Memorial of Saint
Dominic, priest
(Numbers 20:1-13; Matthew 16:13-23)
St. Dominic is most often portrayed in art receiving the
rosary from the Blessed Mother. There is
no reliable historical evidence of this event having taken place. Still there is reason to associate Dominic
with the rosary. Dominican priests, the spiritual sons of Dominic, have been
among the principal promoters of praying the rosary in history. There are statues of Dominic holding a church
on one of his arms. It’s a symbolic
gesture, of course, but it has definite historical roots.
Dominic founded the Order of Preachers when the Church
was being severely challenged.
Especially in France and Italy people were reacting against the
corruption that often contaminates living the faith. These people were called Cathars, a term
meaning pure ones, or Albigensians
for the city in what is now southern France where they were popular. These idealistic people lived in austere ways
accepting Jesus’ radicalness in the New Testament but rejecting the goodness of
creation from the Old Testament. Dominic
believed that they might be converted back to a truly evangelical life. He formed his spiritual brothers, who became
known as Dominicans, to live in simplicity and community. They would study Scripture and preach
dynamically to win back those alienated from the Church.
We should see St. Dominic as standing in direct line with
Jesus and St. Peter. In today’s gospel
Jesus calls his lead disciple “the rock (upon which) I will build my church.” Twelve hundred years later Dominic worked to
maintain that Church’s integrity. The
newly elected successor of St. Dominic, Fr. Gerard Timoner, Master of the Order
of Preachers, has indicated his intention that the Order continue that enterprise.
After accepting his election, he said, “The mission of the order is to help build the communion of the
Church, the Body of Christ…”
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