Feast of the Translation of our Holy Father Saint Dominic

O God, who has vouchsafed to enlighten Thy Church by the merits and teachings of Thy blessed Confessor, our Holy Father, Saint Dominic, grant at his intercession that it may never be destitute of temporal help, and may always increase in spiritual growth. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tomb of St. Dominic

Who Stands for Christ?

Community
My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations; Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience. And patience hath a perfect work; that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing. James 1:2-4

Picture this:

You are one of the first to enter a room for a gathering. You select a half-empty table where some acquaintances are already situated and sit down. It's a warm day so you hang your suit jacket from the back of the chair. You place your books and iPad/notebooks in front of you and prepare for any business during the gathering. After quickly getting a cup of coffee, you sit and chat with your acquaintances at the table for a while. While the room quickly fills it is announced the snack/appetizer table is ready and everyone lines up. You purposely wait for everyone else to go to be polite although as the last person there, there is almost no food left. No problem! You head back to your seat with a few carrot sticks and another gentleman is in your seat (with your jacket, books, and full cup of coffee all still present). Does he give back your seat when you ask him to? NO! In fact, he's quite adamant with a "so what" attitude, profusely exuding an indifferent rudeness. (A mild answer breaketh wrath: but a harsh word stirreth up fury. Prov 15:1) What do you do?

This is the actual scenario I had to live during the most recent gathering with my Dominican brothers and sisters yesterday. What did I do? Well after muttering how “rude and uncultured” he was, I quietly slipped away. That is, “quietly” on the outside. Inwardly, there was a great maelstrom of anger in my heart and mind. I was aghast that such behavior was presented by a Dominican and a Catholic. In a timely obsession I contemplated this unabashed display of rudeness. What had I done and why would someone treat me like that? In my mind, the focus shifted from me to God. Quite simply, rudeness is an outward display of disrespect to God. The Bible is full of examples of this. Sitting relatively isolated in a newly located chair, I (slowly) came to the realization that my seat-stealing adversary was far from being the lone empty vessel of Christian virtue. I was put to the test just as much as he was. And I failed…miserably.

But I say to you that hear: Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you. Luke 6:27

No matter how I behaved outwardly, my initial reaction was to be angry and even mean. I had no love or immediate forgiveness for this man and he wasn’t even my enemy; I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know me enough to hate me. Jesus’ words above are one of the many examples of the challenge He conveys to us when following Him through that narrow gate. By staying true to His Word and following him, we also stand with him. Where did I stand for Christ in this?

 

When I left my meeting, the anger in my head had dissipated but my heart was still clouded with it and that bothered me. Praying during my long drive home, my anger actually turned to sadness and a slight frightened feeling. Sitting at the table throughout the before mentioned episode were the gentlemen I had been conversing with. They sat there not as only mute witnesses to the dreadful situation, but with disturbing grins as if it were funny. Did they think it was funny or were they simply uncomfortable? Did they not want me there or were they lacking some kind of fundamental courage? The answers don’t really matter. What was saddening was the realization how difficult it was for anyone to at least voice what is right let alone stand up for it. Why is this sad and frightening? It hit me hard; if Dominicans can’t speak up in what is really a juvenile, silly affair, how are they ever going to stand up for Christ? I have since been pretty disheartened in the belief we are in bad shape!

Blessed Margaret of Castello

Today is the memorial of one of the blesseds I love most (Dominican or otherwise), Bl. Margaret of Castello.

Margaret was born blind, lame, deformed, hunchbacked, and dwarfed to a noble family. At 6 six years old, her parents walled her up beside a chapel; she could not get out, but could attend Mass and receive the Sacraments. After 14 imprisoned, her parents took her to a famous Franciscan shrine to pray for a cure. When none occurred, they abandoned her. She became a Lay Dominican, and spent her life in prayer and charity. Despite her earthly miseries, she always appeared smiling and happy. When she died, at 33, the townspeople thronged her funeral, and demanded she be buried in a tomb inside the Dominican church. When a crippled girl was miraculously cured at the funeral, the protesting priest consented. After her death, the fathers received permission to have her heart opened. In it were three pearls, having holy figures carved upon them. They recalled the saying so often on the lips of Margaret: “If you only knew what I have in my heart!”

