People Suck

 It's funny how a lady I barely know expresses one of my most often used expressions. My friend, Bill, once exclaimed, as my sister would say, "People suck."  That's it.  Ever since then, a week doesn't go by when I make that declaration.

Take last night.  I'm in a prayer group, specifically, a Lay Dominican Rosary prayer group.  One of the most faithful of the group, died.  In honor of him, I asked people to zoom in to pray the Rosary, for our deceased friend.  Ready?

Get this.

Nobody came.

I repeat.  NOBODY.

Dare tell me that People don't suck.

I told so many that I was worried how zoom could handle it.  I told his Lay Dominican chapter.  I told other Dominican friends.  I told priests who worked with him.  I told ALL Lay Dominicans in our Province.

Nobody came.

People suck.

This was 8:00 pm.  This was our usual time.  It is a small group, anyway.  At the most we had five people praying at a time.  Last night, there were only four.  The usual participants.  Praying a rosary is only 10-15 minutes.

I will say this.  I was shocked when we began praying.  Appalled that no one came.  Legitimately "pissed."  As we prayed, the anger, disappointment, and hurt gradually dissipated.  By the time, we finished, I felt better, reconciled.  After all, I know people suck.  

Adoration Book

 

  Please consider buying this book for Adoration.  I have a few contributions in it.

New Books

 Announcements of New lay Dominican Books

Books from Barnes & Noble Press www.bnpress.com

“The Courage and Will to Preach: Lay Dominicans at the Edge of the World”

“Now is the acceptable time,” the General Chapter of Quezon City, 1977 begins, “for the Dominican family to achieve true equality and complementarity among its different branches.”

To achieve true equality, the laity of the Order of Preachers must accept co-responsibility for the doctrinal mission – preaching. Since 1971 the General Chapters of the Order – the ruling body – have made calls such as this conjuring a vision of the laity, which none of us have. The Acta of the Order since 1971 has added step-by-step an understanding that the culture is becoming increasingly secularized and relativistic and sliding wholly toward the abyss. With a significant drop in friar vocations since 1975, the General Chapters are calling for those members of the Order of Preachers who live and work in the secular places where this is happening. The laity.

This book draws together all of the Acta, presents a postmodern worldview model for us to understand the problems, delivers us a brief view of theology that the General Chapters have called upon us to study. In addition the book covers how lay Dominicans prepare to face the secular world from a preaching standpoint, how to study the Social Doctrine of the Church as a guidebook for preaching, how to discover and engage the “signs of the times”, a practical program for learning social and cultural issues, gives us a way forward, and introduces the Institute for lay Dominican Preaching, a virtual Institute in its infancy.

This is a revolutionary book for those who feel called to take their rightful place in the Order.

Now, is the acceptable time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Theological Principles for lay Dominican’s Preaching”

The Acta of the General Chapters – the ruling body of the Order – and letters from the Masters of the Order, make it clear that it is necessary for lay Dominicans to study basic theology, or the science of God.

These theological principles cover such things as Faith and Reason, the Objective the Existence of God, Jesus, God as Trinity, the Nature of the Church, Mary, Sacramental Life, and Eschatology, all in a specific learning format that can be delivered as a year-long ongoing formation course for all lay Dominican chapters.

This book is the first of its kind.

 

“Handbook for Ongoing lay Dominican Formation”

For all these years, Ongoing Formation has had no specific course or plan. Lay chapters decide if they want to study devotional subjects such as Catherine’s Dialogues, writings by other Dominicans, or more histories, never understanding that the Acta of the General Chapters have outlined specific things for lay Dominican chapters to study for the purpose of educating and developing lay Dominican preachers, destined to step into the darkness and relativism of the secular world. Subjects include basic theology for preaching, Social Doctrine of the Church, the study of important and necessary documents of the Church teaching allowing lay Dominicans to thoroughly understand, in a practical way, church teaching for the purpose of delivering the Gospels, the Good News, and the Word of Hope to a despairing world.

This book is the first of its kind.

