Matthew 28: 19-20 Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Holy Spirit, teaching them all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.
CCC 132
Therefore, the study of the sacred page’ should be the very soul of sacred
theology. The ministry of the Word,
too—pastoral preaching, catechetics, and all forms of Christian instruction…
St. Dominic requested
that his friars be dedicated specifically for preaching, hence their name,
“friars preachers.” They are not monks, who do not preach, nor are they
diocesan priests, who are pastors.
Friars Preachers are centered on proclaiming the Word of God.
Jesus
Christ asked His apostles to spread His Word.
The Apostles passed the preaching charism on to their successors, the
bishops. Today, the bishops entrust the
preaching of the Word, not only to priests but also to those trained to preach,
are given a solid faith formation and are dedicated to God’s truth.
Today’s
communication offers different modes of the ministry of the Word. It’s not just speaking at a pulpit. The written word is an effective
communication tool. One may write books,
poetry, and even blogs. Editorial cartoons are used, too. There is an internet newsletter, eLumen, in
St. Joseph’s province where one of our Lay Brothers exhibits his work. Here you see where Mr. Jordi Perez, O.P., confronts the sexual abuse scandal in art and words.
In music we can be lifted to a higher plane of transcendence
with music from composers like Charles Gounod’s famous Ave Maria. Current music has many Christian artists.
Art work was once the best preaching method for the common
man, hence stained glass windows. We
have sculpture, architecture, and painting.
Isn’t the same true for today?
One thing that is and was true for all kinds of
preaching. Preaching has the power to bring
about change.
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