The Dominican Rosary

Although the rosary is said to have predated Saint Dominic, Tradition does hold that the founder of the Ordo Praedicatorum introduced the use of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary as "a balm for the wounds of his contemporaries." Moved by a vision of the Mother of God, Saint Dominic preached the used of the rosary in his missionary work among the Albigensians, who denied the mystery of Christ.

Read SUPREMI APOSTOLATUS OFFICIO, Pope Leo XIII's Encyclical on the Devotion of the Rosary.

The DOMINICAN ROSARY

4 Pillars to the Dominican Life

Lay Dominican Postulancy/ O.P. Notes

(Lecturer: Bro. Lito Datu, O.P.)

In the past, Lay Dominicans were called the Third Order of Saint Dominic, or Dominican Tertiaries. The Lay Fraternities of the Order was founded in 1285, and was officially recognized by the Church on the feast of Saint Thomas Aguinas in 1286.

The lay Dominican's spiritual life is guided by norms and practices~ a combination of sense and spirit that gives rise to Christian perfection. Lay Dominicans serve God in light of the Dominican norms, practices and discipline,wherever they are in the world. They are ordinary people seeking higher spiritual discipline. 

The Rule states that the lay members of the Order participate in its apostolic mission through its four (4) pillars: prayer, study, community life, and apostolic ministry.  

The Ecstasy of Saint Catherine of Siena
by Francesco Vanni

I. Prayer

The Catechism (CCC s.2559)  defines prayer as the raising of one's mind and heart to God, or the requesting of good things from God. 

Prayer is the beginning point of Dominican life. It is only through daily prayer and contemplation of God can a Dominican bear lasting fruits to give to the world. A Dominican speaks and listens to our Lord in prayer, and it is centered on the Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Holy rosary, and personal prayers. 

One great Dominican motto which sums up prayer is taken from Saint Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae: "Contemplata aliis tradere" ~ to contemplate and to share the fruits of contemplation.

Different forms of prayer:

1. Private prayer > It is a spontaneous conversation with God, the fruit of which is communion with Him.

2. Common prayer > We pray in common with the universal Church through the Divine Office, or the Liturgy of the Hours that is centered around the Psalms, and which sanctify the hours of the day. It also contains Old and New Testament readings, prayers, petitions, meditations from the saints, etc. Lay Dominicans are obligated to pray the Morning and Evening prayer. By praying these prayers, we become one with the entire body of Christ (including the Pope) who also meditate on the same Psalms and readings. 

3. The MASS  > The Catechism (CCC s. 1324) teaches us that "the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. By the Eucharistic celebration, we unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life when God will be all in all. If possible, Lay Dominicans are encouraged to attend Daily Mass. Communion with Christ is a privilege one must treasure and pursue faithfully.

4. The Sacrament of Reconciliation > A lay Dominican is encouraged to go to Confession monthly, for it strengthens prayer life, it purifies the heart, and helps a person strengthen his trust in God's mercy and love. 

Saint Dominic, studying
Detail of the Mocking of Christ
by Fra Angelico

II. Study

Study of the Truth forms the human soul and makes a man alert; to study not merely for its own sake, but with the goal of benefiting one's soul, and reaching others with that Truth. Scripture tells us to be "always prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence." (1Peter 3:15).

Centered around the Holy Scriptures, the Teachings and Traditions of the Church, a lay Dominican is formed in the Truth of Jesus Christ to be effective witnesses of the Gospel, and to be the salt and light in the world.

The Virgin Mary appearing to
Saint Catherine of Siena,
Saint Rose of Lima, and Saint Agnes
of Montepulciano
by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

III. Community

Community life for a Lay Dominican is sought in one's family life ~both the personal family, and their Dominican family. The monthly chapter meetings for prayer, formation, and other celebrations is a way of being in constant touch with the community. The local chapter is a group of lay individuals in a certain area who share in common a vocation to the Order. When lived fully and faithfully, a Dominican chapter life refines the edges of a tertiary's character. Acceptance of the community into which Christ has placed them humbles and purifies Dominicans in a beautiful way.

Saint Martin de Porres, O.P.

IV. Apostolate

Apostolic ministry refers to the work that we do for God, and for the salvation of souls. At the heart of it involves preaching. The apostolic life of a Dominican is where the call to preach is set in motion; and that the benefits of one's prayer, study and community life are infused into what is being preached. The ministry is not necessarily a formal or liturgical preaching, but rather one that speaks and evangelizes others in the ordinariness of everyday life. It's often heard that a Christian ought to "walk the talk"; but it is also of utmost importance for a Dominican to be a fearless and zealous defender of the Truth. A lay member of the Order has the opportunity to preach the Gospel to the poorly catechized, to the unbelievers, and to those who are hostile to the Gospels. We preach the Gospel and the Triumph of the Cross in our speech, actions, even in our thoughts, and relationships with others.

