8 August 2015
Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest
Today is the Memorial of St. Dominic de Guzman, popularly known just as St. Dominic. St. Dominic was not a big, flashy leader, but he had a great gift. Pope Benedict XV in his Encyclical Letter Fausto Appente Die, wrote on St. Dominic, “this man of God and true Dominicus was fully given up to Holy Church, and was an invincible champion of the Faith. The Order of Preachers, founded by him, has ever been the stout defense of the Roman Church. And so, not only did he strengthen the temple in his time, but he provided for the continuance of the defense.”
In the struggle to build the Kingdom of God, Jesus Christ used no other weapon than the preaching of the Gospel. Jesus commands us to “Teach all nations and preach the Gospel to every creature.” The Apostles and especially St. Paul followed up Jesus’s example and preached the good news. As Pope Benedict XV wrote, “Following the same lines in his work for the salvation of souls, Dominic proposed to himself and to all his followers to hand to others what they had contemplated. For this reason, in addition to the duty of cultivating poverty, innocence of life, and religious discipline, he commanded his Order in a strict and solemn manner to be zealous in the study of Christian doctrine and the preaching of the truth.”
The very wisdom of God speaks through the Dominicans when they are preaching the truth. They are defenders of Christian faith. Perhaps we can learn from the spirit of St. Dominic. Each of us has the responsibility to preach the truth. You do not get a pass if you are a Christian or live in a nation with a strong Christian culture. Everybody must participate in defending the Church.