REFLECTIONS OF THE PILGRIM STUDENT-BROTHERS ON THE DOMINICAN LIFE

In the course of their seventeen-day pilgrimage with the Master of the Order, the pilgrim studentbrothers were asked by Br. Bruno Cadoré, OP, to gather and present their concerns and thoughts as young Dominicans to the capitulars of the General Chapter of Priors Provincial in Bologna. The following is the position paper of one of the four linguistic groups. Br. Hilario V. Sicat Jr., OP, and Br. Matthew Farrell, OP, of the Irish Province drafted it. Br. Sicat served as the relator of the group before the capitulars.

In this section we will address the following issues: 1) Prayer and contemplation; 2) New questions in a dynamic world; 3) The internationality dimension of the Order; 4) Co-operator brothers and contemplative sisters; 5) Visible identity

1. Prayer and Contemplation. The Dominican vocation starts with contemplation. During our pilgrimage, we have seen many places where Dominic prayed to discover what God was asking of him. Because of this experience, prayer became a fundamental pillar of the mendicant life. Preachers cannot speak about God, if they have not themselves experienced the power of turning to God in contemplation. It seems that those in formation have a need for more help and encouragement to develop a healthy prayer life to be ready for the mission. Here, a specific introduction to and emphasis on the rich Dominican tradition could be very helpful.

2. New Questions in a dynamic world. Our world is in flux. Permanent change in society asks for permanent study of all the brethren. We have a good reputation for helping people find the answers in their lives, but are we living up to this reputation, especially when it comes to the interaction between theology and other fields of knowledge? Can we anticipate better the people’s questions and be prepared in answering them? What could we learn from Dominic’s encounter with the innkeeper? Is it just a case of spending a night persuading someone to the truths of the Gospel? Does it start with attentive listening to the experience of the person we encounter? Are we really prepared to become good listeners before we become good speakers?

3. Internationality of the Order. Our Order is international before it is local. This has been the case from the early days of our mission. However, it seems that we struggle to keep this essential international dimension of our vocation. Local provincial concerns at times demand so much energy of the brethren that international concerns are not adequately addressed. Yet, if our world is interconnected in many ways, so we should be, in order to preach the Word to the world. This lapse may be remedied by beginning with formation. Brothers in formation could be encouraged more to serve our international institutions through study, teaching, and pastoral engagements. During the pilgrimage, we have experienced that an intensification of the study of the languages of the Order is urgently needed.

4. Co-operator brothers and the contemplative sisters. Both the co-operator brothers and the contemplative sisters are vital to the success of our mission. Much thought has already been put to both vocations (General Chapter of Trogir). How can we, as brothers, help promote these vocations to the Order through our preaching, our parishes, and educational institutions?

5. Visibility of the Dominican identity. The pilgrimage has presented us with a rich tapestry of art and impressions of our Dominican heritage. We have seen many representations of St. Dominic, St. Thomas, St. Catherine, and many other saints. But we have also seen other demonstrations of our identity through the symbols of our crest and the dog with the flaming torch. However, it seems that today this rich heritage is under-utilized in our day-to-day mission. Thus,the Dominican presence is often not visible in the public square. How do we make ourselves visible and recognizable again? Can we better utilize new forms of social communication for our mission? 

Conclusion 

Our vocation as preachers faces several questions today: 

(a) How do we see prayer as means to enrich our vocation? 

(b) Do we anticipate the questions of the mondern day innkeeper and are we equipped to answer them? 

(c) How have we been faithful to the international character of the Order? 

(d) How do we promote the vocation of the cooperator brothers and the nuns?

 (e) How can we make our Dominican identity more visible today?

  

The Walking Dom: Tracing the Footsteps of Dominic, Renewing a Vocation

From July 1 to July 17 of this year, I was given the opportunity to be a pilgrim and to trace the footsteps of Saint Dominic from Spain, to France, and to Italy. It was like an experience of a son tracing the steps of his father. Visiting and praying on the places that were once touched by Dominic’s feet makes me feel the presence of Dominic anew; it makes me wonder how he trod these roads that led him to set the world on fire.

We began our pilgrimage where Dominic first saw the light - in Caleuruega, in the region of Castille, Spain. We also visited Gumiel de Izan, Burgo de Osma, Segovia, and Madrid. Castille is not only the birth place of Dominic. It is also where Dominic realized his vocation to the priesthood. It was in the area of Palencia and Osma that Dominic showed the virtue of generosity as he would sell his parchment books to feed the hungry. In the Cathedral of Osma, he would faithfully observe the Rule of St. Augustine as a canon regular. This cathedral is the Spanish church that struck me most. Its beauty and grandeur may move many in astonishment, but what amazed me is the fact that in this place, Dominic decided to leave all these beautiful things behind, including a promising ecclesiastical career (as the subprior of the canonry). He left these to dedicate himself fully to the preaching of Truth beyond the Pyrenees. 

Through a long bus ride that cut across the Pyrenees, we traversed the Spanish-French border. Dominic surely climbed the mountain range between Spain and France. Upon crossing the Pyrenees, one would observe the change of landscape and weather. Far from the warm and dry weather of Spain, France is relatively cooler, with lush green vegetation and green fields that graced our way to Toulouse. We rested in Lourdes savoring the cold water running from the spring in the grotto of Our Lady. In the region of Laguedoc in Southwestern France, we visited the places where Dominic first encountered the heretics (Cathars and Albigensians) and where he realized the need for preaching. In this region, we visited Toulouse, Carcassonne, Prouilhe, and Fanjeaux. It was in this place that Dominic met the heretic innkeeper whom he converted to Catholicism by patiently listening to him and answering his questions about the Catholic faith. The most picturesque site I had seen in France is the panoramic view of the Languedoc region, particularly Prouilhe, seen from Fanjeux, on a spot which the locals called “Le Seignadou” (in Occitan, “sign of God”). It was in Prouilhe that Dominic and Diego founded the first community of sisters in 1206. Dominic built the monastery through a sign from God - Le Seignadou.

A whole day bus ride took us from France to Italy. It brought us to the major cities: Rome, Siena, Florence, and Bologna. These places are important in the fulfillment of the vocation of Dominic as the Founder of the Order. In the Eternal City, in the Lateran Basilica, Dominic would receive from Honorius III the papal bulls confirming the Order as a religious order (on December 22, 1216) and as having preaching as its principal charism (on January 17, 1217).

In the course of this pilgrimage, I have asked myself, 800 years after the establishment of the Order, what have we become? Are we merely museum keepers and guardians of the treasures of the past? There were thousands of Dominicans who have walked before us and surely there will be thousands who will walk after us, but with God’s providence, it is us - Dominicans of today, who are blessed to celebrate this Jubilee. When we look back to the past, it is not to gain pride of what Dominic have achieved but to catch his fire, to be inspired by his stories, and to renew our vocation. As we celebrate this Jubilee, let Dominic be our inspiration in setting ourselves on fire.