Memorial of Saint Dominic, priest
(Deuteronomy 4:32-40; Matthew 16:24-28)
St. Dominic
was a twenty-year-old theology student when his region of Spain underwent a severe
famine. Dominic heard of people starving
and decided to do something. After
giving away his allowance, he sold all his belongings, including his precious theological
manuscripts. The latter were by no means
a luxury. They represented Dominic’s passionate
interest and future ministry. Rather
than second guess himself about parting with his parchments, Dominic told
friends, “I will not study on dead skins when men are dying of hunger.”
Of course,
Dominic was not sealing his fate to oblivion but insuring it for eternal
life. In today’s gospel Jesus tells his
disciples, “’… whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’” Only by dying to oneself -- sacrificing one’s
possessions and opportunities for the sake of Christ -- can one hope to live
with him forever.
Dominic’s selflessness and compassion drew many men to the Order of
Preachers which he founded. His vision of learned preaching and robust
community still attracts men and women to the Order. We should realize as he did that humanness
and godliness are not mutually exclusive.
Rather both must be joined to thrive in the present age and to flourish for
all eternity.
