Just sharing -- Dominican spirituality

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domini_canus

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I know there is a Dominican spirituality group. I’ve joined it. I just wanted to share here in the general forums as well.

My wife and I recently started our Dominican formation, and we’re finding it quite fulfilling. The walks to and from the church give us ample time to both prepare ourselves and also reflect on what we’ve learned and discussed with our formation director. Also, the morning and evening prayers from the Divine Office are a wonderful way for us to grow together spiritually. I have taken to singing the antiphons, since repeating them with merely spoken words can grow monotonous quickly.

I’ll use this thread to post updates and/or random thoughts I’m having regarding our spiritual formation.
 
Welcome to the boards, domini canus! I look forward to reading your thoughts.
 
Thoughts on week 1:
  • Live what you preach, that people may be convinced. This is what St. Dominic had to do in the face of Albigensian asceticism.
  • Preaching and teaching start with prayer, Bible reading, and kindness. We must acknowledge that we cannot do it alone, that we must be well-versed in our faith, and that we must speak to people in non-combative tones.
 
Thoughts on week 2:
  • To be a good Dominican, we must always have the right intentions in our teaching.
  • We must not have any ulterior motives for doing good.
  • Always be grateful to God for gifts and talents we have received from Him.
  • What is love? What is agape? It is love, but not the kind we commonly think of. Specifically, it is easier to understand if you picture it: the ones with whom you share a meal. That is agape. That is love, in the Eucharist, with those whom we share our Bread of Life. It is the Supper of the Lamb. It is our Wedding Banquet.
 
Thoughts on week 3:
  • As a Dominican, I am to seek the Truth unapologetically and fearlessly.
  • I must be patient in teaching and not assume a superior position.
  • I must pray unceasingly. You know, St. Dominic prayed all night and preached all day.
  • Above all, live simply and love.
 
Thoughts on week 4:
  • The first order that St. Dominic was at Prouille, and they were prostitutes. Becoming nuns, they became holy women for God. This follows the example of Christ, who ate with “sinners.”
  • We must seek truth with sincerity, strive directly for truth at all times.
  • It is only right that we give freely to others what God has freely given to us.
  • And when we preach, we should speak only the truth and no more.
  • Pentecost is the donation of God of himself to us.
  • We should see all mean as brothers and treat them as such.
  • Every age has its obsessions: this age’s obsession is sex. Just as we look back to Medieval times and are baffled by the near schism over whether the Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son or just the Father, so, too, would a Medieval man be baffled by our pre-occupation with sex and how Christians are divided on matters of sins against chastity (lust, fornication, masturbation, homosexuality).
  • Recognizing sin and its lure, let us dwell on good things, the things above, the things of the Spirit. If we dwell too long on sin, we become too severe and Quakerish. Yes, sin crouches at our doors, desiring mastery over us. But through Christ, we can slam that door and lock it! And then, with sin outside the door, we are free to fill our rooms with every good thing under and in heaven.
  • Artistic expression and aesthetic experience are the most profound apprehensions of God.
  • There is no life apart from God. If you live, you live–to some extent–in God, even if you deny him. We cannot help ourselves; we are the children of our Father, whether we like it or not.
 
Thoughts on week 5:
  • Diminished intelligence and limited comprehension of the workings of the universe are a result of original sin; the further we stray from God, the more our minds darken, and thus, the more we are unable to apprehend the nature of reality (for a truths and facts of reality proceed naturally from the mind and nature of God).
  • Mary, pondering all these things (the salvation plan of God: the Incarnation) in her heart, did not suffer from this diminished intelligence or limited comprehension. Did she then truly understand the mystery of the God-Man?
  • Babel and Pentecost: it need not be a matter of literal languages but rather a matter of understanding. The “law” of God is now, as it always has been, written on the heart of man.
  • Confession is a sacrament, yes, but it is also spiritual direction, a realigning of the heart to God).
  • There is the legend that St. Dominic, being so saintly even from infancy, refused to drink his mother’s breastmilk on Fridays, thus performing penance. A silly story, really, but one that highlights a spiritual point: we parents should teach out children piety from an age younger than we probably think. From infancy we should bring our children up in the ways of God.
  • Most people don’t do things out of love but out of fear.
  • “Abba, Father” – God is our father, but he is more than that; he is our “daddy,” as little children call their fathers. It is a word of deep affection, trust, and faith. When I take my little girl downstairs, she always jumps off the top step into my arms. She knows I will catch her. What amazing faith! I think of Abba every time she does it. When is the last time I jumped off the top step?
  • We Dominicans are to be last place. We should not lord anything over anyone, but rather teach with kindness, armed with knowledge, and fortified by prayer.
 
Thank you for sharing that. I look forward to reading more.
 
We have formation once a week, so I’ll be doing updates about that often. However, in the summer, our priest is returning to Spain for a month or so, so we’ll be taking a break during that time. Well, we will still continue reading and studying, of course, just no formal meetings.
 
domini canus has been banned and will therefore no longer be updating this thread. Sorry, everyone. We carry on without your support.
 
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