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The OP after our names stands for “Order of Preachers,” the formal name of the religious order founded in 1216 by St. Dominic. As Dominicans, we preach with our lives—in both word and deed—guided by a search for truth (veritas) and a commitment to contemplate and share the fruits of our contemplation (contemplate et aliis tradere).
Our Dominican lives are shaped by the interconnecting movements of study, prayer, communal life, and ministry.
Dominic so firmly believed in the importance of study to the preaching mission that he provided a rule of “dispensation” from other responsibilities in the event they interfered with study. We are women committed to study. Through prayer and contemplation we interiorize our learnings and enter into communion with the Source of all truth. Our communal life orients us to the common good of the whole Earth community. And in ministry, our preaching takes effect.
As women of the Gospel, our preaching is also expressed in word. Read reflections on the Word of God posted by Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates on the Praedicare Blog below.
Monday, October 7, 2024 Acts 1:12-14
My mother was a firm believer in the power of the rosary. Growing up on a farm, we were aware of our dependence on the weather. We would pray the rosary after supper for rain or that the rain would stop, and of course our novena had to include another nine days of Thanksgiving whether our petition was granted or not. After a while we lost count of our novenas and just said the family rosary every night.
The rosary has been a refuge for Catholics for centuries. When things are difficult or when we have trouble praying in any other way, we can pray the rosary, even without beads. Why else were we given ten fingers? In many parishes people gather to say the rosary a half hour before Mass begins. Though recent custom has encouraged Scripture Vigil Services at wakes, many Catholic families still prefer the rosary. The familiar repetition of the prayers brings comfort to those who mourn.
Our reading from the acts of the apostles informs us that Mary prayed with the church from the very beginning. Mary prayed with them as she prays with us. Perhaps we should be ending the Hail Mary with “Pray with us, now and at the hour of our death.”
Prayer with Mary, especially in the rosary, is a repeated act of hope and love. Albert Nolan tells us, “Compassion finds expression in prayers of intercession and in action. The value of prayers of intercession is that they enable us to express our care and concern for others and our recognition of our dependence upon God.”
Praying the rosary in a group has its own rhythm and support. Like the apostles in the upper room, we join with Mary in proclaiming the blessedness of the Christ she bore in her womb and the power of her motherhood. As mother of the Jesus of Scripture, she has a special place in our hearts and in the hearts of our predecessors who designed and built so many churches and institutions dedicated in her name. The first Holy Rosary Chapel was built by Mother Camilla as a response to a promise that she would do so if fifteen students for the academy would arrive by a certain date. They did and she kept her promise.
How often do we say, “I'll pray for you.” Some of us have such long lists that we have to pray for “all for whom we have promised to pray,” because we could not possibly remember all our commitments to prayer. Many times, as we face the crises in our world, our church, and our own lives, all we can do is pray, and that is enough. Other times our prayer will lead us to action and that is even better.
With Mary and the disciples who prayed together in the upper room, we put our lives and our intentions in her hands and those of our brothers and sisters who pray with us. We are dependent on God and on them as we pray for our own needs and those of others.
"Holy Mary, pray with us!"
word.op.org - International Dominican Preaching Page
Catholic Women Preach - Featuring deep spirituality and insights from women
Preach With Your Life - Video series by Adrian Dominican Sisters