Monday Musings - Where Is the Zeal for the Salvation of Souls?

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

St. Dominic de Guzman founded the Order of Preachers – the Dominicans – to preach the Gospel and to save souls. 

His zeal to save souls knew no limits. He reportedly spent every night in prayer tearfully asking God, “What will become of sinners?”

Does such zeal for the salvation of souls exist today?

In a recent post on Missio Dei, Kaleb Hammond questioned how many individuals in the world today believe that:

“Jesus is the one and only way to salvation, without whom we cannot enter heaven" and

“Hell is a real possibility for each of us and that Heaven is guaranteed to no one.”

Not many, he concluded, since we live in a culture that believes one religion is "just as good as another" and that all of us will go to heaven. I highly recommend that you read his post, The Heresy of Universalism. Here is a link.

Sadly, Kaleb is right. Our Church has long abandoned its primary duty - the salvation of souls. Not enough of its leaders have shed a tear over the countless souls who have lost their souls because of their failure to teach the Truth and their decision to remain silent in the face of rampant heresy.

Although we can do little for those souls who have already stood before the Throne of Justice, the sons and daughters of St. Dominic have neither quit the battle for souls nor lost their zeal for doing so. As long as the Order of Preachers continues being faithful to preaching the Truth and their mission to save souls, the proponents of religious indifferentism and universal salvation will, in God’s perfect timing, be defeated.

In the meanwhile, we must not remain silent in the face of lies and untruths. We must engage in the battle to save souls. We must know, teach, fraternally correct, live and defend the Truths of our Catholic Faith.

We must join our prayers and tears with those offered and shed by St. Dominic during his lifetime – unwilling to concede, from this point forward, the loss of even one more soul.

Let Us Pray On The Feast Day of St. Dominic de Guzman

Today, we Dominicans and the Universal Church celebrate the feast day and memorial of our Father, St. Dominic. I invite you to offer the following prayer which are excerpts from the Evening and Morning prayer intentions set forth in the Supplement to the Liturgy of the Hours for the Order of Preachers:

Provident God, you gave Dominic to Your Church as an Apostle of Truth, increase our zeal for Your Word.

Lord, you helped Dominic weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice, may we imitate his compassion for Your people.

Lord, you gave Dominic the gift of preaching in Your Name, may we preach in our world as Dominic preached in his.

Loving God, you call us to go serve You by imitating our Holy Father Dominic, give us that passion for Truth which inflamed his heart.

Dominic sent forth his family to fill the world with the fruit of their study and contemplation. Lord keep us assiduous in study, persevering in prayer and zealous in preaching.

As a sheep without a shepherd, the world hungers for the food of life and the Source of Truth. Lord increase the number of our Dominican family that we may proclaim Your love to the world.

You raised you only-begotten Son to glory through His obedience on the cross, may our deceased brothers and sisters come to contemplate your face forever.

St. Dominic pray for us!

Feast Day of St. Dominic

[Time got away from me so I am recirculating a post from three years ago.]

Today we Dominicans pause to remember and honor the founder of the Order of Preachers, our Father, St. Dominic de Guzman.

A little over 800 years ago, this unique and talented man, reshaped the face of the Church of his day by combining the contemplative and apostolic vocations under one religious order. Since that time, Dominicans have tirelessly sought the salvation of souls. Daily they strive to faithfully fulfill their mission -  to Praise, to Bless, to Preach!

If you want a short but enlightening glimpse of who this man was, follow the suggestion of Ms. Marianne Jablonski, O.P., former President of the Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic, St. Joseph Province, and spend some time today reading and pondering the saint's Last Will and Testament.

Steal away a few more quiet moments before day's end and honor our founder and the God who made him and Whom he served so tirelessly, by  reciting this Litany to St. Dominic, approved for private use.

Another suggestion if I might. Before your head hits the pillow tonight, ask God if he is calling you to be a Lay Dominican? Check us out.

Finally, let us end this joyous day with a Prayer to our beloved St. Dominic:

O Wonderful Hope, which thou gavest to those who wept for thee at the hour of thy death, promising after thy departure to be helpful to the brethren. 

Fulfill, O Father, what thou hast said, and help us by thy prayers. 

O thou, who didst shine illustrious by so many miracles wrought on the bodies of the sick, bring us the help of Christ to heal our sick souls. 

Fulfill, O Father, what thou has said, and help us by they prayers. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

Fulfill, O Father, what thou hast said, and help us by thy prayers. 

Pray for us, O holy Father, St. Dominic.

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray: 

O God, who have enlightened Your Church by the eminent virtues and preaching of St. Dominic, Your Confessor and our Father, mercifully grant that by his prayers we may be provided against all temporal necessities, and daily improve in all spiritual good. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

(Source for image, Last Will and Testament and Litany to St. Dominic is The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, commonly referred to as the Nashville Dominicans)

St. Dominic Prayer For Us!

Today we Dominicans and the universal Church have the great privilege of celebrating the feast day and memorial of our Father, St. Dominic!  This day is especially sweet this year - the 800^th anniversary of the founding of the Order of Preachers.

(Church of St. Vincent Ferrer, NYC)

God has used and continues to use the Order of Preachers to defend His Church and proclaim His Truth. Since their founding, Dominicans have worked untiringly to save souls. Every day, they strive to faithfully live their motto: "To Praise, To Bless, To Preach."

In my mind, nothing captures the charism of the Dominican Order and its founder better than this most succinct and penetrating quotation attributed to St. Albert the Great:

“The roving dogs are the Order of Preachers who do not wait at their homes for the poor but go out to them and lick the ulcers of their sins, having in their mouths the bark of preaching.”

If you want a brief glimpse into the life of St. Dominic and the various ways in which he prayed take a look here.  Want to look into The Dominican Soul?  Interested in learning more about Dominican Spirituality, than Father William A. Hinnebusch, O.P. would be a perfect guide. The Dominican Province of St. Joseph has a  phenomenal website well worth your time.

If you are looking for more detailed reading material, may I suggest the following books: Life of St. Dominic by Bede Jarrett, O.P., The Dominicans A Short History by William A. Hinnebusch, O.P., In theImage of Saint Dominic – Nine Portraits of Dominican Life by Guy Bedouelle, O.P., and Hounds of the Lord – Great DominicanSaints Every Catholic Should Know by Dr. Kevin Vost, Psy.D.

But before you go running to these links, let me share a personal reflection on my Lay Dominican vocation. Although I wrote this some sixteen years ago in a slightly different form, maybe God can use these paltry words to draw others to a life as a Lay Dominican. Check us out!

Guess Who Is Celebrating Their 800th Anniversary?

THE ORDER OF PREACHERS

 THE DOMINICANS

 THE PREACHERS OF MERCY

Take a Quick Peak Here