Churches of the Day

 Saturday of the 18th week in Ordinary Time, Year 2

Saint of the Day; 8 Aug.; St Dominic, religious, founder of the Order of Preachers.  
C/f A short life of this saint can be found below today’s Readings and Reflection.

FIRST READING

A reading from the book of the Prophet Habakkuk           1:12-2: 4
The upright man will live by his faithfulness.

Are not you, from ancient times Lord, my God, my Holy One, who never dies?
Lord, you have made this people an instrument of justice, set it firm as a rock in order to punish.

Your eyes are too pure to rest on wickedness, you cannot look on at tyranny. Why do you look on while men are treacherous, and stay silent while the evil man swallows a better man than he?
You treat mankind like fishes in the sea, like creeping, masterless things.

A people, these, who catch all on their hook, who draw them with their net,
in their dragnet gather them, and so, triumphantly, rejoice.
At this, they offer a sacrifice to their net, and burn incense to their dragnet,
for providing them with luxury and lavish food.
Are they then to empty their net unceasingly, slaughtering nations without pity?

I will stand on my watchtower, and take up my post on my battlements,
watching to see what he will say to me, what answer he will make to my complaints.

Then the Lord answered and said,
'Write the vision down, inscribe it on tablets
to be easily read, since this vision is for its own time only:
eager for its own fulfilment, it does not deceive;
if it comes slowly, wait, for come it will, without fail.

'See how he flags, he whose soul is not at rights,
but the upright man will live by his faithfulness.'

The Word of the Lord.        Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm      Ps 9: 8-13. R/v 11
Response                          You will never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.

1. The Lord sits enthroned for ever. He has set up his throne for judgement;
he will judge the world with justice, he will judge the peoples with his truth.                      Response

2. For the oppressed let the Lord be a stronghold, a stronghold in times of distress.
Those who know your name will trust you: you will never forsake those who seek you.   Response

3. Sing psalms to the Lord who dwells in Zion. Proclaim his mighty works among the peoples;
for the Avenger of blood has remembered them,
and has not forgotten the cry of the poor.                                                                                    Response 

Gospel Acclamation         Eph 1: 17. 18
Alleluia, alleluia!
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.
Alleluia !

Or                                              2 Tim 1: 1: 10
Alleluia, alleluia!
Our saviour Christ Jesus abolished death,
and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News.
Alleluia !

GOSPEL

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew            17:14-20
If your faith nothing would be impossible for you.


A man came up to Jesus and went down on his knees before him. 'Lord,' he said 'take pity on my son: he is a lunatic and in a wretched state; he is always falling into the fire or into the water. I took him to your disciples and they were unable to cure him.'
'Faithless and perverse generation!' Jesus said in reply 'How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.'
And when Jesus rebuked it the devil came out of the boy who was cured from that moment.

Then the disciples came privately to Jesus. 'Why were we unable to cast it out? they asked. He answered, 'Because you have little faith. I tell you solemnly, if your faith were the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, "Move from here to there", and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.'

The Gospel of the Lord.          Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Gospel Reflection        Saturday          Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time       Matthew 17:14-20

In today’s gospel reading, the disciples of Jesus find themselves powerless before the desperate plight of the father of a young boy. A distraught father had brought his son to the disciples for them to heal him, and they were unable to do so. Much to the distress of the father, the disciples found themselves helpless before this tragedy. There can be times in our own lives when we feel some situation is beyond us. It seems too demanding for our resources. We feel powerless and helpless. We are brought face to face with our limitations.

It seems to have come as a surprise to the disciples that their power to help this father’s son was so limited. They asked Jesus, ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ They had just witnessed Jesus doing what they were unable to do, heal this father’s seriously disturbed son, and they wondered why they could not have done what Jesus did. When we come face to face with our limitations, it can sometimes come as a surprise to us, especially if we have been used to getting things done.

We can find ourselves asking the question the disciples asked, ‘Why couldn’t we have done more?’ In reality, we can only do so much on our own. Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question suggests that they were trying to heal this boy on their own, rather than in union with Jesus. Jesus addresses them as people of little faith. In other words, their relationship with Jesus was weak. He assures them that if this relationship was stronger, if their faith was stronger, they could have done so much more. ‘Nothing would be impossible for you’. If we remain in communion with the Lord, through faith, the Lord will be able to do so much more through us than we could ever be able to do on our own. As Jesus says elsewhere in the gospels, ‘for God, all things are possible’.