The Role of the Laity : Canon Law

Lay Dominican Postulancy/ O.P. Notes

(Lesson given by Rev. Noel Castor, O.P.)

"It appears sufficiently clear that the Code is in no way intended as a substitute for faith, grace and the charisms in the life of the Church and of the faithful." ~Saint John Paul II, 28January 1983.

The Code> is a principal legislative document of the Church, founded on the juridical-legislative heritage of the Revelation and Tradition.

Status of the Laity

Canon 204, paragraph 1
The laity participates in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ

> All are called according to his/her condition.

In Lumen Gentium, the laity is described as "all baptized constitute the Christian faithful; our destiny is the kingdom of God. All baptized are called without distinction; all are called to sanctify and to do apostolate. All the faithful from the pope to the baptized child share the "common priesthood".


Principle of Diversity
Functional distinction in the 1983 Code of Canon Law

A. Clerical State
> to serve the people of God in Persona Christi; the one who administers the Sacraments, etc.

B. Laity
> to imbue the temporal reality with Gospel truths and values; to exercise the mission which God entrusted to the Church, ad serves the people of God by living the Gospel values in the world.


Rights of the Laity

A person is one who is free; a master of his own acts; autonomous and regulates his own acts according to his conscience.

> Rights give rise to obligations
> In the Church, rights and obligations of a Christian comes with baptism.
>Participation in Church life in the prophetic, priestly, and kingly functions of Christ.

Canon 207
> The laity, clergy, and religious constitute the Faithful.

Canon 209
> The Christian faithful, even in their own manner of acting, are always obliged to maintain communion with the Church.
> With great diligence they are to fulfill the duties which they owe to the Universal Church and the particular church to which they belong according to the prescripts of the law. 

Canon 210
> All the Christian faithful must direct their efforts to lead a holy life and to promote the growth of the Church and its continual sanctification, according to their own condition.

Canon 211
> All the Christian faithful have the duty and the right to work so that the divine message of salvation more and more reaches all people in every age and in every land.

Canon 213
> The Christian faithful have the right to receive assistance from the sacred pastors out of the spiritual goods of the Church, especially the Word of God and the Sacraments.

Canon 216
> Since they participate in the mission of the Church, all the Christian faithful have the right to promote or sustain apostolic action even by their own undertakings, according to their own state and condition. Nevertheless, no undertaking is to claim the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority.

Canon 217
> Since they are called by baptism to lead a life in keeping with the teaching of the Gospel, the Christian faithful have the right to a Christian education by which they are to be instructed properly to strive for the maturity of the human person and at the same time to know and live the mystery of salvation. 

Canon 219
> All the Christian faithful have the right to be free from any kind of coercion in choosing a state of life.

Canon 224
Rights and Obligations of the Lay Faithful

Rights
> Communion in the Church
> Personal sanctification
> Christian education
> Apostolate
> Association
> Good name and privacy.
> The Christian faithful has the right to be assisted pastorally by the clergy. There is a necessity of an ongoing formation of the lay faithful. (Canon 231)
> The lay faithful has the obligation and the right to receive doctrinal instruction, and acquire the full knowledge of religious sciences. The lay also has the right to teach the Sacred Sciences.
>The lay who dedicate their lives in the service of the Church are entitled to the rights of workers, like health benefits, etc.
> The lay is best to be part of Media where he can effectively proclaim the truths of the Gospel and upholding Christian values.


Obligation
> Proclamation of the message of salvation.
> The laity is not a passive member of the Church.

Sanctification of the Temporal Order/Affairs
> Primary mission of the lay faithful.
> In the world, we are called to live the Gospels. 

(Click to read more on the Obligations and Rights of the Christian Faithful)



The Code of Canon Law is divided into 7 parts (or 7 Books)

Book I. General Norms | Liber I. De Normis Generalibus
-> Ecclesiatical Laws, Common Norms, Privileges, Dispensations, etc.

Book II. The People of God | Liber II. De Populo Dei
-> The Christian Faithful, Sacred Ministers or Clerics, the Hierarchical Constitution of the Church, etc.

Book III. The Teaching Function of the Church | Liber III. De Ecclesiae Munere Docendi
-> The Ministry of the Divine Word, The Missionary Action of the Church, Instruments of Social Communication, Profession of Faith, etc.

Book IV. Function of the Church
-> The Sacraments, The Other Acts of Divine Worship, Sacred Places, etc. 

Book V. The Temporal Goods of the Church | Liber V. De Bonis Ecclesiae Temporalibus

Book VI. Sanctions in the Church | Liber VI. De Sanctionibus in Ecclesia 
-> Penalties, Censures, etc.

