Preaching


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.

 


Preaching for the Mass for Deceased 2023 Jubilarians

Mass for Deceased 2023 Jubilarians
Preaching by Sister Lorraine Réaume, OP

Friday, June 23, 2023
Song of Songs 2:10-14
John 15:15b-17

Sister Lorraine Réaume, OP

Can you feel it? Can you feel their presence?

These 69 women who’ve gone before us, who are joining us here, now, at this sacred moment, this thin time – thin places as the Irish call them – where life as we know it and life in the world beyond connect. They are here to celebrate our shared lives and commitment that are bigger than time and space as we experience them. Our foresisters are here and they rejoice with us. They know directly the voice of God who calls them, “my love, my fair one.” We all knew that voice at some point, and responded, “Yes, here I am.”

Sometimes we can forget the power of the love that first called us on this path, that continues to call us. Perhaps you even chuckled when you heard, “your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.” We might not always feel very sweet and lovely. But in the eyes of the Divine we all are simply beautiful. Our foresisters who’ve gone before us know that fully now as they bask in the divine gaze of the fullness of eternal Love.

And isn’t that the spirit of love we have tried, at our better times, to reflect to those we encounter, to those we want to serve? We want to reflect to others their dignity and beauty in the eyes of God – we want to love. That’s why we said yes to this call.

Sometimes we may have lost this inspiration, or have had ministries in which the act of love wasn’t always clear, or had inner struggles that turned us in on ourselves. And that is a part of any life that aims to love fully.

Yet, Christ still calls us friends. No one gives up on a friend because they don’t love perfectly or consistently. Just as Jesus trusts the disciples in John’s Gospel and sends them forth, even knowing their many limitations, so God trusts us, even now, to love one another in whatever way we can.

Last Sunday I was very touched as I watched a sister during Mass. There was another sister sitting near her who was having trouble finding her place in the hymnal. The first sister went over and gently opened the book to the correct page. Later, she noticed that the sister wanted to stand for the Gospel, but was having trouble, so she went over and helped her up. Now the first sister herself is unable to stand for long and actually sat down after helping the other sister up. She was mindful, kind, and loving and I could see the gratitude in the sister who received her care. That was an example of compassion and love right here in this chapel. We see it all the time.

I want to end by sharing something I experienced on my retreat last summer. Perhaps this happened to give me some encouragement in the new role I was about to take on General Council. I wasn’t even in a moment of prayer or reflection, I was just rummaging around my bedroom at the retreat center, and suddenly I became aware of the presence of my foresisters. It was a gentle presence, a comforting presence. After I sat with them, I wrote the following:

“Our sisters go before us and are with us. We are not alone. They have the bigger picture. They aren’t expecting the impossible from us. They just want to help us carry it. They are full of kindness and compassion.”

We are united today in our love, our commitment, and our fidelity. In the great timeless force of Love that carries us all, we celebrate our foresisters and know they still share the journey with us. And we respond, encouraged, full of kindness and compassion and love.

 

your Comment will be showing after administrator's approval







b i u quote


Save Comment
Showing 0 Comment



 

LINKS

word.op.org - International Dominican Preaching Page

Preach With Your Life - Video series by Adrian Dominican Sisters



Recent Posts

  • Preaching for the Feast of St. Dominic by Sister Patricia Harvat, OP Posted last month
    2023 Feast of St. Dominic Preaching by Sister Patricia Harvat, OP Tuesday, August 8, 2023 Isaiah 52:7-10 2 Timothy 4:1-8 Matthew 5:13-19   We place upon your table a gleaming cloth of white: The weaving of our stories, the fabric of our lives; The dreams of those before us, the ancient hopeful cries, The promise of our future: our ...
  • Preaching for Morning Prayer on the Feast of St. Dominic by Sister Mary Ann Dixon, OP Posted last month
    2023 Morning Prayer for the Feast of St. Dominic Preaching by Sister Mary Ann Dixon, OP Tuesday, August 8, 2023 Ephesians 3:7-9, 11-12 When I was asked to share a brief reflection on St. Dominic today, I was tasked with introducing Dominic, telling stories for the Co-workers and the Sisters. So here ...
  • Preaching for Founder's Day Mass by Sister Elise García, OP Posted 3 months ago
    2023 Founder's Day Mass Preaching by Sister Elise García, OP Tuesday, June 27, 2023 Ruth 1:8, 14-18 Ephesians 2:19-22 Matthew 7:24-27 Happy Founder’s Day! What a joyous occasion it is to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our foundation as an independent Congregation – the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary. And how appropriate that it should ...
  • Preaching for the 2023 Jubilee Mass by Sister Elise García Posted 3 months ago
    2023 Jubilee Mass Preaching by Sister Elise García, OP Saturday, June 24, 2023 Isaiah 61:1-3, 10a Ephesians 1:3-6 John 15: 5, 14-17 Happy Jubilee, dear Sisters! What a joy it is to be celebrating all our Jubilarians together this year – that’s a first – in person and without masks! For 25, 50, 60, 70, and 75 ...
  • Preaching for the Mass for Deceased 2023 Jubilarians Posted 3 months ago
    Mass for Deceased 2023 Jubilarians Preaching by Sister Lorraine Réaume, OP Friday, June 23, 2023 Song of Songs 2:10-14 John 15:15b-17 Can you feel it? Can you feel their presence? These 69 women who’ve gone before us, who are joining us here, now, at this sacred moment, this thin time – thin places as the ...
  • St. Catherine Feast Day 2023 Eucharistic Liturgy Preaching Posted 5 months ago
    St. Catherine of Siena Feast Day 2023 Eucharistic Liturgy Preaching by Sister Janice Brown, OP Friday, April 28, 2023 1 Cor 2:10b-16 John 7:14-18, 37-39 Today we celebrate in anticipation of St. Catherine of Siena’s Feast Day. This is an excellent day to celebrate St. Catherine, our Dominican Heritage, and the gift of the Spirit. In ...
  • St. Catherine Feast Day Prayer Service Preaching Posted 5 months ago
    St. Catherine of Siena Feast Day 2023 Morning Prayer Service Preaching by Associate Nancy Mason Bordley, Director of the Office of Dominican Charism Friday, April 28, 2023 Excerpt from The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena In her Dialogues, Catherine prayed to God for reform of the Church. Her prayer was granted when God ...
  • Easter Sunday 2023 Preaching by Sister Lorraine Réaume, OP Posted 6 months ago
    Easter Sunday 2023 Preaching by Sister Lorraine Réaume, OP Easter Sunday - April 9, 2023 John 20:1-18 Happy Easter! Some of you may know the response – which is part of our tradition but is more common in the Orthodox Church – on Easter, when one person says "Christ is risen," the response ...
  • Easter Vigil 2023 Preaching by Sister Elise D. García, OP, Prioress Posted 6 months ago
    Easter Vigil 2023 Preaching by Sister Elise D. García, OP, Prioress Easter Vigil - April 8, 2023 Matthew 28:1-12 We gather this evening after having journeyed through 40 days and nights of Lenten prayer and preparation, the celebration of Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, his radical reversal of master-servant roles ...
  • Good Friday 2023 Preaching by Sister Corinne Sanders, OP Posted 6 months ago
    Good Friday 2023 Preaching by Sister Corinne Sanders, OP Good Friday - April 7, 2023 John 18:1 - 19:42 In my home, like many of you, I have a crucifix. My daily practice is to pause by the cross/crucifix offering a thought, or a prayer, sometimes seeking a blessing from an ancestor. At times, ...
Read More »