In the Footsteps of St. Dominic - Exploring Dominican Spirituality

[TrueLight]

I’m starting this thread not only to say how awesome St Dominic was and is, but also to discuss some aspects of Dominican spirituality that we can all incorporate into our lives.

I posted some text from the lay Dominican Site, which has a great breakdown of the Four Pillars of Dominican life. The four pillars are: prayer, study, community, apostolate.

In what ways can we apply just one of these pillars to our lives to help us in our path to holiness?

If anyone has incorporated some Dominican spirituality into their life, please share.

The Four Pillars of Dominican Life

Prayer

Prayer is the beginning point of Dominican life. Without prayer, we have no living relationship with Christ. St. Dominic recognized the importance of prayer and insisted that his religious and lay followers practice a rigorous daily prayer schedule. Only through putting Christ first each day and by taking adequate time to pray to Him and contemplate Him can Dominicans have lasting fruits to give the world. We see, then, why one of the Dominicans’ greatest mottoes, taken from St. Thomas Aquinas’ “Summa Theologiae,” is “to contemplate and to share the fruits of your contemplation.”

A beautiful aspect of St. Dominic’s communion with God is helpful to note here. Author Mary Sheehy (whose work is contained in the Dominican Fraternities novitiate booklet) tells us that St. Dominic’s prayer life was so filled with reverence and awe before God and an emptying of himself that he often wept. “He could not come to God nor be mindful of Him that he did not weep. He wept when he offered Mass. He wept when he prayed. He wept for his sins. He wept for the sins of others. He wept and even sobbed out loud when he thought of God’s fidelity which continues in spite of our indifference, truculence even, or negligence.” Far from being sentimental, St. Dominic shed these tears because God had blessed him with a deep knowledge of Himself and all that He had done for mankind.

Study

St. Dominic understood that study of the truth forms the human soul and makes a man alert and attentive in his knowledge of and life in Christ. In addition, though, St. Dominic shows us a further reason why we study: the saint thirsted for souls, longing to spend his life to the last drop in order to share the truth of his Christian convictions with all he met. Everything that St. Dominic studied deepened his thirst and longing for God. And because of this first love for Christ, everything that St. Dominic studied would ultimately be put to use in some form in his apostolic life in order to serve and save souls: his solid formation in Scripture and theology prepared him to found his Order and educate his brothers and sisters; his appreciation for diverse subjects made him an effective evangelist of many different types of people; his firm grasp of truth helped him to refute heresy with cutting accuracy.

Community

When we speak about community in Dominican life, we need first to differentiate between how community is lived among Dominican religious and how it is lived among Dominican Fraternity members. The religious of the Dominican Order-priests, brothers, deacons, nuns, and sisters-live in community and pray in common. Their home is a priory (priests, brothers, deacons), a monastery (nuns), or a convent (sisters). Since the structure of Dominican life calls for a democratic system of governance, the members of each of these religious bodies elect the leadership among themselves. Because St. Dominic created a mendicant order, Dominican religious provide for themselves through begging. They share all of the responsibilities of communal living, from housework to cooking, and they engage in their intellectual formation together, taking classes, attending lectures, and studying together.

All of these activities experienced in common are, of course, crowned by the most important events each day: coming together in the chapel for the Mass and for praying aloud the Liturgy of the Hours. Most Dominican religious communities also allot time, as a community, for silent contemplation and spiritual reading. These communal times of prayer bind the community in Christ.

For most modern fraternity members, living one’s vocation in the Order is much different from the way in which religious live. Most fraternity members work in the world and attend to their vocation of marriage and the responsibilities of family life or to the responsibilities specific to their single state of life. Therefore for most fraternity members, though not all, community life is most directly experienced in the family. For example, a father who has a vocation to the Fraternities of St. Dominic carries out most directly the communal aspect of his vocation with his wife and children. He prays with them, cares for them, and helps them.

Apostolate

St. Dominic had tremendous zeal for the salvation of souls. This zeal flowed from his intense love for Christ and the Church. At every opportunity, St. Dominic sought to form himself in Christ’s truth so as to become a more luminous and effective witness of the Gospel.