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The scripture readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/The Gospel reflection comes from WEEKDAY REFLECTIONS : The Word of God is Living and Active by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publication c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop

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Saint of the Day: Aug 8, St Dominic, priest, religious.

Dominic was born in Calaruega (Spain) about the year 1170 and died at Bologna (Italy) on 6 August 1221. An Augustinian canon he was noted for prayer, penance, and an exemplary life. In a time of violent crusades he sought the reconciliation of Albigensian heretics through instruction and prayer. He established the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) to revitalise the Church through study, teaching, preaching, community and prayer. He was honoured as a preacher, organiser, and patron of learning.

Simon Roche O.P. portrays Dominic as a man who pursued his dream and who remained faithful to his calling even when he found himself in the midst of failure.

Family Influence
Dominic's life was shaped by his experience, at home, as a student in Palencia and by his journeys north of the Pyrenees. All his family were in some way affected by his mother's concern for the poor, a source of gentle admonishment by her husband. Her eldest son, Anthony, devoted his life to the care of the poor in a house of hospitality for tramps, pilgrims and scholars.

Sells Everything
We see it in Dominic as a young student in Palencia. It takes little to imagine the panic in the city as famine spread and the hungry streamed into the city. Food and grain were hoarded, the pleas of the poor knocking on the door were ignored, then fear and guilt as people began to die. The response of the young student was immediate: he sold all his belongings, even his books, establishing a centre for almsgiving. Our wildest acts of generosity never go beyond a certain prudence; we make some provision for the future. He sold everything but he didn't give the money away in one dramatic gesture; rather, he started a charity, a place both to collect and channel help to the victims of famine. Others joined him and years later, lonely and abandoned in the south of France he appealed to members of this group to join him. They are numbered among his first companions.

Studies
Having completed his studies, he joined the cathedral chapter at Osma and in 1203 accompanied his friend and bishop, Diego, to northern Europe. Crossing the Pyrenees they came in contact with the Albigensians. Dominic spent his first night in Toulouse arguing with an Albigensian inn-keeper. Later, contact with the people of northern Europe sparked the desire to be a missionary; a desire that was never fulfilled but one that never died. He confided this intention to William of Montferrat, a young student of theology; they planned to go together when he had finished organising the Order. Dominic began to grow a beard but he never made it to the mission field; others would fulfil his dream.

The Montpellier Event
One evening in June 1206 Bishop Diego and Dominic entered the walled city of Montpellier. Here they met dispirited papal legates preaching to the Albigensians. Far from consoling them, Diego shocked them with a proposal, which to them smacked of novelty.

The greatest asset that the Albigensians possessed was their evangelical fervour. If the legates were to have any credibility, they, like the Albigensians, must imitate the life style of the apostles, preaching on foot in poverty. It was more than they could stomach. The legates suggested that Diego might lead them. Diego and Dominic chose to do just that and the enterprise known as the preaching or the Preaching of Jesus Christ began. Then, suddenly, disaster struck. In September 1207 Bishop Diego visited Spain to settle his affairs and died. It threw the mission into confusion. All the missionaries went back to their homes. Dominic was the only one to carry on the preaching.

Fanjeaux
As he stood on the little promontory, the Signadou (sign from God) in Fanjeaux high above the surrounding countryside in the south of France, he could look down to the plains and the Albigensian lands stretching to the horizon. If he turned, there were the snow covered peaks of the Pyrenees, Spain and home. The thought must have crossed his mind, should he too leave? He remained, and continued to play upon the original inspiration. The Montpellier event was to occupy the rest of his life.

Faithful in Failure
If legend asserts his early preaching was successful the facts speak otherwise. Fr Vicaire suggests the most painful trial Dominic experienced in southern France was the fewness of conversions which were sometimes the outcome of fear. Abandoned and alone he knew the taste of failure, but remained faithful to his initial inspiration, preaching throughout the region. He worked on in the conviction that in the Lord's time the tide would turn. Fidelity in the midst of failure is not the least of Dominic's legacies. (The image right is El Greco's 'St Dominic at prayer.'

The Dream
It was not until 1215, that the dream finally began to come true. To safeguard the continuity of 'the preaching, the Order was born. First, there was the foundation of the nuns at Prouille in 1206. By 1214 he had gathered a small group of men who shared his life. 