 

Note: Review copies are available for LPC leadership, write:

rbcurti@hotmail.com

Note: print and delivery times will vary; we will send an email to confirm

 

ATTENTION

A new, exciting book is beginning, titled, “Devotional to Preaching: Nudging Devotional Lay Dominicans into the 21^st Century”

In this book, we will discuss the history, background, and methodologies for lay Dominican preaching in the many places in the secular world where it is needed. We are hoping for unique preaching stories. For example: “Preaching in Norfolk” is the story of a lay Chapter in Massachusetts that holds its chapters meetings inside the Norfolk Prison. Master of the Order, Timothy Radcliffe called this, his “favorite lay chapter.”

If you know of keenly unique preaching missions – not the same as apostolates – that required use of theology, Social Doctrine of the Church, Catechism (not catechesis or apologetics), and other documents of the Church in an immersive way, forward them for consideration. This could be a lasting testament to lay Dominicans taking up the mantle of co-responsibility for the doctrinal Mission of the Order, as the General Chapters – the ruling body of the Order – have established since 1971 in Tallaght, Ireland.

Send all stories to rbcurti@hotmail.com

Be part of the new reality, the new understanding of lay Dominican vocation!

Courage and Will

The Courage and Will to Preach/ Lay Dominicans At The Edge of the World by Mr. Robert Curtis, O.P. is a manual for Lay Dominicans.

Lay Dominicans are ordinary people associated with the Order of Preachers.  The Order of Preachers is a religious order just like Franciscans and Jesuits.  The Order of Preachers was founded by Saint Dominic, hence they are better known as Dominicans. The lay people who follow the spirituality of Saint Dominic are called Lay Dominicans.  This book could be called a manual for Lay Dominicans.

It provides the background of the evolution of Lay Dominicans.  Also, it provides the how-to and to whom they should preach.  Mr. Curtis calls Lay Dominicans to duty.  They are drafted!

The times call for preachers just such as them. Social Doctrine, Encyclicals, Apostolic Letters, Dominican General Chapter Declarations, all offer reasons for the laity to enter today's world fray.  It's less than $ 15.  Here are the product details:

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798823130080
Publisher:	Barnes & Noble Press
Publication date:	10/12/2022
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.82(d)

Here is a biography of the author, Mr. Robert Curtis, O.P.  "Robert Curtis is a life-professed lay Dominican of 30 years in the Western Province, U.S.A. He is a professor of English at a local college and is married to his wife, Maria, also a lay Dominican of 30 years, with three children, and five grandchildren. His youngest daughter, Jennifer, is also a lay Dominican. This is his 7th book on the Order along with 33 other books to his name."

3/9/22 Parish Mission on Faith with Mrs. Lauren Onak, O.P. , 7:00 PM, G...

Lay Dominicans giving a Lenten Mission.

They Think We're Crazy

More and more I can see how being Catholic is counter cultural.  Now I feel it. 

I am at the bank trying to open an account for my Lay Dominican chapter.  The banker asks:

When was your chapter founded?

Now how am I supposed to know that?  I don’t know when my chapter was founded, nor my region’s founding, nor my province’s.  I do know when the Order of Preachers was founded.  The date of the Dominican Laity is arguable.  So I gave the banker the date I know.
1216, I say affirmatively.

The banker’s eyes open wide.  “What?”

I explain that Dominicans have been around for 800 years.

OK.  He fills that line in and asks.  Who was your founder?

Saint Dominic.

How do you spell that first name?

This is where I realize that this person has no clue what I’m talking about.  But I explain that the first name is Dominic and the last name is Guzman.

The next question I’m asked is, “What is your purpose?”

Save souls.

What? 

I would have repeated my answer but I instinctively intuited that “save souls” would never be comprehended.  So I said, “fight heresy.”  The banker’s lips got thinner and the eyes beadier. I tried “evangelization” for an answer.  For a response, I received a cold, hard stare.  My final try was “preaching.”

This is where I heard a loud, long, sigh.

Is there someone else in your organization who can help you answer these questions?

Why Belong to the Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic?

Hope of Bethany Pro-Chapter

Why be a Lay Dominican when I can become a Lay Cistercian, Secular Franciscan, Carmelite, or a Benedictine Oblate?[1]  Even Alcoholics Anonymous offers a Spiritual AA.

