Adjusting the Sails

We use to have a sail boat.  My husband loved it although it turned him into Captain Bligh.  It was a day sailer--22ft.  He steered with the rudder, while we had to stay "put" -- yet also move when he said move!  So at the start of summer, everyone wanted to go sailing with Dad, by the end of summer, the crew had deserted.  No one wanted to get yelled at, anymore.

Besides the yelling, the sail boat was scary.  I never felt we were safe.  If it were too windy, it was hard to manage the jib, main sail, and the rudder.  I often felt like I was at the mercy of the wind.  If there were no wind, there wasn't a damn thing you could do about it, except drop the motor down and use it.  You definitely were at the mercy of the wind.

This memory was brought to the forefront in my reading of Sunday's Gospel: Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Matthew 14:22-33.  I can really feel for the men being tossed about in the boat.  I know that Jesus will calm all our fears, if only we trust in Him.  But that's not first on your mind when your busy ducking the boom, and pulling down the jib, and securing the lines, while trying to not get swept overboard, and hope the main sail doesn't snap.

Another image came to my mind, also, as I read these verses.  The Church is often depicted as a boat.  Sometimes it's tossed about, and sometimes it sails along calmly.  We have a sign hanging up on the wall that reads: "You can't control the wind, but you can adjust the sails."

No the Church can't control the wind, but it does adjust the sails.  The times call for repairing the sails.  The sea is rough and the sails need to be reefed, ....stay steady.

Day Five

St. Dominic's Love for His Neighbor

"This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you."  (John xv. 12)

As St. Dominic loved God for His own sake, so he loved his neighbor in God and for God.  In each individual he saw a soul redeemed by Christ, and this loved and longed to save.

No sacrifice for the welfare of his neighbor daunted him.  When a student he sold all his books, then far more precious than now, in order to relieve the poor.  Twice he offered himself to be sold into slavery that other might be assisted.  He knew no distinction of persons.  He yielded no distinction of persons.  He yielded to no personal likes or dislikes.  The image of his Divine Master, which he saw in every soul, was the power which moved him.  His prayers, his tears, his vigils, his sufferings, his penances, were nearly all offered for others.  Three times nightly he scourged himself, once for the souls in purgatory, once for sinners, and once for himself.  He worked miracles to feed his brethren; and after his long watches before the altar, he would go from cell to cell to see that his children were protected, carefully arranging the covering of those who had disturbed it during sleep.  Seldom speaking but of God or to God he was never known to utter an unkind or uncharitable word.  Ever returning good for evil, ever full of gentleness and sweetness, he lived only for God's glory and the salvation of his neighbor.

Practice

True love for God must ever include love for neighbor.  "If any man," says St. John, "say I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar."  Let us examine our hearts.  What are our thoughts, our words and our deeds towards our neighbors?  Do we wish them good?  Do we speak well of them?  Do we tell their faults, or do we conceal them, and pray for them?  Do we assist them in distress?  Do we endeavor to advance their salvation?  Do we contribute to their happiness whenever we can?  Is the motive of our love always pure?  Are we not often guided solely by our sympathies or our aversions?  Do we see God in our neighbor?  Do we see souls redeemed by Jesus Christ?  Are we willing to return good for evil?  Are we willing to make any sacrifice for others?  Do we love God in our neighbor, and do we seek His glory in the welfare of our neighbor?

Holy Father St. Dominic, pity our weakness.  Make us faithful imitators of your ardent charity for me.

Fourth Day of the Novena

 St. Dominic's Love for Our Lady

Behold thy Mother.  (John xiv 27)

St. Dominic's devotion to Mary grew with him from his childhood.  He chose her to be his Mother, and under her protection he placed all his works.  For her he did all, knowing that this was the best way to do all for Jesus. Her Ave was ever on his lips before he preached.  Together with the name of Jesus, he ever proclaimed the glory of His Mother.  The same spirit he bequeathed to his followers so long known as the Friars of Mary.  And she, in her turn, was always mindful of St. Dominic, whom she lovingly called her son.  As a pledge of her gracious favor, she gave to his dear Reginald the white scapular of his Order.  To himself she gave the Rosary, the sweetest devotion to our dear Mother.  One night as he prayed, a comforting vision was granted to him, as he beheld a great number of his children in heaven, even under the mantle of the Queen.  And when about to close his eyes in death, our Lady made him a consoling promise that all who persevered in his order would be saved.  "The mother of his God had come to him," and we, his children still receive her visits, for in the beads, which St. Dominic left us we are able to continue his love for her.

Practice

The love of Mary is natural to all who believe in her Divine Son.  Our faith in Jesus made man is the root, the explanation, and the vindication of our love for our Blessed Lady.  We all look up to her, the foundations of whose sanctity are laid on the summit of the holy mountains; but how many allow their devotion to end here?  Do we, who ought to be the imitators of St. Dominic try to copy his example in loving Mary?  Do we take her for our model?  Do we endeavor, like St. Dominic, to study the lessons which she teaches us, and do we ask of her the grace to follow them in our lives?  If our devotion to Mary go no further than praise; if we do not strive to produce in our lives the virtues which she practiced, we shall not offer to her the fullness of homage which she desires.  Love and imitation!  Let these be our watchwords in devotion to her who is Queen of the Rosary, and let her beads be our dearest companion.  Let us ever remember that to do all for Mary is the safest way to Jesus.

