RBWords - Volume 26 - Number 6: June 2013
Something to Think About
r. b. words – volume 26 –
number 6 – june 2013
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
I have just
finished attending a meeting of “promoters of preaching” from the provinces of
Dominican friars and congregations of Dominican sisters from around the
country. There is no one definition of “promoter
of preaching” but the subject matter is important since our common title and
the initials after our names say: “Order of Preachers – O.P.” In my own case, the job description more
aptly describes my predecessor in the job who had it for 30 years or more! I see it pretty much in terms of “encouragement”
of the brethren to keep at preaching intentionally and never to take it for
granted.
For a
Dominican, preaching can never be a task among other tasks, as a busy diocesan
priest might see it. Preaching is a way
of life for us. From the very beginning
in 1216, Pope Honorius III gave the order the charism and identification as the
Order of Preachers. “Dominicans” is a
nickname!
Preaching
finds its paradigmatic moment in the pulpit, but is not confined to the pulpit.
I have in mind the famous Dominican
artist of the renaissance, Fra Angelico!
Nor is it confined to the male friars.
I have in mind St. Catherine of Siena.
It may be found in scholarship. I
have in mind St. Thomas Aquinas. Or in
service to the poor. I have in mind St.
Martin De Porres. At the same time, I don’t
hear complaints about artists or those who serve the poor, but I do hear
complaints about bad pulpit preaching!
Our student
brothers [seminarians] receive far better training in pulpit preaching than I
ever did. I recently attended the First
Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by a newly ordained Dominican who was a student
parishioner of mine at Tulane. He
preached at the Mass and did a very good job of it! I told him afterward of the humorous
tradition that a newly ordained Dominican is entitled to three heresies in his
first homily, and he had not managed to come up with even one! I try in my parish missions and retreats to
model and speak about the importance of good preaching. I pray that our church may experience a
renewal of preaching in the light of the “new evangelization.” I also pray that the folks in the pews will
demand it! IT’S SOMETHING TO THINK
ABOUT!
It Has Been Said
!
IT HAS BEEN SAID: “If
we are preachers, we must be men and women who read, ponder and live the Word
of Scripture. This meeting with the
Jesus of the Gospels, reflected upon and pondered over, becomes a living spring
for each of us It is from this table of the
Word and the table of the Eucharist that we receive nourishment for our lives
as preachers. We also need ot renew our
faith in the power of God’s word….When it is preached Christ is present.
From A PILGRIMAGE OF FAITH by Fr. Damian Byrne, OP
[Master of the Order 1992-2001]