Fraternity members , who are mostly laity living and working in the world, have a special call in their apostolic life. Lay people have the ability to penetrate with the Gospel areas of the world that religious cannot reach. Therefore, like St. Dominic, fraternity members have a very specific apostolate that they choose to undertake, that of preaching the Gospel to the poorly catechized, to the uncatechized, to unbelievers, and to those who are hostile to the Gospel. Fraternity members are called to imitate the fearless example of their founder who labored his entire life as a priest against the insidious Albigensian heresy, even staying awake all night at a pub, evangelizing and persuading the pub owner until the man’s eyes were opened to the truth of Christ! The apostolate of the Fraternities of St. Dominic always involves teaching truth, especially to those people who are farthest from it.

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/4901/stdominic.jpg

 

[TrueLight]

I am trying my best to incorporate the first pillar (prayer) on a consistent basis. I pray every day, but my goal is to incorporate prayer in the mornings before I do anything else and of course at night time. I’d also like to incorporate lectio divina.

The other day, I thought I was doing my little lectio. I had just finished reading a Biblical passage and my eyes were closed as I mediated on the words. Suddenly the meditation got a little too vivid and there was action going on in this meditation. Only then did I realize I had actually dozed off.

Gotta keep trying.

 

[april32010]

well,this is timely i’m in inquiry for third order now.we meet once a month at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington D.C.

 

[mountee]

Wow, you have just blessed my life with an opportunity. Thank you for taking the time to organize this and bring it to us.

 

[Melchior_1]

I am trying my best to incorporate the first pillar (prayer) on a consistent basis. I pray every day, but my goal is to incorporate prayer in the mornings before I do anything else and of course at night time. I’d also like to incorporate lectio divina.

The other day, I thought I was doing my little lectio. I had just finished reading a Biblical passage and my eyes were closed as I mediated on the words. Suddenly the meditation got a little too vivid and there was action going on in this meditation. Only then did I realize I had actually dozed off.

Gotta keep trying.

I will freely acknowledge that my prayer life could use some substantial improvements. That said, I do very much enjoy Lectio.

I believe it was Brother JR who said once that “remember, what makes the Order of Preachers true brothers, is not their knowledge, but their love. It is easy to learn, it is difficult to love”.

A fantastic quote.

 

[TimothyH]

The one thing I notice from my limited exposure to Dominicans is their great joy. It is almost as if joy is their default spiritual state.

“The Oblate Life” is a book containing essays on a variety of topics specific to Benedictine oblate and lay associate spirituality, all written by oblates themselves. I mention this not to change the subject, but to wonder out loud if there is a Dominican equivalent or something similar from Lay Dominicans.

That fourth pillar isn’t going to win you any friends, especially in NYC. It’s sure needed though.

-Tim-

 

[Laudate_Dominum]

There’s Proctor’s Dominican Tertiary’s Manual. But I can’t find a PDF for it on the 'net sadly . The best thing I have is a Dominican Prayer Manual PDF.

The one thing I notice from my limited exposure to Dominicans is their great joy. It is almost as if joy is their default spiritual state.

“The Oblate Life” is a book containing essays on a variety of topics specific to Benedictine oblate and lay associate spirituality, all written by oblates themselves. I mention this not to change the subject, but to wonder out loud if there is a Dominican equivalent or something similar from Lay Dominicans.

That fourth pillar isn’t going to win you any friends, especially in NYC. It’s sure needed though.

-Tim-

 

[JGMendes4049]

I love Dominicans! I’ll be following this thread.

 

[TrueLight]

At the founding of the Dominican order, Pope Innocent III told Dominic that he could not write his own rule, but that he had to choose from an existing rule.

He chose the Rule of St Augustine, a short rule which can be found here.

Some highlights from the Rule:

1. There should be nothing about your clothing to attract attention. Besides, you should not seek to please by your apparel, but by a good life.

Even though the Rule is more for the Religious, does the above rule speak to anyone beside me?

1. In your walk, deportment, and in all actions, let nothing occur to give offense to anyone who sees you, but only what becomes your holy state of life.

1.Your should either avoid quarrels altogether or else put an end to them as quickly as possible; otherwise, anger may grow into hatred, making a plank out of a splinter, and turn the soul into a murderer. For so you read: Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer (1 Jn 3:15).

