Word to the Wise
Tuesday, August 8, 2017 - Tuesday in the 18th Week in Ordinary Time
[Num 12:1-13 and Matt 14:22-36 or, in Year A, Matt 15:1-2, 10-14,1032]"Hear and understand. It is not what enters one's mouth that defiles the man; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one." [Matthew]
TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2017 ST. DOMINIC - FOUNDER OF THE ORDER OF PREACHERS
St. Dominic founded the Order of Preachers 800 years ago. The founding pillars of our life are prayer, study, community and ministry. The ministry of itinerant preaching was, from the beginning, a signature ministry of our Order. The second principal or "signature" ministry was academic and pastoral preaching/teaching in university settings. In both of these ministries, the connection between the ministry and the other three "pillars" is essential. PREACHING is our charism and principal ministry, but it must be supported by prayer, study and community life. If those first three pillars are not substantial and intentional, we will stand convicted by what Jesus says in the gospel about being defiled by what comes out of our mouth in the way of preaching!
I was attracted to the Order of Preachers by its intellectual history and its democratic governing structure (I was a political science major at the time). It was only once I began to preach from a pulpit that I was able to appreciate fully the importance of this central charism of our Order. It is not simply the ministry of the ordained friars, but of every person in the Dominican "family:" friars, cloistered nuns, apostolic sisters and laity. Current church law limits preaching at Eucharist to ordained persons, but preaching is much broader than that sacramental setting.
Since my own itinerant preaching ministry takes me around the U.S.A., I am aware of the complaints I receive from folks in the pew about preaching. The best I can do for them is to be sure that what comes out of my mouth will not defile them or me. We Dominicans are certainly not the only preachers, but if we are to follow in the footsteps of St. Dominic or other great saints of the Order (St. Catherine of Siena, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Martin De Porres, St. Rose of Lima, St. Albert the Great, St. Vincent Ferrer) we cannot settle for mediocrity. When I give retreats for priests and deacons, I challenge them to excellence in preaching. On this feast of St. Dominic, we are reminded of the importance of preaching the Word of God as part of our baptismal identity. AMEN
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