THE MAN OF PRAYER


BLESSED FATHER DOMINIC, PRIEST 

Deut 4:32-40; Ps 77:12-16,21; Mt 16:24-28

Hearing the Voice of God

In the reading from Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the people of the privileges the Lord granted them by using extraordinary things to prompt their faith in him. As we noted in our previous reflection, faith is a gift of a spiritual faculty from God, enabling us to relate well with him daily. Sometimes, God uses extraordinary events or occurrences to strengthen our faith in Him. But these extraordinary events are not the cause of faith in us, which is a gift we must receive from God, and with which we cooperate with him. Hence, we can experience the extraordinary events or miracles without receiving the gift of faith. Similarly, we can receive the gift of faith without supernatural events. The latter is better conformed to the will of God. Because of this, Jesus called those who did not see him but believed blessed. The former is the case for the children of Israel. They witnessed the stupendous works of God, but many failed to believe in God. “Put this question to the ages that are past, that went before you, from the time God created man on earth: Was there ever a word so majestic, from one end of heaven to the other? Was anything ever heard? Did ever a people hear the voice of the living God speaking from the heart of the fire, as you heard it, and remain alive?” God multiplied extraordinary sacraments in their lives and journey with God to bring them to receive and exercise faith in God, but many failed to do so.

Creation itself is a sacrament of God’s presence, as we have already noted in our previous reflections. Thus, God works extraordinary events or miracles to aid our faith. Living by faith, we see the whole of creation as a sacrament of God's presence and speech to us. We hear the voice of God through the wisdom that guides the operations of natural things, by faith. God speaks to us always, but through the sacramental aspect of natural things and events of life. “He let you hear his voice out of heaven for your instruction; on earth, he let you see his great fire, and from the heart of the fire you heard his word.” If God did these extraordinary works for the love of their fathers extended to them, his love for us is even more evident in the appearance of his Only Begotten Son on earth, in our nature. They heard the divine voice through fire, lightning, thunder, and other natural things, but we hear his voice now through his Son, who has entered the house of God, our human nature. Therefore, faith helps us to listen to the voice of God more within our nature than from outside. The one who listens within is a faithful disciple of the Eternal Word. “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.” Faith gives us entrance into the household of God, where we are not in charge, but follow the directives of the Son as stewards or disciples.

The fame of Saint Dominic consists in his capacity to listen to the Eternal Word and follow him everywhere. It is another way of saying that Dominic was a great man of faith. He lived constantly in the presence of God, so that his prayers were constant and unceasing. He is reputed to have engaged mainly in two things: talking to God and talking about God. He was born in Castile, part of modern Spain, in 1170, and became a canon of the cathedral of Osma. He travelled with his bishop, Diego de Azevedo, preaching against the Albigensian heresy, which was then strong in southern France. Through this mission carried out in poverty and deep humility, with the weapon of persuasive preaching, in place of force and war that were used then, Dominic and his bishop made a great impact. Long after his bishop retired from the mission, he continued and conceived the formation of the Order of Preachers, which would be dedicated to saving souls through preaching and persuasion. Dominic founded a semi-monastic Order that would embrace poverty as a means of life and preaching of the Gospel. His friars made a lasting impression on medieval Europe and on the whole Church. His deep recollection and constant communion with God made his words of preaching flames of fire in the hearts of those who listened to him. Dominic had exceptional devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and he received the holy Rosary as a gift from her to help him bring the hardened hearts of heretics to conversion. Dominic died at Bologna on the 6th of August 1221.      

Let us pray: May Saint Dominic come to the help of your Church by his merits and teaching, O Lord, and may he, who was an outstanding preacher of your truth, be a devoted intercessor on our behalf. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

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