1. Let all of you then live together in oneness of mind and heart, mutually honoring God in yourselves, whose temples you have become.

 

[TrueLight]

I mention this not to change the subject, but to wonder out loud if there is a Dominican equivalent or something similar from Lay Dominicans.

That fourth pillar isn’t going to win you any friends, especially in NYC. It’s sure needed though.

-Tim-

I don’t know if there are any books. Something to look into.

However, there are a lot of good blogs by lay Dominicans like this blog. I’m not sure if it is still regularly updated, but she has a lot of good commentary on life as a lay Dominican. There are tons more.

What got me interested in Dominican spirituality is a book that was recommended by a CAF member, The Life of St Dominic, by August A. Drane.

 

[TrueLight]

well,this is timely i’m in inquiry for third order now.we meet once a month at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington D.C.

Awesome!

Wow, you have just blessed my life with an opportunity. Thank you for taking the time to organize this and bring it to us.

No problem. I’m having fun!

I love Dominicans! I’ll be following this thread.

What do you most love about Dominicans and Dominican spirituality?

 

[TrueLight]

s.

That fourth pillar isn’t going to win you any friends, especially in NYC. It’s sure needed though.

-Tim-

We’ll I’m not saying I’m going to be a street preacher, LOL.

It’s funny, I ended up having a theological discussion with my evangelical co-worker and friend on the whole idea of the sinner’s prayer and if it is Biblical. I promised to send her some verses on Baptism. That is one way to share one’s faith.

 

[JReducation]

The one thing I notice from my limited exposure to Dominicans is their great joy. It is almost as if joy is their default spiritual state.

“The Oblate Life” is a book containing essays on a variety of topics specific to Benedictine oblate and lay associate spirituality, all written by oblates themselves. I mention this not to change the subject, but to wonder out loud if there is a Dominican equivalent or something similar from Lay Dominicans.

Not really. An oblate is proper to a monastery. He or she is attached to a house. The Friar Preachers are mendicants. They don’t have stability. One cannot make an oblation of himself or herself to a non-existent house. I say non-existent to mean that the houses of mendicants are not permanent, as are the houses of monastics.

That fourth pillar isn’t going to win you any friends, especially in NYC. It’s sure needed though.

-Tim-

This is true, but one also has to remember how the mendicant movement preaches. It’s not what traditionalists think. It’s far from it. It’s really education. The one wonderful example from the life of our Holy Father Dominic is the owner of the pub. Dominic remained with him all night, but he was not preaching to him in the sense that many think. It was a dialogue with a lot of respect.

Dominic is faithful to Augustine, as are the rest of the Dominicans. They do not argue or engage in quarrels, not even over the faith. The Dominican presents and invites. If the other person is not interested, the Dominican very humbly and cheerfully bids him farewell and does not bother the person.

In the mendicant tradition, we’re not called “friar” because it’s a cute title. It comes from the French, “frere” or brother.

Notice that the mendicants always place brotherhood before the apostolate. Among Franciscans it is the second pillar and among Dominicans it is the third. Why? Because you go into the world as its brother, not its adversary. You don’t go into the world to fight a war. The friar is no one’s enemy.

His approach to preaching is very feminine in the sense that it is very gentle, not he he is effeminate. Dominic and Francis agreed on the feminine quality of preaching. The preacher is like a mother who presents, persuades, guides, corrects and points to the Father. The preacher is not aggressive.

He is fearless in presenting truth. But this fearlessness must be properly understood. It means that he is not afraid to say that the sky is up when everyone says that it’s down. Fearless does not mean that he argues with and becomes an enemy of everyone who says that the sky is down. Just the opposite. He holds on to the truth, while at the same time he allows the person in error room and time to come around. In that sense, he’s like a mother. He is patient, persistent, but not pushy.

Our tendency is to imagine the preacher as a pushy person. I believe it may have something to do with the fact that many traditionalists come from Protestant backgrounds, especially fundamentalist, where preachers can be very aggressive. That’s far from what the Dominican preacher is all about.

