Novena to St Dominic 2024 - Day 4
Published by Dominican Nuns Ireland in Reflections (Dominican) · 3 August 2024
Tags: st, dominic, novena, to, st, dominic, feast, day, patron
Tags: st, dominic, novena, to, st, dominic, feast, day, patron
Novena to St Dominic - Day Four
Novena Prayer
O wonderful hope,
which you gave to those who wept for you at the hour of your death,
promising that after your decease you would be helpful to your brethren;
fulfill, Father, what you have said and help us by your prayers.
which you gave to those who wept for you at the hour of your death,
promising that after your decease you would be helpful to your brethren;
fulfill, Father, what you have said and help us by your prayers.
V/: You shone on the bodies of the sick by so many miracles;
bring us the help of Christ to heal our sick souls.
bring us the help of Christ to heal our sick souls.
R/: Fulfill, Father, what you have said and help us by your prayers.
V/: Blessed Father Dominic, pray for us.
R/: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Reflection
A Simple Man
3rd of August
I read an article saying that St Dominic was enterprising man, a tireless preacher, and the founder of the Order of Preachers. Yet, he was also a simple man with a deep inner life, great equanimity and compassion. Indeed, he was a simple man, one who "either spoke with God or about God". He was a simple man who gave all he had to the poor. He was a simple man acknowledging his sinfulness and limitations, and seeking the help of God every day and night.
He left a testament of peace, of what was the passion of his life - that is, living with Christ and learning everything from Him, and always doing God's will. Configuring himself with Christ, the holiness of Dominic was shown in his ardent desire that the light of Christ shine for all men, that the compassion of Christ for the suffering world be given through Dominic's own compassion for everyone around him, that his zeal and service might assist the Church to expand its tent until it reached the ends of the world.
We, the daughters of St Dominic, strive to imitate him in our desire and life, through the tireless efforts to support the work of the preachers through our life of prayer and penance. We are also simple nuns, living in all innocence, yet not ignorant, and with all sincerity with one another, in love; deepening our inner life too, through our closeness with God, and ever willing to do His will. If the goal of St Paul was gaining Christ, so was St Dominic's, and it is ours too.
I remember many years ago, a reporter went to interview the nuns of a monastery. At one point, the reporter, looking at an old nun, told her that we had managed to reach the moon, and had landed on it. The nun, without hesitation, answered that she wanted, and had probably reached, higher and further than that.
So, it is just as the Lord says. "If anyone serves me, let him follow me; and where I am, there my servant will be also."
(Artwork: St Dominic, Detail from 'The Mocking of Christ' by Fra Angelico, Convent of San Marco, Florence, Italy)
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