August 8 – Feast Day of St Dominic
He was a true disciple of Christ in word and deed. He was known for his tireless preaching, generosity, and knowledge.
He lived a solemn life, sleeping on the ground, giving up worldly possessions, and eating simple meals. He didn’t choose misery. He chose purpose. He was focused on what he knew mattered most – teaching the truth about Jesus and the Church. He dedicated himself to spending many hours praying and studying, so he was best prepared to share the word of God and the Catholic faith. He did all of this, because he believed that actions are many times louder than words. He wanted to be an example of God’s love and the love of God.
Saint Dominic was born in 1179 in Spain the son of Felix de Guzman and Jane of Aza. History tells us that during her pregnancy with him she had an amazing dream telling her “her child would be an eminent preacher” to be a light to the world for Christ. His parents made sure Saint Dominic was well educated in all subjects, especially his faith, understanding that his Catholic faith was not a subject to study, but a way of life.
Just as the dream foreshadowed young Dominic began his preaching about the teachings of Jesus before he was a priest. During this time in Europe there were many struggles and at the heart of most of them was religion. St. Dominic, who was opposed to warfare and bloodshed, chose to challenge the heresies with dialogue on an intellectual level. In doing so he converted many souls and brought more back to the Catholic faith.
His efforts were so inspiring throughout Europe he had a growing following of men and women who wanted to commit to prayer, study, and preaching. St. Dominic was the founder of several religious communities, including one of the largest in the Church the Order of Preachers now known as the Dominicans.
Let us today reflect how we can show others our love of God through our actions.