Book VII. Processes
-> Trials in General, Marriage Tribunals, Penal Process, etc.

Excerpts from the Letters of Saint Catherine of Siena

Lay Domincan Postulancy / O.P. Notes
(Lesson given by Rev. Ramilo de Belen, O.P.)

Saint Catherine of Siena and Pope Gregory XI
by Sebastiano Conca

Saint Catherine of Siena, (Caterina di Giacomo di Benincasa), was born on 25 March, 1347 in Black-Death ravaged Siena, Italy. Her parents were Giacomo di Benincasa and Lapa Piagenti.

Saint Catherine had a twin sister, Giovanna, who died while still an infant. She was a merry child that the family gave her the pet name of "Euphrosyne', which is Greek for joy and a name of an early Christian saint. When she was 6 years old, she had a vision wherein Christ was seated in glory with Saints Peter, Paul, and John.

Saint Catherine vowed her virginity to Christ at the age of 12, and at 16, she was vested with the black and white habit of Saint Dominic. She lived most of her life in seclusion. She told her confessor, Blessed Raymond of Capua, O.P. that she learned the way of salvation from "the sweet bridegroom of my soul, the Lord Jesus Christ."

She sought God in everything, spent a life in seclusion, and had mystical experiences. In in a vision she had on Shrove Tuesday in 1366, Jesus appeared with the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the heavenly host. Our Lady held up Saint Catherine's hand to Christ, who placed a ring upon it and espoused her to Himself. This ring was said to have been always visible to her, but invisible to others.

Saint Catherine's letters admonished, empowered, and encouraged with compassion. Her letters were straightforward, direct, brave, full of love for the recipient, and for the Church. She was not keen on superficial people who only wanted the husk of things.

(Click here for Saint Catherine's letters)

Saint Catherine of Siena
by Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale 

Letter to Monna Alessa dei Saracini

(A young widow from a noble family)

In her letter, she told Alessa to "Make Two Homes". First, an actual home, or a cell, so that one does not go running about into many places, unless for necessity or obedience to the prioress; or for charity's sake. This home becomes a refuge from worldly affairs. Second, a spiritual home, which one must carry always~ "the cell of true self-knowledge", where one shall find within thyself the knowledge of the goodness of God, that we belong to God; and to see one's true self-worth, strengths, talents, even our weaknesses.  We should carry our spiritual home within us always.

"These are two cells in one, and when abiding in the one it behoves thee to abide in the other, for otherwise the soul would fall into either confusion or presumption. For didst thou rest in knowledge of thyself, confusion of mind would fall on thee; and didst thou abide in the knowledge of God alone, thou wouldst fall into presumption. The two then, must be build together and made one same thing, if thou dost this, thou wilt attain perfection. For from self-knowledge thou wilt gain hatred of thine own fleshliness, and through hate thou wilt become a judge, and sit upon the seat of thy conscience, and pass judgement, and thou wilt not let a fault go without giving sentence on it.

From such knowledge flows the stream of humility; which never seizes on mere report, nor takes offence at anything, but bears every insult, every loss of consolation, and every sorrow, from whatever direction they may come, patiently, with joy. Shames appear glory, and great persecutions refreshment; and it rejoices in all, seeing itself punished for that perverse law of self-will in its members which for ever rebels against God; and sees itself conformed with Christ Jesus crucified, the way and the doctrine of Truth.

In the knowledge of God thous shalt find the fire of divine charity. Where shalt thou rejoice? Upon the Cross, with the Spotless Lamb, seeking His honor and the salvation of souls, through continual, humble prayer. Now herein is all our perfection. There are many other things also, but this is the chief, from which we receive so much light that we cannot err in the lesser works that follow.

Rejoice, my daughter, to conform thee to the shame of Christ. And watch over the impulse of the tongue, that the tongue may not always respond to the impulse of the heart, but digest what is in thy heart, with hatred and distaste for thyself. Do thou be the least of the least, subject in humility and patience to every creature through God; not making excuses, but saying: the fault is mine. Thus are vices conquered in thy soul and in the soul of him to whom thou shouldest so speak: through the virtue of humility.

Order thy time: the night to vigil, when thou has paid the debt of sleep to thy body; and the morning in church with sweet prayer; do not spend it in chatting until the appointed hour. Let nothing except necessity, or obedience, or charity, as I said, draw thee away from this or anything else..."

Notes: > We must pray for the knowledge of self against the confusion of the mind.

> Confusion of the mind is a result of lack of goals and purpose.

> Beware of "Heroic Despair" where one lives one's life as it is, but without a goal and a purpose.

