OPreach
Dominican Preaching through Word and Image
On the Feast of the Assumption
Wednesday is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.
This fresco of the Dominican saints (which is at Santa Sabina in Rome) under the mantle of Mary reminds us that she and our loving God welcome us into their presence.
God’s Love for All – without Exception
Monday’s reading from Matthew 18 reminds us of God’s love for each and every one of us . . . without exception.
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.
Heaven and Earth are Full of God’s Glory
Monday’s Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 148
Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise God in the heights;
Praise God, all you angels; praise God, all you hosts.
Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
Let the rulers of the earth and all peoples,
the leaders and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens, elders and children
Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
Praise the name of the LORD, for God’s name alone is exalted;
God’s majesty is above earth and heaven.
Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
And God has lifted up the horn of the people. Be this God’s praise from all the faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to God.
Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
The Sunrise Will Surely Come
In Saturday’s first reading from the first chapter of the Prophet Habakkuk we read words to give us hope in the times when the future looks dim.
Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write down the vision Clearly upon the tablets,
so that one can read it readily.
For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint;
If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.
The Real Voyage of Discovery
I have always appreciated this quote from Marcel Proust, and hope that I will always have the gift of fresh eyes, fresh ears, and a fresh heart.
The Feast of Saint Dominic
We celebrate the Feast of Saint Dominic on August 8th.
Saint Dominic founded the Dominican Order 800 years ago:
the nuns in 1206, the friars in 1216. This allows us to celebrate our special anniversary for ten years.
You can find a brief biography of St. Dominic on our website at
http://www.sanrafaelop.org/who-we-are/dominican-heritage/.
Our Small Amount of Knowledge
A Dominican mystic that Sister Patricia Bruno quotes in Stories Seldom Heard is Meister Eckhart. And it would be worthwhile to read her brief telling of the challenges he received from the Church in his day in her reflection.
One last thought: I said earlier that Eckhart loved poetry and images. So I would like to end with one of his charming, imaginative stories. Eckhart places himself in conversation with an ant.
Having lunch in a field one day, I troubled an ant with a question. I asked of him humbly, “’Have you ever been to Paris?’” And he replied, “’no, but I wouldn’t mind going.’” And then the ant asked me if I had ever been to a famous ant city. And I regretted that I hadn’t, and was quick to add, “’I wouldn’t mind, too!’” This led to a conclusion: There is life that we do not know of. How aware are we of all consciousness in this universe? Less than that is our knowledge of God. How then can we ever argue about Him?
The writings of Thomas Aquinas significantly impacted Meister Eckhart – both Dominicans.
God’s Presence in the Clouds
On today’s Feast of the Transfiguration, we read in Psalm 97:
The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about God,
justice and judgment are the foundation of God’s throne.
God’s Radiance in Creation
Hildegard of Bingen tells us:
There is nothing in creation that does not have some radiance – either greenness or seeds or flowers, or beauty – otherwise it would not be part of creation. The Holy Spirit pours out this fresh greenness of life into the hearts of women and men so that they might bear good fruit.
This quote is from the monthly reflection of our Dominican Sister Patricia Bruno which can be found on our website in Stories Seldom Heard. Her reflections for the month of August tell us about some of the Dominican mystics.
The Grateful Person
The grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience.
And that is what makes all the difference.
– Thomas Merton
In 2008, Sister Carla, Father Bob, and I went with a group of Dominican University students on a service trip to Tijuana. We painted Lupita’s house. In the way of possessions, she is poor – in generosity of heart and trust in God, she is rich. Lupita is one who knows God’s goodness by experience, and knowing her and her family has enriched my experience of trusting our Loving God.
OPreach 