The project was preaching on the pattern of the apostles. One of the weaknesses of the popular evangelical movements of the time was a lack of learning. Dominic recognised this and from the beginning insisted on the need for study in the service of preaching. Jordan of Saxony, his successor and biographer records a seemingly unimportant detail about the living quarters at the church of St. Romanus in Toulouse. A cloister was soon built, with cells above it suitable for studying and sleeping in. It marked a revolution in religious life. For each member of a community to have a cell where they might study and sleep was unusual if not unheard of. In the summer of 1215, he took his companions to the course of studies offered by Alexander Stavensby, an Englishman at that time lecturing in Toulouse.



The Man and his Spirit
The most important gift that a founder transmits is 'a share in his spirit'. What characterised Dominic's spirit? He was a man of great charm and breadth of vision, extraordinary compassion, an incredible zeal for souls, in deep union with God, an organisational genius.

Contrary to the previous tradition of religious life, Dominic believed in the virtue of laughter. (S. Tugwell, Prayer, Veritas Publications, Dublin 1974, Vol.1, p.138). Jordan of Saxony, his successor and biographer wrote: 'His face was always radiant with cheerfulness... and through his cheerfulness... found his way into people's hearts as soon as they saw him.' (Jordan of Saxony, On the Beginnings of the Order of Preachers. Ed. and Tr. by S. Tugwell, Dominican Publications, Dublin, 1982. p.26, no. 103). If he wept he also knew how to laugh. Dominic was one of a new type of saint who appeared at the end of the eleventh century for whom joyousness of heart was felt to be a gospel characteristic. The Dominican spirit is a joyous spirit that affirms the goodness of created things with faith in the absolute priority of God's grace in any human action. There is no cramped concern with self but rather trust in God. Failure or adversity might cloud but not diminish inner peace. Such was the tranquil and joyous spirit Dominic communicated to his family.

Spontaneity
The evidence of the witnesses at the process of his canonization has preserved the sudden spontaneity of his ways, his quick vivid phrases. It is significant that they have been echoed, often unconsciously among his followers for seven hundred years... Spontaneity was to remain a note of Dominican spirituality and perhaps the primary characteristic of its school of prayer. (G. Mathew, Dominican Spirituality, Blackfriars, Oxford, 1956, p. 653). His immediate response to opposition was joy: 'now we can hope for victory.' Frequently on the road he would turn to his companion and say: 'Go on ahead, let us think of the Saviour.' Then he would fall behind to be alone in prayer.

When he heard the bell of a monastery or church, he changed direction to join the praying community. When requests for preaching could not be met, he sent a novice. 'Go confidently, the Lord will be with you.' When a woman asked him to visit her sick daughter his immediate reply was: 'Go home, I will pray for her.' When there was a shortage of food he would say: 'Go and pray; the Lord will provide.' He expected the same spontaneous response in others. Stephen, a student at the university in Bologna recalled an evening when Dominic sent for him. He was at supper with his friends when the knock came at the door. 'Brother Dominic says that you are to come to him immediately.' He replied 'I will come when I have eaten.' 'No! You must come right now.' When he arrived St. , Dominic was waiting for him. 'He clothed me in the habit!' Stephen reported. If his spontaneity owed something to his Spanish temperament, it was rooted, also, in a keen listening to the Spirit.

Present to God: Present to the World
To be present to God and to be present to the world are the qualities that distinguish Dominic and his spirit. Always among people, he had a deep companionship with God. John of Spain, rebel and critic, furious at Dominic's decision to disperse the first brothers from Toulouse in 1216 was the first to give evidence at the process of canonisation. He speaks movingly of the time he spent in Dominic's company. He prayed more persistently than all the brothers... He nearly always spent the night in the church. I saw him by the light in the Church. I sometimes went and prayed with him and saw in him a fervour of prayer such as I have never seen the like of.' He loved choral prayer. His personal prayer was a source of fascination to the brothers.

In the 'Nine ways of prayer of St Dominic' there is a moving portrait:
'After the office or a meal he would quickly go and sit down in a place by himself to read or pray. . . open a book letting what he read touch his mind, as if he actually heard the Lord speaking to him... It was as if he were discussing something with a friend. .. At other times, he listened quietly, discussing and arguing, then he would laugh and weep all at once and fix his gaze and bow his head.'

They watched him, even imitated him. He was noisy and groaned; they began to groan! Vicaire suggests Dominic composed the section in the Dominican Constitutions on the role of the novice master. With great humour it reads: 'he should teach the novices to pray quietly so that they do not disturb others with their roaring!' He had the rare gift of being able to laugh at himself.

Then, there was his respect for the uniqueness of each person, and so the Dominican spirit has always been marked by individual variety. The saints and the blessed of the Order have achieved sanctity in very different settings: in houses of study, in sisters' monasteries and convents, in parish houses, as missionaries, as lay Dominicans or in the itinerant life of the preacher (cf. Matthew, p.656).