> There must be a balance between work and prayer. (And study, for aspiring Lay Dominicans!) It is best to concentrate at a particular task at a certain time instead of multi-tasking.

Saint Catherine of Siena
by Rutilio Manetti

Letter to Benincasa, 
her brother

"Assume the armour of patience."

"And should it seem very hard to you to endure your many troubles, bear in memory three things, that you may endure more patiently. 

First, I want you to think of the shortness of your time, for on one day you are not certain of the morrow. We may truly say that we do not feel past trouble, not that which is to come, but only the moment of time at which we are. Surely, then, we ought to endure patiently, since the time is so short.

The second thing is, for your to consider the fruit which follows our troubles. For Saint Paul says there is no comparison between our troubles and the fruit and reward of supernal glory.

The third is, for you to consider the loss which results to those who endure in wrath and impatience; for loss follows this here, and eternal punishment to the soul."

Notes:  > Saint Catherine also asked her brother to take care of their mother. "Honour thy father and mother."

> Do it in love and gratitude to your parents.

> Do it in obedience to the commandment of God.

Saint Catherine
by Domenico Ghirlandaio

Letter to Monna Agnese
(The wife of Messer Orso Malavolti)

This noble woman was sorrowfully tried; her son was beheaded in 1372 in punishment for a heinous sin, and her only daughter also died.

The general subject of Saint Catherine's letter to Monna Agnese was "Santissima Pazienza", but she also wrote about the danger of spiritual self-will, "proud humility" resorted to a soul ravaged by a sense of neglect, and the bitter and corroding power of the sin "that burns and does not consume".  

"I consider that without patience we cannot please God. For just as impatience gives much pleasure to the devil and to one's own lower nature, and revels in nothing but anger when it misses what the lower nature wants, so it is very displeasing to God. It is because anger and impatience are the very pith and sap of pride that they please the devil so much. Impatience loses the fruit of its labour, deprives the soul of God; it begins by knowing a foretaste of hell, and later it brings men to eternal damnation: for in hell the evil perverted will burns with anger, hate and impatience. It burns and does not consume, but is evermore renewed -- that is, it never grows less, and therefore I say, it does not consume. It has indeed parched and consumed grace in the souls of the lost, but as I said it has not consumed their being, and so their punishment lasts eternally. The saints say that the damned ask for death and cannot have it, because the soul never dies. It dies to be sure to grace, by mortal sin; but it does not die to existence. There is no sin nor wrong that gives a man such a foretaste of hell in this life as anger and impatience. It is hated by God, it holds its neighbour in aversion, and has neither knowledge nor desire to bear and forbear with its faults. And whatever is said or done to it, it at once empoisons, and its impulses blow about like a leaf in the wind. It becomes unendurable to itself, for perverted will is always gnawing at it, and it craves what it cannot have; it is discordant with the will of God and with the rational part of its own soul. And all this comes from the tree of Pride, from which oozes out the sap of anger and impatience. The man becomes an incarnate demon, and it is much worse to fight with these visible demons than with the invisible. Surely, then, every reasonable being ought to flee this sin.

Notes: 2 Sources of Impatience

A. The common kind, felt by ordinary men in the world which befalls them on account of the inordinate love they have for themselves and for temporal things, which they love apart from God.
> Man should realize this kind of impatience, otherwise he is beyond help.
> The Tree of Pride may be cut down with the sword of  True Humility, which produces charity in the soul.
> Patience is deep within the Tree of Love, whose pith is patience and goodwill toward one's neighbour.

B. Impatience of those who have already despised the world, and who wish to be servants of Christ crucified in their own way
> Spiritual self-will that grows from the tree of pride which was cut down but not uprooted. 
> The soul suffers when "one's own way" of serving God fails; the suffering makes the soul impatient and unendurable to itself.
> Spiritual self-will suffers under the delusion that it is wronging God, while the trouble is really with its own lower nature.
> The humble soul seeks ever the honour of God and the salvation of souls; it endures with more reverence. 

"So greatly did the virtue of humility please Him in Mary that He was constrained to give her the Word His Only-Begotten Son and she was the sweet mother who gave Him to us. Know well, that until Mary showed by her spoken words her humility and pure will, when she said: 'Ecce Ancilla Domini (I am the handmaid of the Lord), be it done unto me according to Thy word' (Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum) -- the Son of God was not incarnate in her; but when she had said this, she conceived within herself that sweet and Spotless Lamb..."

What would Saint Catherine say to us?

"There is no obedience without humility, nor humility without charity."

> Don't be impatient with struggles
> Don't question God what will happen.
> Uproot pride and practice true humility.
> Surrender the will totally to God.
> Hold on to the same things: patience, gratitude, humility, charity, prayer, a balanced-life.