The answer is certainly personal, but the definitive response would be because of the spirituality and charism to which each individual has been called in their vocation.  Think of the Lay Dominicans that have been called to martyrdom:

                St. TÔMA Nguyen Van De- one of the Vietnamese martyrs, died in 1839
                St. Marina of Omura-burned alive in 1634 in Nagasaki, Japan
                St. Gaspar Koteda-beheaded in 1601

Think of the many more Lay Dominican catechists, prison volunteers, chaplains and lay ministers of the Eucharist, who proclaim in word and deed the message of the Gospel, with no acknowledgment nor gratitude.

Who would do this thankless work bringing salvation to the masses, especially with no or little success?  Would a member of Alcoholics Anonymous be willing to be martyred?  Maybe the lay members of some of the religious orders would, but their approach would differ from that of the Lay Dominican.

When a man or woman is called to be a member of the Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic, they would have been attracted by a community of fraternity.  And this community is extended to a bigger regional area, even to their nation.  It’s even bigger than the national community.  It is international.  It is belonging to a religious order that dates back more than 800 years, founded by Saint Dominic.

This religious order, officially named the Order of Preachers, looks upon all its members as one family.[2] The Dominicans have a long history of accomplishments.  They serve God in many extraordinary ways.  They are constantly learning.  It has been said that Lay Dominicans have a newspaper in one hand and a Bible in the other.  They interpret the newspaper with a biblical scholarship lens.  Lay Dominicans are out in the world and are very conscious of what is secular influenced, and are critical in their reading.

It takes at least five years of study before a Lay Dominican can make their final solemn promises.  By that time, they know that they will never know everything.  Hence, Lay Dominicans constantly have “on-going” formation.  Reading is their favorite past time.  They love to learn.

However, before study, Lay Dominicans pray.  Prayer is so important that Saint Dominic established a convent of contemplative nuns before the friars.  The nuns prayed for the success of Saint Dominic’s mission.  Lay Dominicans follow a daily prayer schedule and take time for contemplation.  Contemplation, Saint Thomas Aquinas said, is preparation for sharing our fruits.

Sharing the fruits of contemplation, drive Lay Dominicans towards an apostolate.  All Dominicans are called to spread the Good News.  Jesus Himself commands His disciples to go out and preach the good news.[3] Whatever work each Dominican engages in, whether individually, or as a chapter, is considered an apostolate of preaching.  Due to the Lay Dominican’s prayer and study, they are driven to action.

The Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic have a special vocation.  Their spirituality gives them the ability to reach people and places that priests and other religious cannot reach.  The Lay Dominicans especially are called to go out and preach like Saint Dominic did to the Albigensian innkeeper.

Certainly one can serve God as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, or a Lay Carmelite, Franciscan, etc., but the Lay Dominican has a specific call to a vocation of love of the Truth.  This love stirs the Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic to pray for understanding the Truth.  This Truth drives the Fraternities to preach the Truth in all situations. Serving God as a Lay Dominican is a life centered in saving souls and thereby saving their own.

Thanks for the contributions of Mr. Michael Murphy, O.P., Mrs. Virginia Wacker, O.P., Mrs. Ann Devine, O.P., Mrs. Irene Gifford, O.P.

---

[1] Augustinians—www.augustinian.org
Benedictines—www.osb.org
Carmelites—www.carmelnet.org 
Dominicans—http://www.fraternitiesop.com/        
Franciscans—www.nafra-sfo.org
Marists—www.maristlaity.org
Mercedarians—www.orderofmercy.org
Minims—www.minimi.it
Norbertines—www.premontre.org
Servites—www.servite.org
Trinitarians—www.trinitarianhistory.org
Posted in Lay Witness Archive, November/December 2004 by Michael Wick.

[2] All members of the Order of Preachers, whether a priest, cooperative brother, student brother, apostolic sister, nun, or laity, may add the suffix, O.P., to their name.

[3] Mark 16: 15

Friends from the Magic Mountain

Monastery of Lunden in Oslo

Friends from the Magic Mountain  is an interesting story about a Lay Dominican.  Marie Knudtzon certainly under the influence of the Holy Spirit converted to Catholicism, became a Lay Dominican and helped found a monastery.  


