I have some questions about the Dominicans too. I’ve got something of a gift for preaching and knowledge about the faith, and I love Marian devotion deeply, so the Dominicans are extremely interesting to me. I’m also deeply interested in genuine ecumenism, bringing non-Catholic churches or religious communities into the Catholic Church. Do the Dominicans have much of an emphasis on ecumenism?
It’s hard to know where to start here. The Dominicans have a very heavy
doctrinal emphasis. If you’re interested in knowing clearly the doctrine which the Church teaches, so that you can more clearly critique the errors of various denominations, then the Dominicans can’t hurt; after all, they are foremost in intellectual approach to the faith.
Another question. I’m also interested in visiting the sick and troubled and working for the poor and homeless, for people in need. While my #1 interest is evangelism, I’m also very interested in pursuing good works and helping people in need. I know the Jesuits and Franciscans do this, but I haven’t found anything about the Dominicans in this regard, as yet. Do the Dominicans do much of this?
The apostolate varies, and you should contact the province that you would be interested in joining to see what precisely they do. The Dominican charism tends to focus more directly on ‘spiritual’ works of mercy-- instructing the ignorant through preaching the gospel and helping the sinner by absolving his sins. There are different ‘sorts’ of good works, which various orders put different emphases on. These are all good ways to God’s love. Like the Franciscans, the Domincans live a life of vowed poverty.
I also have questions about Dominican evangelism. How do they go about this? Is it all street-corner evangelism, or do they do door-to-door? Do they write literature about the faith for non-Catholics, or speak in Protestant or non-Christian meetings? Also, how much of an emphasis do Dominican preachers have on preaching to fellow Catholics? Do they focus more on preaching to Catholics than they do on preaching to non-Catholics, or does this depend which branch of the religious order we’re talking about?
Another question. Do the Dominicans allow much in the way of corporal mortifications in their order?
I’m sure that there is a wide degree of freedom to engage in penance according to the instruction of your confessor. The way of Christ is the way of love, of course, and corporal mortification, when appropriate, is merely a means to an end.
And what role do the life of prayer and mysticism play in Dominican lives? I’m sure they all, across the board, pray a lot. How much are contemplation and mysticism part of the lives of the friars?
Contemplare et contemplata aliis tradere.
To contemplate and to give to others the things contemplated. A more literal sense of what it is getting at (although not translation) might be, “to contemplate and to share the One contemplated.” Sometimes this motto is taken in a too academic way, but the saying doesn’t apply only to academic knowledge. Any Dominican is expected to meet the Lord in prayer, and thus to go out and to share the Lord with others. An intimate prayer life is a must for any active apostolate.
The Dominicans have their fair share of famous mystics, including Bl. Henry Suso and Meister Eckhart. But mysticism in that sense isn’t necessarily the regnant theme of mysticism and contemplation in the order. I would take a look at St. Dominic, who although undoubtedly a mystic, was given a handful of amazing gifts from the Lord. The first is the gift of tears. At every Mass he celebrated, St. Dominic would be overcome with the gift of tears at the consecration. The second is his desire for the souls of the lost. St. Dominic would make long vigils, weeping, and imploring the Lord continually, “Lord, what will become of sinners?” This is to say nothing of a concurrent gift: St. Dominic rarely slept, and had no bed. All night vigils were something of a norm for him, not an exception.
St. Dominic is also famous for always 'talking with God or about Him." This, of course, is the essence of mysticism, which is nothing other than an intimate communion with the Lord. He would always take time when traveling to praise the Lord, and indeed, was never caught talking with his brethren except to God, in prayer, or about God, to his brethren.
St. Dominic was certainly a ‘mystic’-- although we know little of the intimate interior gifts which he received
as interior. Likewise, the great saints of the order lived profound lives of union with our Lord. Think of St. Thomas Aquinas who was granted a great vision by the Lord (no doubt, the
crowning of his deep mystical union, and not that in which it consisted), who asked him, “What will you have, Thomas?” And Thomas replied, “Nothing if not You, Lord.”
Deep prayer is the necessary base to the apostolate.
I’ve never read this, but a quick search of “cum deo vel de deo” (“with God or about God”-- how St. Dominic spoke), revealed it:
ewtn.com/library/PRIESTS/OP-SOUL.TXT
I’m a guy, so I’m obviously really interested in knowing the answers to these questions as pertains to the friars. How do they live the life of prayer and charity and evangelism? I’m very eager to learn the details.
Read up on the Dominicans, and check out the local communities.
-Rob
P.S. I almost forgot to mention the female Dominican saints. These women most definitely attained the heights of mystical union: St. Catherine of Siena, St. Catherine de Ricci (bearer of the Holy Stigmata), St. Rose of Lima, and many more.
