From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   August 8th - St. Dominic   
    (1170-1221)   
      
   If he hadn't taken a trip with his bishop, Dominic would probably have   
   remained   
   within the structure of contemplative life; after the trip, he spent the   
   rest of   
   his life being a contemplative in active apostolic work. Born in old   
   Castile,   
   Spain, he was trained for the priesthood by a priest-uncle, studied the arts   
   and   
   theology and became a canon of the cathedral at Osma, where there was an   
   attempt   
   to revive the apostolic common life of the Acts of the Apostles.   
      
   On a journey to northern Europe with his bishop, he came face-to-face with   
   the   
   then virulent Albigensian heresy at Languedoc. The Albigensians (Cathari,   
   "the   
   pure") held to two principles-one good, one evil-in the world. All matter is   
   evil-hence they denied the Incarnation and sacraments. On the same principle   
   they abstained from procreation and took a minimum of food and drink. The   
   inner   
   circle led what must be called a heroic life of purity and asceticism not   
   shared   
   by ordinary followers.   
      
   Dominic sensed the need for the Church to combat the heresy, and was   
   commissioned to be part of the preaching crusade against it. He saw   
   immediately   
   why the preaching was not succeeding: the ordinary people admired and   
   followed   
   the ascetical heroes of the Albigenses. Understandably, they were not   
   impressed   
   by the Catholic spokesmen who traveled with horse and retinues, stayed at   
   the   
   best inns and had servants. Dominic therefore, with three Cistercians, began   
   itinerant preaching according to the gospel ideal. He continued this work   
   for 10   
   years, being successful with the ordinary people but not with the leaders.   
      
   His fellow preachers gradually became a community, and in 1215 he founded a   
   religious house at Toulouse which was to be the beginning of the Dominican   
   Order.   
      
   His ideal, and that of his order, was to link organically a life with God,   
   study   
   and prayer in all forms, with a ministry of salvation to people by the word   
   of   
   God. His ideal-contemplata tradere-"to pass on the fruits of contemplation"   
   or   
   "to speak only of God or with God."   
      
   Legend has it that Dominic saw the sinful world threatened by God's anger   
   but   
   saved by the intercession of Our Lady, who pointed out to her son two   
   figures:   
   One was Dominic himself, the other a stranger. In church the next day he saw   
   a   
   ragged beggar enter-the man in the vision. He went up to him, embraced him   
   and   
   said, "You are my companion and must walk with me. If we hold together, no   
   earthly power can withstand us." The beggar was Francis of Assisi. The   
   meeting   
   of the two founders is commemorated twice a year, when on their respective   
   feast   
   days Dominicans and Franciscans celebrate Mass in each other's churches, and   
   afterwards sit at the same table "to eat the bread which for seven centuries   
   has   
   never been wanting" (Butler's Lives of the Saints).   
      
   Comment:   
      
   The Dominican ideal, like that of all religious communities, is for the   
   imitation, not merely the admiration, of the rest of the Church. The   
   effective   
   combining of contemplation and activity is the vocation of truck driver   
   Smith as   
   well as theologian Aquinas. Acquired contemplation is the tranquil abiding   
   in   
   the presence of God, and is an integral part of any full human life. It must   
   be   
   the wellspring of all Christian activity.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
    [God] does not want each person to keep all the counsels, but only those   
   appropriate to the diversity of persons, times, opportunities, and   
   strengths, as   
   charity requires; for it is charity, as queen of all virtues, all   
   commandments,   
   all counsels, and, in short, of all laws and all Christian actions that   
   gives to   
   all of them their rank, order, time, and value.   
   -St Francis de Sales   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you, and that your   
   joy   
   may be made full. St. John 15:11   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   An Act of Perfect Contrition, taken from a nineteenth century prayer book:   
      
   Behold at Thy feet, O sweet Jesus, a miserable and repenting sinner,   
   lamenting from my heart for having sinned against Thee, and resolved to   
   consecrate to Thy service and Thy love the remainder of my life. I confess   
   that I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee, and that I am not worthy   
   to be called Thy child. Have pity on me, O Lord; have pity on me, and   
   according to the multitude of Thy mercies vouchsafe to forgive all my   
   iniquities,   
      
   "Wash me from mine iniquities, and cleanse me from my sins; for I know mine   
   iniquities, and my sins are always before me. There is no health in my   
   flesh because of Thy wrath; there is no peace for my bones because of my   
   sins. For mine iniquities are gone over my head, and, as a heavy burden,   
   are becoming heavy upon me. My sores are putrefied and corrupted because of   
   my foolishness. I am become miserable and bowed down, even to the end. I   
   walked sorrowful all the day long; I have laboured in my groanings every   
   night. I will wash my bed, I will water my couch with my tears."   
      
   Oh, that I had died, Lord, rather than have offended so often and so   
   grievously against Thine infinite Majesty. Alas, by my detestable   
   wickedness I have insulted my most loving and merciful Saviour! Thy Blood,   
   Thy Divine Blood, hath flowed between earth and Heaven, and it was I who   
   shed it. Thy Feet, Thy Hands - it was I who pierced Them. My hands laid   
   open Thy Sacred Side; my hands placed upon Thine adorable Head a crown of   
   thorns.  Be merciful unto me, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and forgive my   
   sins.   
      
   The thought of my malice fills me with dismay, and I hardly feel courage to   
   implore Thy mercy; nevertheless, "a contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou   
   wilt not despise." The very night of Thy Passion Peter denied Thee thrice.   
   Thou didst but cast on him a single glance; he went forth, he wept   
   bitterly, and his sin was forgiven him. The woman who was a sinner watered   
   Thy feet with her tears; and Thou saideth: "Many sins have been forgiven   
   her, because she hath loved much." Grant, O Jesus, that I may love Thee as   
   she did, and like her be forgiven.   
      
   Come to mine assistance, O holy Mary, and obtain for me this grace from thy   
   Divine Son. Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)