Her story will make you feel helpless, if not a downright failure.  

Rescuing Refugees

There's an article on the European Lay Dominican Blog that touched me.  A Lay Dominican, Anna Marija Edith Foss of the Fraternity in Oslo, Norway and a month later, joined by Br. Haavard Simon Nilsen OP.  It's a pictorial essay. The narrative says the refugees come from Turkey to Lesbos, Kos, and Athens, Greece.  The journey takes 4 hours by boat.  The pictures tell the story.

Prayer Request

All Lay Dominicans have been requested to pray this prayer for peace.  I don't see why everyone isn't praying it.  What do you think?

 The sanctuary of Fatima, where the jubilee of the centenary of the apparitions of the Virgin has already begun, proposes a beautiful prayer for peace. In Fatima the Blessed Virgin incessantly invited us to pray for peace. Here is the text proposed:

O God, All-Holy Father,
who gave us Your peace through Jesus
and through Him you wished to lead us to Your Heart
--in this place where the Virgin Mary invites us to pray for peace in the world 

and where the Angel of Peace exhorts us to adore God alone –,
grant us, we pray, that peace may reign among all peoples;
that the leaders of the nations find ways towards justice,
that we may all reach the peace of heart
and that, through the intercession of the Queen of Peace,
we may become builders of a more fraternal world.
Through Christ, Our Lord.

Amen.

Would it be possible for us to pray this prayer together, every day?

Lay Dominican Fun

Our Lady of Mercy Chapter of Lay Dominicans roasted our chapter president, today.  We played a quiz type game of "How Well Does Our President Know His Chapter?"

Drawing by MEK

Each person in our chapter filled out a 20 question paper, as did the president, Peter.  Then we took the chapter's answers and collated them.  Peter's answers should have corresponded with the majority of the chapter's.  They didn't.  He flunked.  So at the end, we all crumpled up our papers and threw that at him, like we were stoning him.

Some questions were serious: Out of the four Dominican pillars, which is the chapter's strongest?
                                                 Out of the four Dominican pillars, which is our weakest?
                                                 What is the Dominican Study Group reading?

Some questions were silly:  Who has the best singing voice?
                                              Who is the grouchiest in the chapter?
                                              Who makes the worst coffee?

Most were just OK:  Who has been in the chapter the longest?
                                  Who doesn't know the Salve Regina?
                                   Who is in charge of our prayer intentions book?

But in the end, we all had a good time, especially, the president, Peter.

Preferential Respect

First, if I've violated copyright issues posting the funny above, please contact me and I'll take it off.  This post is for a select group of people.  They will know "what of" and "where of", I'm referencing.

It's an "open secret" among Lay Dominicans that we are supposed to get special treatment when we stand before the pearly gates.  We can even prove it to you by quoting popes and various saints.  However, we know better.  Of course!

But still.

There's a part of us that cuddles up with a nice snug smile when we're listening to a Jesuit, or a Franciscan.  But that's between our confessors and ourselves.

Deviant Lifestyles

Monday, I posted a book review.  I loved the book--Chasing Prophecy.  I loved everything except the lesbian couple, called MomZ.  What I didn't like wasn't the fact that they were lesbian.  This is 2014, after all.  What I criticized was my assumption that the author, James Moser, just stuck the lesbians in to show how "hep" he was.  I called it the "author’s capitulation to current cultural sexual/matrimonial fad)". 

Well, the author, James Moser corrected my assumption.  He explained:  

 re: MomZ--I needed the kid + parents to be semi-outcasts in the community, with only the Bethlehems supporting them, making it all the more precarious when that family turns against them. I needed them to be edgy enough that a rural community would , not "shun" exactly, but kind of have them at arm's length to begin with. Gay seemed just right to accomplish that, & that's all, just fyi. :) Wasn't an attempt to be trendy or anything else, though I get why it can come across that way when there's nothing else about their relationship mentioned beyond, 'hey, look, they're gay.' :) In any early draft he had straight parents who'd just been divorced, and the community had chosen sides between the parents--which necessitated about 10 pages of back story that early readers found tedious & extraneous to the story line. Then I just switched to 'gay' & people went 'oh, right, now they're all alone.' w/ just about 2 paragraphs of backstory.

