From ‘Libellus’ written by Bl. Jordan of Saxony we know that St. Dominic
‘In every reasonable purpose which his mind conceived, in accordance with God’s will,he maintained such constancy that he hardly ever consented to change any plan which he had formulated with due deliberation’

St Dominic's Fourth Way of Prayer

After this, St Dominic, standing before the altar or in the chapter Room, would fix his gaze on the crucifix, looking intently at Christ on the Cross and kneeling down over and over again. Sometimes he would spend the whole time from the end of Compline until midnight

The more I immerse myself into the Dominican way of life and grow in knowledge (be it still at an elementary level) of the Order of Preachers, I can’t help but see striking similarities between our Lord Jesus Christ and our holy founder, St. Dominic. Indeed, as William A. Hinnebusch O.P states in his book, Dominican Spirituality (1965); “Everything positive in the Order’s spiritual life traces back to Dominic, just as everything positive in the church traces back to Christ.”

Today is the first day of our Novena to St Dominic, and I have tried to base my reflection on the Mass readings for today, which actually fit quite well.

The Gospel for today (Mt 13:44-46) speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven as a “hidden treasure” or “pearl of great price”. The one who finds it “goes off happy” and “sells everything he owns and buys it.” Dominic was a man who was deeply aware that the Kingdom of Heaven was a priceless treasure, and this filled his life with joy.

Join us in our Novena to St Dominic as we prepare to celebrate his Feast Day on August 8.

"The foundation of Dominic’s spiritual and apostolic life was his disciplined life which he led from his earliest youth."

(Artwork: St Dominic, Detail from 'The Mocking of Christ' by Fra Angelico, Convent of San Marco, Florence, Italy)

Join us in our Novena to St Dominic as we prepare to celebrate his Feast Day on August 8.

"It belongs to our Dominican life that we dare to speak truthfully, with discretion and sensitivity and respect. This has nothing to do with being a scholar. It is seeking to live with the clarity of Dominic."

(Artwork: St Dominic, Detail from 'The Mocking of Christ' by Fra Angelico, Convent of San Marco, Florence, Italy)

Join us in our Novena to St Dominic as we prepare to celebrate his Feast Day on August 8.

"This year, our Province commemorates the 800th anniversary of the Dominican presence in Ireland, so I would like to share with you about the first Irish Dominican brother I met thirty-five years ago in in Minsk (Belarus), my friend Father Damian Byrne."

(Artwork: St Dominic, Detail from 'The Mocking of Christ' by Fra Angelico, Convent of San Marco, Florence, Italy)

Join us in our Novena to St Dominic as we prepare to celebrate his Feast Day on August 8.

"Any gardener will tell you that keeping roses is no small affair; from choosing the “right roots” to pruning judiciously, it is a labour of love and an arduous one. Of course, no one who has seen a well-tended rose garden in full bloom will argue that it is not well worth the effort..."

(Artwork: St Dominic, Detail from 'The Mocking of Christ' by Fra Angelico, Convent of San Marco, Florence, Italy)

Join us in our Novena to St Dominic as we prepare to celebrate his Feast Day on August 8.

"St Dominic was enterprising man, a tireless preacher, and the founder of the Order of Preachers. Yet, he was also a simple man with a deep inner life, great equanimity and compassion."

(Artwork: St Dominic, Detail from 'The Mocking of Christ' by Fra Angelico, Convent of San Marco, Florence, Italy)