laudare, benedicere, praedicare TO PRAISE, TO BLESS, TO PREACH
January 2021 Neapolitan Follower of Giotto: Adoration of the Magi, c. 1340-43
JANUARY 3
The
Epiphany Lord
T
of the
oday the Bridegroom claims his bride, the Church, since Christ has washed her sins away in Jordan's waters; the Magi hasten with their gifts to the royal wedding; and the wedding guests rejoice, for Christ has changed water into wine, alleluia. Antiphon from Lauds of the Epiphany
Photo: Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.
The Four Pillars of Dominican Life
Prayer
Community
Apostolate
Study part ii
F
or Dominicans, study is more than an intellectual pursuit. Its primacy in our lives flows from a recognitionnition that knowledge leads to love and love to union with the Beloved. As St. Thomas Aquinas, whose feast day we celebrate this month, writes, “The contemplation of spiritual beauty or goodness is the beginning of spiritual love. Accordingly, knowledge is the cause of love for the same reason as good is, which can be loved only if known� (Summa Theologica, I-II, Q. 27, art. 2). In many ways, the emphasis of Saint Dominic and his family on study reflects the centrality of the Incarnation in the spirituality of the Order of Preachers. In Jesus Christ, we encounter the Word made flesh. When we study, the words we ponder become enfleshed anew in the minds and hearts of those who study. Our knowledge of God, made manifest in Jesus Christ, leads us to the loving union with Him that transforms our minds and hearts. This transformation opens us to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which perfect our understanding not only of divine mysteries, but also of the way that all created goods are ordered to God.
ABOVE / In this image of the Crucifixion by Bl. Fra Angelico, St. Dominic kneels before the Cross with an open book, showing that he is in the act of contemplative study.
In this light, it is clear that study is intimately bound with prayer. Dominican study is sacred study. Although it can and does include all the fields of knowledge, since all that is true is from the Holy Spirit, Dominican study is dedicated
first and foremost to Sacred Scripture and to the revelation of God in the teachings of the Church rooted in the Word of God. The Dominican calls on the Holy Spirit, knowing that Jesus is faithful to his promise: “When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13).
"The desk for the Dominican is like the altar." Sacred study that enlightens those who pursue it forms us to be preachers of the Word we have contemplated. Study, like every act that leads us deeper into charity, bears fruit in abundance. Study is not easy, especially in a world of so many distractions and so much that draws us to live at the surface rather than to enter the depths of experience. The desk for the Dominican is like the altar, a place where one is invited to offer to God a sacrifice of praise. When this loving sacrifice is united to the self-offering of Christ, it bears fruit in a preaching that is not mere eloquence, but rather, as Fr. Guy Bedouelle, O.P. aptly entitles his biography of Saint Dominic, the grace of the Word. Saint Dominic pondered the truths of God day and night. He was said to speak only with God or of God. He was called a Preacher of Grace because he tirelessly dedicated himself to both prayer and study, allowing God to dwell in and work through him. When we study the truths of God and the needs of the people to whom we are sent, we open a space for God to enlighten us and make us preachers of grace to pass on that radiance to others. With Saint Dominic, we seek to study God’s truth with the prophetic ardor of Jeremiah, “When I found your words, I devoured them; your words were my joy, the happiness of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16).
ABOVE / A sister prays at the altar in Fanjeaux on which St. Dominic once said Mass.
Vancouver MISSION SPOTLIGHT:
British Columbia, Canada
Sister Mary Bethany and Sister Rose Catherine teach at Our Lady of the Assumption Elementary School.
Sister Mary Sabina and Sister Mary Martha teach at Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary School.
Sister Elena Marie currently teaches Educational Psychology at Aquinas College in Nashville, Tennessee.
Teacher of Truth an interview with sr. elena marie, o.p.
"Study is not just for its own sake, but something we can hand on to others."
What was your school experience like before the convent? I attended Catholic schools in the diocese of Adelaide, Australia until I graduated high school. After that, I attended the University of Adelaide until I received a doctorate in Psychology.
How did your experience of study change when you entered the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia? As postulants, I remember we were reminded often to just do the best we could for the Lord. We were formed to realize that it is okay if we are not always getting perfect marks, but to do it for the Lord no matter what was asked of us. In addition to this, I remember being struck by the idea that study is not just for its own sake, but as Dominicans, we see the fruits of our labor of study as something we can hand on to others. Prior to entering the convent, I already loved to study, but I learned to supernaturalize my perspective on study.
What are some methods you use to help students experience a love of truth and the joy of study? I have found cross-curricular activities which include an area that an individual is interested in can really help them get excited about their studies. Real-life research in the student’s field of study also concretizes what they are learning and makes it more meaningful. I have also tried to model a positive attitude towards study for my students, demonstrating the joy of studying.
What about study in areas that are not, in themselves, religious? In the Dominican tradition we value and seek truth wherever it is to be found, for all truth has its source in God.
"In the Dominican tradition, we find truth wherever it is."
Having attained the highest level of education in your field, are you now finished studying? No! Now I study even more! It is essential to study continually in one's professional area in order to keep updated. This is essential so that one can convey to one's students the latest and best information in the field. I also continue my private study, ordinarily of the Scriptures, but also Church documents, or St. Thomas Aquinas’s Summa. This is important as it helps me to pray, since contemplation and study assist one another, allowing us to go deeper with the Lord. I also find that study of sacred topics elevates my conversations.
Do you consider yourself a student or a teacher? To be a good teacher, one must continually study. A Dominican is always a student!
ABOVE / Sister Maria Coeli studies in the Motherhouse library. LEFT / Sister Mary Diana (center right) teaches a class at Aquinas College, Nashville.
January 28
St. Thomas Aquinas, O.P. Patron of Catholic schools, teachers, students, and theologians
For even as it is better to enlighten than merely to shine, so is it better to give to others the fruits of one's contemplation than merely to contemplate. Summa Theologiae II-II, Q. 188, a. 6 Photo: Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.
Christmas
at the Motherhouse
TOP / Adoration in the St. Cecilia Chapel on Christmas day. MIDDLE LEFT / Sisters participated in Ongoing Formation sessions with their sisters on mission via Zoom. ABOVE RIGHT / On a clear night, the sisters could see the Christmas Star over Nashville. LEFT / The instrumentalists and schola welcomed the Infant Christ with beautiful music during the Mass of Christmas Day.
Christmas on the missions 2
1 4 3
1 / Vancouver, BC, Canada
2 / Melbourne, Australia 3 / Birmingham, AL 4 / Denver, CO 5 / Oak Ridge, TN
nashvilledominican.org
5