 I stand (actually sit) corrected.  I'm a little awed  how Moser used the lesbian relationship to show in"2 paragraphs of backstory", the school and community environment, which Mo had to deal with.  It does show that Mo's different.  It does show how being different would align Mo and Prophecy together, against the rest of their world.  MomZ was the perfect solution.

My next question to the author was about the cult.  Was it based on a real cult?  James Moser said, "Yes, no, and maybe... 

Bethlehem Ranch--

Bigger ideas--I'm really interested in:

TIPPING POINTS--The Branch Davidians & David Koresh--the people at Ruby Ridge Idaho-etc--they all started as good folks with good intentions, raising vegetables & strumming guitar.  How did they get to the point where they were willing to die rather than succumb to society?  How does that happen?  How does strong faith turn to blind zealotry--when & how exactly does that happen--is it when people are backed into a corner & have to redefine themselves to survive?

HIPPIES

Community w/ interesting names north of Spokane I recall fr. my childhood.  In summers we'd stay w/ my dad in the bay area.  Guy named Love worked at coffee shop.  Big commune near base of Mount Tamalpais.  That was the start of my interesting/meaningful name obsession--which is why I love talking about faith with someone named Faith, for example.  A girl named "Present" used to babysit for us.

Later, First teaching job north of Seattle there was a family called "The Israels" also w/ interesting names.  I think of war & conflict when I think of Israel so I went with Bethlehem which is the most innocent thing I can think of.  The gov't did the 'you're not a religion--you're a for-profit avoiding taxes' 10 year lawsuit, which ended w/ gov't seizing their ranch.  They went peacfully to a different property in Eastern Wa. about 10 years ago now, I guess.  So the kind of Meditteranean-region name + gov't lawsuit is what I borrowed, conceptually.  All my names are made up though.  They did have a leader named Love also, who I  never met.  He did not have a son named Able or grandkids named Clean, Bright or Prophecy (that I know of--there were about 60 of them so 1-2 names may accidentally overlap for all I know :) ) I had Israels in my class but the Bethlehems are more like the young ones I knew in the bay area--a bit edgier.   The Washington ones were harmless.  Vegetables & a fall harvest fair, couple coffee shops downtown.  

The drugs for profit when backed into a corner I took from the TV show Breaking Bad.  What they turn into is more like David Koresh's outfit.  The bigfoot ending is obviously just cribbed from Boo's big scene in Mockingbird.  

The Israels did live on a big ranch east of town which I've driven by, but never set foot on (the gov't sold it as part of settlement--it's now a Jewish youth retreat center, or something like that).  The main lodge in my book is the boy scout camp lodge in Northern Idaho, complete with bigfoot + wooden eagle carving on the mantel.

Boulder Creek is based on Arlington, WA, which Twilight readers have told me sounds like Forks, which it does, b/c all small towns around here feel like that.  

 Interesting, no?  Moser asks what happens to good intentions.  

How does strong faith turn to blind zealotry--when & how exactly does that happen--is it when people are backed into a corner & have to redefine themselves to survive?

 I'll tell you. They turn from reliance on God to reliance on themselves.  I know two communities that are thriving.  You could call them cults, if your definition of cults is simply people that live together for a common purpose.  All Catholic religious orders do this, e.i. Franciscans, Jesuits, Dominicans, etc.  The two I'm thinking of aren't ordained priests and brothers, however.  

One is the St. Martin de Porres Dominican Community in New Hope, Kentucky.  They are a group of Lay Dominicans, men and women, some married, who live together.  They work together.  Their work is a publication company, New Hope Publications.

The other is the Resurrection Community in Casco, Maine.  This group consists of only women.  The oldest members were once Dominican Sisters of Bethany.  In the 1980's, the mother house called all their sisters to France.  Those who didn't want to go were released from their vows.  They got together and live in Casco, Maine.  Today, they run a farm and are known for their dog training and boarding.

