Dominican Speak

"Dominican Speak" is what my chapter calls "disputatio."  We are a Chapter of the Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominican (nothing to do with the Dominican Republic).  When we argue we don't out shout or put down anyone.  We try not to show the error of another's thinking.  We do agree with the truth of what one is saying, even if it is very little truth.  We're very conscious of community spirit, and that entails love.  Very often you'll hear us say, "Perhaps there is some truth in what you say."  This is our tradition.  We feel the times we have
to discuss and debate are valuable and we must express ourselves without fear of the truth.  Disagreement is usual in any group of Dominicans.  But we always assent to Magisterium.

What was on the table?  Such subjects as usury, slavery, altar girls, women priests, Tridentine Mass, Limbo, St. Christopher and Philomena, eating meat of Friday, condoms and B16, solving the problems of world hunger, poverty, war, etc.   I repeat; we may argue, but we always assent to Magisterium.

I'm still all jazzed up.

Faithful Faith

My brother in community, Tom posts a little observation:


A virtue, not a metric

Somewhere along the line, the term "faithful Catholic" changed from a description to a grade. The adjective "faithful" changed from characterizing actions to measuring opinions. It stopped referring to the theological virtue of Faith and started referring to The Faith -- specifically, The Faith understood as an itemized set of propositions to which assent is to be given.

I think it's time we stop preparing for the Council of Trent.

If we do that, if we understand "faithful" as properly applying to someone who lives by faith in Jesus Christ rather than to someone who signs off on a list of doctrines, then I think we will have a much better grasp of what's going on. (We also might be able to wean people off that noxious phrase of self-puffery, "faithful to the Magisterium.") At the very least, our conversation and thoughts will be about Jesus rather than about which revision of which list is the one that counts.


My terminology would be to MYOB.  Taking care of ourselves is enough of a job.  We shouldn't be looking around judging others.  

Catholics Pray to Saints

My spiritual brother, Tom, over at his blog, "Disputations" has a posting about Catholics praying to saints.

It's a common expression. Pray to St. Anthony when you lose something. Pray to St. Jude when you're desperate. Pray to St. Dominic before you lector. Pray to St. Thomas Aquinas before a test. Pray to St. Rocco to be cured. Pray to St. Gerard for a baby.

I always thought that it is understood that you are praying for that saint's intercession to God. But I guess many don't look at it that way. Too bad because that's one of the reasons I'm glad I'm Catholic. I have all these saints to pray to.

Ora pro nobis.