2025 Feast of St. Dominic, Morning Prayer
Preaching by Sister Pat Siemen, OP

Friday, August 8, 2025
Ephesians 3:7-9, 11-12

 

Happy Feast Day, everyone! What a joy to celebrate the life of our humble founder and brother, Dominic Guzmán – a holy man, who I am sure never expected to have such a profound impact on so many lives, spread across so many countries, over these past 800+ years! Little could he conceive that nearly eight centuries after he lived, women and men would still be attracted to his gentle ways, his search for Veritas/Truth, and his joy in living and preaching Gospel values – or that his legacy would end up in the rural corn fields of southeastern Michigan, a place that had been the historic homelands of the Native Meskwaki and Bodewadomi peoples.

Dominic Guzmán was born into a relatively wealthy family in 1170. His father was a Regent of the region, entrusted with the responsibility to keep the people of that region of northern Spain safe from invading marauders. His mother, Juana de Asa, came from a well-established religious family in the area.

Last August, I was able to visit Dominic’s birthplace in the little village of Caleruega (population 430) with 50 younger Dominican sisters from Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and the United States. One morning for prayer we climbed the watch tower found in the backyard of the monastery – a tower that was built before Dominic was born so that Dominic’s father could see who was approaching the territory.

The view from the tower of rolling hills and rich harvests was quite breathtaking. No doubt its expansive view shaped Dominic’s imagination and experience of God’s creation as good. I imagine this visual experience was formative for Dominic’s later encounters with the Albigensian movement in southern France, as he shared with them God’s goodness as embedded within creation – and persuade them that creation, the body and matter, were not sinful or harmful to one’s spiritual wellbeing, as they then believed as Albigensians. This goodness of creation remains a primary tenant of Dominican life and is a foundation of our Adrian Dominican commitment to care for land and ecological sustainability.

We are told that Dominic was a lover of books and study. This love began when his mother made sure he was mentored by family priests and sent away to school in Palencia, as a child. Thus, it’s little wonder that study is a core foundation of the Dominican way of life. Dominic required his early brothers to not only study theology and the Scriptures, but he sent them to the best of the newly rising European universities to also study the arts and science and philosophy. He wanted his followers to be informed about the developments of the world, and to preach trust in God’s presence regardless of the challenges of the day.

Dominic is often referred to a “preacher of grace.” But his preaching wasn’t only in churches, but rather wherever he found himself in conversation with others: walking together, at meals, or in a tavern late at night. Dominic knew that listening to understand another was a critical part of seeking truth with them.

Although Dominic is credited with founding the Dominican Order (and he pursued this dream until it became a reality in 1216), the original vision for such a movement of preachers came from his dear friend, Bishop Diego Acebo, who was Dominic’s bishop at the Cathedral in Burgo de Osma, Spain. As they traveled on foot on a diplomatic mission to Germany, Diego shared his dream of founding an order of itinerant preachers – as they saw firsthand the opulence and trappings of clergy living in luxury while their people were poor. Dominic immediately shared this vision as they both wanted a church that was humble and poor, and authentic in the ways of Jesus. However, Diego died before this new movement could get started and so Dominic was left to initiate their dream by himself. One can only imagine his grief and disappointment with Diego’s untimely death.

Diego and Dominic envisioned a community of preachers who would be itinerant, humble and educated in the Word of God. These preachers were meant to be engaged in the social, cultural and religious ideas of their time. They lived in a local community, yet were free to go out from it, for the sake of study and for mission. Their primary call was to be bearers of God’s truth and love to whomever they met. They were to be itinerant of mind and thought as well, interested in exploring innovative ideas and boundaries, seeking truth wherever it may reveal itself. They had to learn skills to create and hold space to hear and respect differing opinions and worldviews being offered by others. Not unlike our world today.

It is this ability to seek Truth, with openness and compassion, especially amid confusion, distortion and deliberately-created distraction, which is the grace followers of Dominic and the Christ most need. This search for Truth, done with humility, skill and simplicity, is Dominic’s signature – and our legacy.

The need for seeking Truth, in Love, continues to be needed and relevant in our turbulent world today. As we Sisters, Associates, Co-workers and Partners in Mission say in the words of our Campus’ common Commitment to Mission, we each are “drawn by Love”. This is the same Love that drew Dominic Guzmán to follow his heart in founding the Dominican Order 800 years ago. This Love formed him into a man who grew humbly in God’s love through communal life, contemplative prayer, seeking Truth and always offering a joyful preaching with his life.

Brother Dominic, thank you for gifting us with your joyful presence.