These two communities are focused on God.  He is their leader.  That's the secret of their success.

Treating Others How You Want to Be Treated

Guess who I met tonight.  Scot Landry came to Mass tonight with Fr. Chris.  Scot talked with my "cloistered brothers," after Mass.

We all listen to Scot's radio show, "The Good Catholic Life" on Boston Catholic Radio.  So it was nice to put a face on the voice.

Personally, I wanted to meet Scot because he is the Executive Director and President of Catholic Voices, in USA.  I had a few things to get off my chest.  First of all, when Catholic Voices first came to this diocese, why did they ask for applicants?  You see Catholic Voices does what we Lay Dominicans have been doing, since the thirteenth century--defend the Faith.  So also do Lay Franciscans.  We both are half contemplative and half apostolic.  We preach.

OK, so they were ignorant.  They didn't know Church history.  They didn't know we were here.  They didn't know us.  They didn't know that Dominicans have the model for disputation. ( Do you see any Albigensians around?)

So we Lay Dominicans applied and told them.  We're still waiting for a response; it's been over a year.  We're still waiting.....

One of the first things a Lay Dominican learns in disputatio is
                                      people remember how you made them feel
                                      it's not about you; it's not about winning; be respectful
                                                        and always keep in mind
                                      never deny, seldom affirm, and always distinguish

Well, Catholic Voices flunked.  F

I told Scot this.  Catholic Voices should have sent out letters saying "thank you for applying, but no thank you."  Form letters are acceptable.  Anyway, I got to vent.

I learned more about Catholic Voices USA.  They train people to be like Dominicans.  They go on radio and TV, write letters to the editor, and blog, and give talks--just like us.

 Maybe we should recruit them.

Symbol of Vocation

To the honor of almighty God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and of Blessed Mary the Virgin and Saint Dominic, I, (____________name, ______________religious name,)  in the presence of the Master of the Order of Friars Preachers, promise that I will live according to the Rule of the Laity of Saint Dominic for life.

These are the words to the promise that Lay Dominicans say when finalizing their vocation. In addition
to words, Lay Dominicans also receive a large scapular.  However, the scapular is not for everyday use.  It's ceremonial.  We, Lay Dominicans, in my chapter, Our Lady of Mercy, also receive a Dominican cross.  This is what we wear every day.  This is a symbol of our Dominican vocation.

This cross is something only a Dominican can wear.  You will see Dominican sisters wear it.  Our chapter's spiritual assistant, a Dominican friar, wears it when he wear's his clerical blacks.  Why?  He wears the Dominican cross when dressed as a priest to indicate that he belongs to the Dominican family.  Father dressed in his white habit proves that he's a Dominican.  But dressed in a black clerical suit with roman collar only shows he's a priest.  He wears the cross to exhibit that he's a Dominican priest.  Hence, the black and white Dominican cross demonstrates to the world, that you belong to the Dominican family.  Only a Dominican would wear a Dominican cross.

However, to my "cloistered brothers," this black and white cross means so much more than an outward sign of belonging.  It's about their vocation.  It's proof that the one wearing it has an established relationship with God within a Dominican spirituality.  It's proof of God's blessing.

To some of my brothers, their Dominican family is the only family that they have ever had.  The only one that may have ever accepted them.  The only one that has ever loved and cared.  Sad, but true.  Joining the Fraternity of Lay Dominicans may be the only thing that they have been proud of, in a long time.  The Dominican cross is a constant, visible reminder, of this familial relationship.

The wearing of the Dominican cross is a permanent sign of commitment in public.  It's public witness.  It continually reminds oneself and others, that you have promised to live your life working toward the sanctification of others, and oneself.

Please pray that my "cloistered brothers" may always honor their commitment to God and Saint Dominic.  Also pray that their precious crosses may never be taken from them.  That would be a painful cross to bear.  

Cincinnati Bound

Mrs. Cosette Heimann, O.P. 

You won't be seeing any posts from me until Monday, September 30.  I'll be at St. Gertrude's priory in Cincinnati, Ohio.  We, the delegates representing our respective regions in the Lay Dominican Province of Saint Joseph, will be meeting.