A ‘Jesus spirituality’
Another characteristic is Dominic's utter concentration upon the personal following of Christ that was to dwarf all other devotions in the Order, the desire to spend himself for others as Christ had spent himself on the Cross. That same desire was to drive the greatest missionaries among us, across the boundaries of the known world – east to Central Asia and later west across the Atlantic and south into the Asia-Pacific area.

Dominic gave the Order its 'Jesus Spirituality,' its devotion to the humanity of Christ that has so characterised the lives of men and women like Albert the Great, Margaret of Hungary, Thomas Aquinas, Catherine of Siena, Meister Eckhart, Johannes Tauler, Rose of Lima, and so many others. Inseparable from this was devotion to Mary, mother of God.
(Image above: Dominic at the Cross of Christ by Fra Angelico)

Open to new ideas

Another quality was his openness to new charisms, to new ideas, to truth from whatever source it came. He lived during a time of great social change, when the very structures of society were being scrutinised and questioned. He read the signs of his time and committed himself to the future. He saw the need for structures that did not close doors. With his practical genius for organisation he made a commitment to structures that were democratic and flexible, adapted to new and emerging charisms. As if to say, 'If there is no need for change today, let us remain open to possible change tomorrow'. He conceived of the Constitutions not as static pieces of legislation but rather as laws which must be constantly tested and reappraised.

Saint Dominic de Guzman. Preacher and Apostolic freedom
Cardinal Villot in a letter to the Order in 1970 described Dominic as 'stupefyingly free'. For Dominic, freedom of spirit was not an accident but a deliberate choice, an apostolic tool.
Dominican Spirituality is incarnational, enmeshed in the human condition and the Cross of Jesus. It does not flee the world, rather the world is a friend, if a wounded friend. Dominic’s itinerant life style, his insistence on mobility, a democratic system of government, the supremacy of the General Chapter in the Order, the submission of his opinions to others, the law of dispensation, a simplified liturgy, the simplicity of Dominican buildings, his openness to new ideas and new charisms – all of these are aspects of his conviction of the need of apostolic freedom. His very spontaneity was a fruit of this apostolic freedom which he wished to inspire in his followers: the freedom to preach. There is nothing that frightens us more than freedom and the responsibility it imposes, but for Dominicans, as for others, it is not a matter of choice. It is an essential ingredient of Dominic’s spirit and We (Dominicans) have not always been faithful to it!)



This article first appeared in Spirituality (Sept-Oct 1996), a publication of the Irish Dominicans.

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Memorable final words for today

  “Have charity for one another, guard humility, and make a treasure of voluntary poverty.”

~ St Dominic Guzman ~

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Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A

FIRST READING

A reading from the first Book of Kings       19:9. 11-13
Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.


When Elijah reached Horeb, the mountain of God, he went into the cave and spent the night in it. Then the word of the Lord came to him saying, '
What are you doing here, Elijah?' Then he was told, 'Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' Then the Lord himself went by.
There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord. But The Lord was not in the wind.
After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze.
And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

The Word of the Lord.              Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm           Ps 84:9-14. R/v.8
Response                               Let us see, O Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help.

1. I will hear what the Lord God has to say, a voice that speaks of peace.
His help is near for those who fear him and his glory will dwell in our land.    Response

2. Mercy and faithfulness have met; justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth and justice look down from heaven. Response

3. The Lord will make us prosper and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him and peace shall follow his steps.                         Response

4. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
O God, be gracious and bless us and let your face shed its light upon us.          Response

SECOND READING

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to Romans        9:1-5
I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers.

What I want to say now is no pretence; I say it in union with Christ - it is the truth - my conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood. They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them.
They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood came Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed! Amen.

The Word of the Lord.        Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation      Lk 19: 38
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessings on the King who comes, in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens!
Alleluia!

Or                                     Ps 129: 5
Alleluia, alleluia!
My Soul is waiting on the Lord, I count on his word
Alleluia!

GOSPEL 

The Lord be with you              And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew         14:22-33
Tell me to come to you across the water.

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind.

In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. 'It is a ghost' they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, 'Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.'
It was Peter who answered. 'Lord,' he said 'if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.'
'Come' said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. 'Lord! Save me!' he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. 'Man of little faith,' he said 'why did you doubt?' And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, 'Truly, you are the Son of God'.

The Gospel of the Lord     Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here: https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/




Taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.