Novena to St Dominic - Day 3
One of the sayings of St Catherine of Siena, which is quite well known, is
“Be what you are called to be, and you will set the world on fire.”
It is unceasingly amazing that this Order of Preachers, enriched through many centuries by the wisdom and teaching of saints like Albert the Great, Thomas Aquinas, Catherine of Siena,
Vincent Ferrer; the beauty of Blessed Angelico; the humility of St Martine de Porres – and countless others, known and known to God, was established by St Dominic, who left little behind by way of writing – little
enough that he could so easily have passed into obscurity and been forgotten within a few generations of his death.
And yet he didn’t. By his life, his love and his understanding of the grace he received from God, he was truly a fire-starter.
Here we are, over 800 years later, thanking God for His gift to us of this simple man, who simply loved God and was utterly absorbed in Him.
On his feastday next week, we will sing as the Gospel acclamation:
“May God’s gift to Dominic be ours today,
to understand the words that God has spoken
and never to swerve from God’s way.”
None of the antiphons we will sing during the hours of the divine office tell us anything exceptional about him – he is rather portrayed as one was lost in God. And that may well
be his true legacy.
His last will and testament to his brethren, according to tradition, was to ‘have charity for one another, guard humility, make your treasure out of voluntary poverty.’ But the Gospel acclamation could be said to be the root that is needed in order for these fruits of charity, humility and poverty to grow.
To be so filled with a desire for God, that we come to understand His words – because in truth God’s words to us at every moment are our words, and are given to us because
they belong to us.
Just as in order for us to belong to God, we must open our hearts to receive Him who desires that He belong to us, because as for St Dominic, so also for us, God is our home, our life
and our freedom.
Blessed Father Dominic, pray for us, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
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