The Dominican Spirituality proves
to be of great use for me in ministries. Aside from being Dominican,
that itself gives me enough reason to say that this spirituality will be of
great use to me, the Dominican Spirituality possesses a splendor of order, a
particular beauty and dynamism that allows an encounter between God and man;
wherein none is alienated, rather each one is recognized, appreciated and
manifested.
Spirituality is
the quality or state of being concerned with religion or religious matters: the
quality or state of being spiritual. It leads man towards an encounter with
God. To understand then what Dominican Spirituality is, it proper to ask
ourselves: How does one encounter God in the Dominican way of life?
A person enters
the Dominican Order to save his soul, first and foremost, and endeavors his
entire life saving others’ soul, salus
animarum. He could have done such task through other means, but upon
entering the Order, he shall do such through the Dominican way. In practice, the Order's spirituality means living
the religious life as it is prescribed in the Rule of St. Augustine, the
Constitutions, and the family customs which have developed over the centuries.
If the Dominican lives these things established for him, he follows a
spirituality that will lead him to salvation.[1]
The principal reason we are gathered together is that we dwell together
in harmony and have one mind and one heart in God, in other words, that we be
found perfect in charity. Our Order is known to have been founded from the
beginning expressly for preaching and the salvation of souls. . . .This end we
ought to pursue, preaching and teaching from the abundance and fullness of
contemplation in imitation of our most Holy Father Dominic, who spoke only with
God or of God for the benefit of souls.[2]
On the onset of
every Dominican formation, these documents and practices are inculcated in the
mind and heart of every brother. Furthermore, these instructions take into
concrete form through the four pillar of the Dominican life, namely, Community
life, Adoration life (Prayer), Study life, and Apostolic life. Community or
common life speaks of the fraternal life which Dominicans share among
themselves: to dwell together in unity
and that there may be in us one mind and one heart in God.[3] This
aspect of Dominican life describe the oneness of the brothers as they aspire
and achieve the purpose of their gathering. This is seen in their daily lives,
living together, studying together, eating together, playing together and
praying together. That togetherness among the brothers makes them a community,
indeed a Church of God in miniature.
Study life is an
element of the Dominican Life that is added by St. Dominic as an innovation of
his Order. It is a no small innovation. If the brothers are called for the
salvation of souls, and saving souls involves the preaching of the Message of
Jesus Christ, then it is necessary for the brothers to study this Message, for
how can they can preach about salvation if they themselves know nothing about
Christ’s Message of redemption. However, emphasis should be given to the end
purpose of study; that is the salvation of souls. Brothers study not for the
sake of studying but in view of a noble end.
Hence before all else, our study should aim principally and ardently at
this that we might be able to be useful to the souls of our neighbours. By
study the brethren consider in their heart the manifold wisdom of God and
prepare themselves for the doctrinal service of the Church and of all mankind.
It is all the more fitting that they should devote themselves to study, because
from the tradition of the Order they are more specially called to cultivate
mankind’s inclination towards truth.[4]
Thus salvation
and truth stand as the proximate goal of study. Ultimately, this pillar of
Dominican life desire to bring to God the preacher and those to who such truth
is preached.
The apostolate,
apostolic life refers to the ministry of the brothers directly aimed to the
salvation of souls. Realizing that they are being sent to all men of all
nations, the brothers preaches the Gospel and establishes the Church among the
nations and explain and strengthens the faith in the people of God. Apostolate
then is a manifestation of a well-rounded life of the Dominican. They do not
study for the sake of studying, nor life together for the sake of themselves,
their community alone. They are called to go out to the whole world and
proclaim the redemption Christ had won for all. Brothers are not kept in their
cloisters and chapel, shun away from the world. They bring their cloister and
chapel with them to the world and bring the world to an experience of God.[5]
The Prayer life
of the brothers should be pattern-out from the example of St. Dominic who both
at home and on the road, day and night was diligent in the divine office and in
prayer and celebrated the mysteries with great devotion. It is often said that
St. Dominic did only two things in his life; He talked to God and spoke about
God. Such conversation to God can be understood as his form of prayer. And this
prayer moved him, enabled him to speak about God. Such is a proof that God and
his message of salvation in encountered not only through the pages of books but
more so in prayer and the celebration of the liturgy and sacraments.
In the Liturgy, especially in the Eucharist, the mystery of salvation is
present and at work which the brethren share and contemplate and even proclaim
in preaching to others so that they may be incorporated into Christ through the
sacraments of faith. In the liturgy, together with Christ, the brethren glorify
God for the eternal plan of his will and for the wonderful order of grace, and
they intercede with the Father of mercies for the whole Church as well as for
the needs and the salvation of the whole world. Therefore, the celebration of
the liturgy is the center and heart of our life, whose unity especially is
rooted in.[6]
Thus prayer life
resonates as the center of the Dominican life; that which allows the brothers
to encounter God, may it be in the sacraments, liturgy, or even in inspired
personal ways.
Based on the
above discussion on the four pillars of the Dominican life, wherein Dominican
spirituality takes a concrete and sensible form, it can be said that there
exist an interplay of contemplative and active life; of praying and preaching,
of studying and living together. Such dynamism can be encapsulated with St.
Thomas’ dictum on the charism of the Order: Contemplata
et contemplare aliis tradere, To contemplate and share the fruits of
contemplation.
The brothers pray and study not for the sake of praying and
studying alone. Such is motivated by selfish intent and has no place in the
Dominican Order and does not fit to the way of life St. Dominic envisioned for
his brothers. The brothers pray and study for to be led to the noblest
mysteries of God and be moved by these grand mysteries to preach, to share to
others what they themselves had experiences, what they themselves felt. It is
in the apostolate, in the actual preaching that whatever the brothers studied
and felt in their prayers, fructify.
but going beyond this, Dominican contemplation itself is intended to
fructify in the apostolate for souls, especially through preaching, teaching,
and writing. Contemplation is the generic element, the one the Friars Preachers
share with other contemplative Orders; the salvation of souls through preaching
is the specific note distinguishing Dominicans from all other Orders.[7]
It is this beauty, this dynamism of active and contemplative, of
preaching, teaching and praying that the Dominican Spirituality can be of great
help to may ministry in the future. As a minister of Christ, acting in His, the
head, I ought to facilitate an encounter with Him, so much so that I may be
able to know Him and in knowing Him love Him. But life a minister of Christ
does not stop there. I ought to preach the one I have learned, the One I have
experienced, the One I have felt in my life. I ought to preach Christ and His
Message of redemption to the people of God. And in this, the Dominican
Spirituality prove to be of great help to me.
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