The Dominican preacher is very gentle, fraternal, patient, respectful of human freedom, and completely dependent on the grace of God. It is not his job to grant the gift of faith. It’s God’s job. His job is to nurture it.

Fraternally,

Br.JR, FFV

 

[TimothyH]

We’ll I’m not saying I’m going to be a street preacher, LOL.

It’s funny, I ended up having a theological discussion with my evangelical co-worker and friend on the whole idea of the sinner’s prayer and if it is Biblical. I promised to send her some verses on Baptism. That is one way to share one’s faith.

The thought of the guy with the bullhorn in the Flatbush LIRR/Subway station came to mind.

-Tim-

 

[OraLabora]

I am trying my best to incorporate the first pillar (prayer) on a consistent basis. I pray every day, but my goal is to incorporate prayer in the mornings before I do anything else and of course at night time. I’d also like to incorporate lectio divina.

The other day, I thought I was doing my little lectio. I had just finished reading a Biblical passage and my eyes were closed as I mediated on the words. Suddenly the meditation got a little too vivid and there was action going on in this meditation. Only then did I realize I had actually dozed off.

Gotta keep trying.

Don’t worry, your guardian angel finished the meditation for you!

Thanks for sharing your discernment with us.

I’m always fascinated by the different spiritualities that the Church accommodates. It reinforces the notion that we are all different parts of the same body, and we all have different strengths to bring:

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

(1 Peter 4:10-11)

This heterogeneity in fact reinforces the Church’s universality and humanity. I could never figure out “one-size fits all” denominations where everyone was expected to be almost exactly the same.

As for prayer, you already know my answer, the LoTH in part or in full

When words fail us, the Word fills us

You remind me I need to try to squeeze in time for lectio myself. Too many things to do, too few hours to do them in…

 

[TrueLight]

Don’t worry, your guardian angel finished the meditation for you!

That’s a nice way of looking at it!

As for prayer, you already know my answer, the LoTH in part or in full

I actually love the Divine Office. I’d like to work on saying the Lauds and Vespers at home though, not during my commute. I think I am a little bit distracted when I say it during my commute, plus I prefer to say it out loud rather than read it.

Do you ever pray the LOTH during your commute?

Thanks for sharing your discernment with us.p

Thank you all for allowing me to share it with you all.

The purpose of this thread more importantly was for all of us to think of ways we can incorporate a little Dominican spirituality within our lives. I believe all the Orders have nuggets of spirituality that we can benefit from.

 

[TrueLight]

The thought of the guy with the bullhorn in the Flatbush LIRR/Subway station came to mind.

-Tim-

LOL, growing up my church actually did that once a year. I handed out tracks and sang with the singers.

 

[TrueLight]

This is interesting. I found this on the lay dominican site.

I never heard that Dominicans pray the Rosary differently than anyone else. Has anyone heard of this or are there any orders that pray the Rosary differently?

Introductory Prayers: (Say just as follows)
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Incline your aid to me, O God.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

From here you simply recite the decades of your Rosary. Begin each decade with an “Our Father,” say 10 “Hail Marys”, and end each decade with a “Glory Be.”

Conclude with these prayers:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! Hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning, and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant we beseech thee, that meditating on these mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

[TrueLight]

St Vincent Ferrer on Studying

Any college students on CAF?

Do you desire to study to your advantage? Let devotion accompany all your studies, and study less to make yourself learned than to become a saint. Consult God more than your books, and ask him, with humility, to make you understand what you read. Study fatigues and drains the mind and heart. Go from time to time to refresh them at the feet of Jesus Christ under his cross. Some moments of repose in his sacred wounds give fresh vigor and new lights. Interrupt your application by short, but fervent and ejaculatory prayers: never begin or end your study but by prayer. Science is a gift of the Father of lights; do not therefore consider it as barely the work of your own mind or industry.

–Saint Vincent Ferrer

 

[Marian_Man]

I never heard that Dominicans pray the Rosary differently than anyone else. Has anyone heard of this or are there any orders that pray the Rosary differently?

After the Salve and the collect these verses and responses have traditionally been added to the Dominican practise .

V. May the divine assistance remain always with us.
R. Amen.
V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.

I’ll say one thing. It’s a time saver !