Sister Linda Rivers teaching English as a Second Language at Mariandale
As members of the Order of Preachers, our ministry is the Word of God. Therefore, preaching is at the heart of Dominican life. In fact, we were founded to be “useful to the souls of others.” In his message in celebration of the opening of the Jubilee, Bruno Cadoré, the Master General of the Order, reminds us that Dominic found conviction in his preaching. In his vision of Saints Peter and Paul, Dominic received the tools needed for preaching. “Paul gives him the scriptures, the revelation, the unity of God’s plan, and Peter gives him the pilgrim’s staff so he could go forth. So he goes and opens the door!”
Sister Anne Marie Bucher in her Healing Hands ministry
The three pillars of prayer, study, and common life reinforce our vocation as preachers of the good news. Our preaching takes on many forms. From the pulpit to the classroom to pastoral visits, our ministry is about preaching the healing Word of God to all we encounter and serve. Paul Murray, OP offers the following Dominicans as examples: “St. Thomas Aquinas preached through his teaching, St. Catherine of Siena through her zeal for uniting divisions and mediating disputes, St. Martin de Porres through his care for the sick, poor, and marginalized, and Bartholomew de las Casas by fighting for the rights of the indigenous people of America. In all these examples, we see a harmony of word and action, a balance between preaching and the power of example. This fits with the early Dominican motto, verbo et exemplo (by word and example). Thus, the Dominican answer to this crisis of preaching is to discover creative ways through which we can both respond to the needs of our day and invite others to experience the power of God that is present in our lives.”
Advent Reflection:
“The monastery of Our Lady of Prouilhe was the cradle of the Holy Preaching at the beginning of our Order. The mission of Dominicans to hand on the fruits of contemplation by preaching and teaching cannot be properly lived without due reference to the originating source. The rivers of living water need the deep, hidden spring if they are to continue to communicate God’s life to a world thirsting for truth.”
-Acts of the General Chapter, Providence 2001 no. 300