This is a business meeting.  We're meeting at the friars' novitiate.  I'm not bringing my computer.  This is not exactly like a papal conclave, but it is a plenary session for the Lay Dominicans in St. Joseph's Province.

Besides, you wouldn't be interested with the "goings on"; what would I have to post?

I could use prayers for safe traveling, and the wisdom to know when to speak and when to listen.

This is Cosey, my regional president.  We're traveling together.  

Impossible Questions

How is one to answer questions like "Why do you love her?"  Any answer is unsatisfactory because it's not comprehensible to the questioner.  If one asked, "Why do you like chocolate?"  The answer, "because it taste good" would be accepted because it is true to the questioner.  But a question like "Why do you love her?", will never be satisfactory because the questioner hasn't experienced what you have.  Consequently, the questioner just doesn't understand it.

Maybe if you answered, "It's not her I love.  It's her money," they could understand that.  But not, "I love her cute lisp."

It's an impossible question.  There is no answer to a question like this one.  Why did you become a nun?  Why did you become a monk?  Why did you become a Lay Dominican?

The true answer, the most meaningful answer, is incomprehensible.  I became a Lay Dominican because as a lay person I wanted to do more for God than I was doing.  And God placed me in the Dominican family.

Why is that so impossible to accept?  Answer that question.

Fairweather Catholics

My Lay Dominican Study Group is reading Catherine of Siena--the Dialogue, translation by Suzanne Noffke, O.P.  We're at the part where Catherine is talking about the steps to holiness.  We're on the first step, but this step is where quite a few quit.  They don't ascend any further.

This image brought to mind, a friend of mind.  She thought that she would whip her body and soul into shape, by attending daily Mass, and walking to work.  She had her husband drop her off at the church.  She started attending daily Mass.  Afterwards, she walked to work.

She never persevered.  She quit.

When I asked her why, she blamed the priests.  She said the priests were too weird; they got to her.  I asked her what that had to do with the Eucharist. She just gave me a quizzical look, but no verbal reply.   

St. Catherine says the following about people like my friend, But there are many who begin their climb so sluggishly and pay what they owe me (God) in such bits and pieces, so indifferently and ignorantly, that they quickly fall by the way.  The smallest wind makes them hoist their sails and turn back.  They had climbed only imperfectly to the first stair of Christ crucified, and so they never reach the second, which is that of his (Jesus') heart.

Dominic Meets Francis, Again!

When I became a Lay Dominican, I heard the story of Dominic and Francis having simultaneous dreams of meeting each other.  The next day, they did just that.  Not only that, but Dominic took off his rope belt, and Francis took off his leather belt, and they exchanged them.  Cute story.

Then I joined Our Lady of Mercy Chapter, and met the founders of the chapter, i.e., a Dominican and a Franciscan--Sister Ruth and Sister Kathleen.  Contemporary story.

Now I read in Catholic Moral Theology, that Dominic and Francis met again!  I'd post the picture but it's copyrighted.  But you can read the story and see the picture here.

You see, Paul Gondreau teaches theology at Providence College.  Providence College is a Dominican college.  Paul named his son, who has cerebral palsy, Dominic.  On Easter Sunday, 2013, as Pope Francis was making his way through the crowd, he stopped when he saw Dominic Gondreau, embraced, and kissed him.

Another Dominic meeting Francis sighting!

I am a Lay Dominican

The poem below is obviously inspired by Langston Hughes', Negro.  It is in no way an imitation except in style.  I yield to Langston Hughes.  But I am grateful for the impetus to meditate upon whom I am.

I am Catherine of Siena:
     I served all in bondage:
     sick, poor, prisoners, the unloved.  

I am Margaret of Castello:

     hunchbacked, dwarfed, blind, lame.
     They wish to abort me still.

I am Rose of Lima:
     I am virginal and holy.
     I am the Americas first saint.

I am Zdislava:
     blessed to give rather than receive.
     I pray for healing.

I am Pier Georgio Frassati:
     I am handsome, young, and joyous.
     I am a man of the beatitudes.

I am a Lay Dominican:
     I radiate the presence of Christ
     in the midst of the world.