Canonization Prayer

Jesus Mary Joseph, glorify your servant Bl. Margaret, by granting the favor we so ardently desire. This we ask in humble submission to God’s will, for His honor and glory and the salvation of souls.

Say one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.

(from the Dominican Nuns, Summit, NJ)

Saint Nimatullah Kassab Hardini

O Heavenly Father, the source of all holiness, You are glorified in your saints. You have bestowed grace upon Mar Nimatullah, so He forsake the world to live for You and with You in the solitude of the monastery.

O Lord Jesus, the Holy One of all saints, You have called Mar Nimatullah and filled Him with Your grace and blessing. So He could follow You on the harrow path of perfection and holiness. He followed Your path carrying His cross with joy, the cross of communal life, by which He was sanctified.

O Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of saints, You have inspired our patron Nimatullah, so that He became a monk and lived with His brethren in the monastery, where He educated them and managed all things wisely and prudently. He was ideal and encourager to Saint Charbel His disciple and many others.

We beseech You, O Holy Trinity, through Mar Nimatullah to enlighten the path of salvation before us, for You are the first and last aim. Bring us back to You so that we may renew the image and the likeness that You have installed in us.
We thank You and glorify You with our mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, of whom Mar Nimatullah was a devout, and with Yous saints, You who live and reign in holiness for ever, Amen!

Today is the feast of the very holy Maronite priest St. Nimatullah Kassab Hardini. He was a mentor to one of the great saints of Lebanon, Saint Charbel!
To read more about St. Hardini, click here.

Saint Lucy

Prayers to St. Lucy

Dear Saint Lucy, whose name doth signify the light, we come to thee filled with confidence: do thou obtain for us a holy light that shall make us careful not to walk in the ways of sin, nor to remain enshrouded in the darkness of error. We ask also, through thy intercession, for the preservation of the light of our bodily eyes and for abundant grace to use the same according to the good pleasure of God, without any hurt to our souls. Grant, O Lucy, that, after venerating thee and giving thee thanks for thy powerful protection here on earth, we may come at length to share thy joy in paradise in the everlasting light of the Lamb of God, thy beloved Bridegroom, Jesus. Amen

Our Lady of Guadalupe

My dear little son, I love you. I desire you to know who I am. I am the ever-virgin Mary, Mother of the true God who gives life and maintains its existence. He created all things. He is in all places. He is Lord of Heaven and Earth. I desire a church in this place where your people may experience my compassion. All those who sincerely ask my help in their work and in their sorrows will know my Mother’s Heart in this place. Here I will see their tears; I will console them and they will be at peace.

--Mary to St. Juan Diego

Guadalupe Prayer by Pope St. Piux X

Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Mystical Rose,
make intercession for the holy Church,
protect the Sovereign Pontiff,
help all those who invoke thee in their necessities,
and since thou art the ever Virgin Mary
and Mother of the true God,
obtain for us from thy most holy Son
the grace of keeping our faith,
sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life,
burning charity
and the precious gift of final perseverance.
Amen.

La Oración a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

Santa María de Guadalupe, Mística Rosa,
intercede por la Iglesia, protege al Soberano Pontífice,
oye a todos los que te invocan en sus necesidades.
Así como pudiste aparecer en el Tepeyac y decirnos: "Soy la siempre Virgen María, Madre del verdadero Dios", alcánzanos de tu Divino Hijo la conservación de la Fe.
Tu eres nuestra dulce esperanza en las amarguras de esta vida.
Danos un amor ardiente y la gracia de la perseverancia final. Amén.

Guadalupe Prayer

God of power and mercy,
you blessed the Americas at Tepeyac
with the presence of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe.
May her prayers help all men and women
to accept each other as brothers and sisters.
Through your justice present in our hearts
may your peace reign in the world.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

It's hard to fathom, now, that we Dominicans were one of the biggest blocks to recognizing the Immaculate Conception. We were the last bastion until 1843 when we gave in!

Father, You prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of Your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by His death, and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us by her prayers to live in Your presence without sin.

You allowed no stain of Adam's sin to touch the Virgin Mary. Full of grace, she was to be a worthy mother of Your Son, Your sign of favor to the Church at its beginning, and the promise of its perfection as the bride of Christ, radiant in beauty. Purest of Virgins, she was to bring forth Your Son, the innocent lamb who takes away our sins. You chose her from all women to be our advocate with You and our pattern of holiness.