianism. She designed the habit of the friars. She urged the use of the Rosary to help convert souls.

There’s 800 years of Dominican history to plow through, though. Studying the Saints of any order is a good way to learn about them.

I personally make a Morning Offering in which I offer my day for the promotion of the Cloistered vocation. Since I am my son’s transportation to and from work, my schedule revolves around him. This usually has me making the Particular Examen at 11:30 am, followed by the LOTH, Angelus, and lunch. It’s hard to almost impossible to get Evening Prayer in due to hubby’s schedule.

Blessings,
Mrs Cloisters OP
Lay Dominican
http://cloisters.tripod.com/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/
Http://cloisters.tripod.com/holyangels/id9.html/
 
I am a lay Dominican.

The four pillars of Dominican spirituality are these: prayer, study, community and apostolate.

PRAYER is no.1. It is the source of our spiritual strength. We pray at least the Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours (LOTH), and 5 decades of the rosary everyday. Daily mass is encouraged, but not required. Before I joined, I tried to develop the habit of praying the rosary everyday. I wanted to make sure that I can fulfill the obligations. It is not easy for someone who is working and who has a family to take care of. However, the promise does not bind under pain of sin, unless you are failing your obligation habitually or out of contempt; so if one day you fail to say the rosary or your Evening Prayer because you are very tired, then don’t worry about it and just pray again the next day.

STUDY - we are an Order of Preachers. We can’t put any substance to our preaching without study. You can continue studying St. Thomas, if you like. However, the chapter where you belong may have their own study program. The chapter may be studying the Vatican II documents, Church History, or the Bible. It doesn’t matter. But it will be in addition to your personal study of St. Thomas. Do not assume that all lay Dominicans will be talking about St. Thomas at every meeting. Not everybody in your chapter will be as interested in St. Thomas as you are, but that should not kill your interest in St. Thomas. I, too, love St. Thomas, and I study his writings whether the group studies them or not.

COMMUNITY - This aspect of Dominican life enables you to work with others in your chapter. The monthly meeting is one way that you nourish your solidarity with the Dominican family. If you have a common apostolate, try to join it, too, because it helps to build your community spirit.

APOSTOLATE - The preferred apostolate in the Order is preaching. But you can have other apostolate, like working with disabled or handicapped children, etc. St. Dominic preached and argued with the heretics in public. In the modern world some lay Dominicans assist in RCIA classes. Some teach catechism in schools. I do my preaching apostolate right here at CAF! I also have a website where I publish Catholic educational blogs. If you click my username at the upper left hand corner of this post, you will find a link to my website.

'Hope that helps.
 
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