Word to the Wise
Friday, August 8, 2014 - Friday in the 18th Week in Ordinary Time
[Nah 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7 and Matt 16:24-28]"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." [Matt]
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014 ST. DOMINIC DE GUZMAN [Founder of the Order of Preachers - "Dominicans"]
[Nahum 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7 and Matthew 16:24-28 The scriptures will be different at Dominican locations.]
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." [Matt.]
In the cloister walk of the famous Dominican priory of San Marco in Florence, Italy, there is a dramatic portrait of Saint Dominic kneeling at the foot of the cross with his arms around the cross. The blood of Christ is dripping down on him! I can think of no greater reminder to a Dominican of the words from the gospel quoted today.
The inspiration for the establishment of the Order of Preachers was partially supplied by the lifestyle example of the Albigensian heretics in southern France whom Dominic and his bishop, Diego of Osma, encountered on a journey. The heretics made an intentional effort to live according to the "apostolic way" which is described in the Acts of the Apostles [2:42-47] and in doing so they were a stark contrast to the luxurious lifestyle of the official "preachers" sent by Rome to fight them! This contrast was attracting converts to the heresy because it gave credibility to their preaching. The "apostolic life" is also described vividly in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. St. Dominic is known to have carried a copy of this gospel with him. His desire was to establish a religious order whose lifestyle would give authority to their preaching!
In 2016, the friars of the Order of Preachers will celebrate 800 years of existence. From the very beginning, we were called the "Order of Preachers" by the pope who approved the first group! Even if we are best known by the nickname, "Dominican," we must always remember that preaching is our charism! We are not all "pulpit stars," to be sure. Some of us are artists, like Fra Angelico; or scholars like Thomas Aquinas, or itinerant preachers like Vincent Ferrer. We include not just the friars but apostolic women like Catherine of Siena, or cloistered nuns like Agnes of Montepulciano; or laymen like Lawrence Ruiz and Pier Giorgio Frassati! My own Southern Dominican Province is named after the great Martin De Porres, a humble doorkeeper. Whoever we may be, from Pope [Pius V] to backyard hermitess [Rose of Lima], the cross stands in front of us inviting the apostolic embrace before speaking the apostolic word. AMEN
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