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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.
Friday, March 29, 2024 Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 John 18:1 - 19:42
How can someone be so powerful and so vulnerable at the same time?
Jesus is very clear who he is: "I am! I am!" he declares twice. No one intimidates him, even as his body and life are threatened. He is completely grounded in his identity and his mission, “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.” He cares for those he will be leaving behind – uniting all disciples as his siblings, and with his mother. John portrays Jesus as very much in charge, even though he is being unfairly judged, his friends have abandoned him, he is being tortured, and then killed. Jesus decides when “It is finished.”
We have a lot coming at us that we don’t have control over: Our aging process, our health changes, loss of friends, uncertainty about the future of religious life, and the future of this country. We can be quite overwhelmed by global events that impact so many in this world.
Yet, we are not called to see ourselves as powerless victims. Like Jesus, we have a mission. As Dominicans, we too are here to “testify to the truth” – the truth of God’s love, the truth of the value of each human life, the truth that “what appears to be a death will be transformed into a birth.” (Wisdom Commentary John, pg. 475)
Jesus models for us how to stay true to our call, our purpose, until our last breath. We may do this through our witness of patience and acceptance as we deal with new and challenging realities, or in how we care for the other sisters and coworkers around us, or through our generous service, or in our faithful prayer.
No one here, at this moment, can say “It is finished.” We are still breathing.
As we approach to venerate the cross today, bring what is weighing heaviest on you, and ask Jesus for the grace to carry it, grounded in your identity and your mission.
We can claim Christ’s power in our vulnerability, a power that radiates out from the suffering of each moment and promises new and unimaginable resurrected life.
That divine cosmic power is never finished.
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