Why do you go to Mass?

I was reading Bishop Dowd's blog Waiting in Joyful Hope, and he gives three reasons for people going to Mass.

1.  Communion
2.  Homily
3.  Eucharistic Prayer

He was talking about the Eucharistic Prayer--importance--meaning.

But I'm still thinking of other reasons why people go to Mass: habit, family, business reasons, your ministry obligates you to, personal promises, social reasons, what else?

...yeah, the Eucharistic Prayer trumps.

Related articles

• The importance of the Eucharistic prayer (fatherdowd.net)

Third Day

St. Dominic's Love for God


"If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema" (1 Cor. xvi 22)

St. Dominic's love for Jesus Christ was the mainspring for all his actions.  For Him he lived and died.  All his labors, his preaching, his writings, his journeys, his miracles, were the outpouring of this love that God might be better known and better served.  He ever prayed that he might love God with a pure love, that he might love Him solely for His own sake.  Jesus Christ and Him crucified he only desired.  The passion of our Blessed Lord was the object of his frequent meditation and this so inflamed his heart that he longed to yield himself up a victim, to shed his blood to prove how much he loved his Master.  And when he was asked by the heretics what he would do if he fell into their hands, he replied that he would ask them not to kill him by a single blow, but to cut off his members one by one, and then, plucking out his eyes, leave him there to die.

The Blessed Sacrament was also the object of his most tender devotion.  Frequently did he prolong his vigils before the altar during the entire night.  The tabernacle was the centre of his love.  There he always made the first visit on arriving at the end of his journey.

In offering up the adorable sacrifice of the Mass, his devotion was most touching.  Never did he celebrate without shedding abundant tears, and often while holding his Divine Master in his hands, he was raised in the air, where he remained in heavenly ecstasy.

Practice

How often do we make acts of love?  Let us measure our love by our deeds, by our suffering, for suffering is the test of love.  How does it appear compared with St. Dominic's burning love?  Have we ever proved our love by deed and not by word only, as St. John requires?  Do we try to imitate our Lord in His passion?  How often do we think of Gethsemane and Calvary?  And the altar?  Are our visits frequent?  Do we not soon grow weary of staying a few minutes with Jesus, Who remains days and nights for us?

Let us ask St. Dominic to be our master, to teach us how to love our Blessed Lord.

Matisse's Masterpiece

For years I've been carrying around this postcard from Chapelle du Rosaire a Vence, France.  It's a post card of an altar and stained glass window, designed by Henri Matisse.  As beautiful as the colors of the window and design of the altar are, that's not why I still have, and admire this postcard.  Behind the altar is a simple drawing of a Dominican friar.  This is what attracted me.  In a way, it reminded me of those games where you are suppose to draw something in one line without taking the pencil off the paper.  In another way, the simple curves and smooth folds of the cloth attracted me to the beauty of the habit.  I wonder if someone who doesn't have any idea of a Dominican friar could appreciate this wonderful drawing.  Probably not, otherwise I think this drawing would be as famous as Mona Lisa.

This post card was tacked to my bulletin board, for years.  All I knew about it was that Matisse had drawn the friar while convalescing.

Then I went to the Chihuly Exhibit, at the MFA.  Something about Chihuly's sea glass art reminded me of the stained glass window in the postcard.  It was the bold, bright color.  So cheerful, optimistic, sunny, smoothly curving....and wonderful.

...and then I read in The Pilot, (June 24, 2011, p. 17) that the Vatican Museum opened a new room for "Matisse designs for French chapel."  I don't know why I read this.  I wasn't thinking of my postcard, at all.  But when I read the article, I knew exactly that the reporter was referring to my postcard.  The article tells us that the Vatican Museum will house the drawings and models that Matisse did for a small chapel in Vence, on the French Riviera.  It went on to explain that Matisse's son, Pierre donated the collection.  It is interesting, because Matisse wasn't religious.  He never gave religion a thought.  (Hard to imagine that someone so blessed with artistic talent to portray God's beauty could not help but reflect upon the creator of it all!)  Henri Matisse was inspired to design this chapel by his nurse and model, Sister Jacques-Marie, O.P., aka Monique Bourgeois.  She asked him for ideas and perhaps a mural; but he was very generous and magnanimous, (as his art) and undertook designing the windows, the chapel, the altar, the furnishings, etc.  Matisse collaborated with Fr. Marie-Alain Couturier, O.P.,  for four years.  And the result---Matisse considers the Chapelle du Rosaire, his masterpiece.

This little Pilot article whetted by curiosity about Henri Matisse.  I've been googling and reading about the Chapelle du Rosaire a Vence, and it's artiste extrodinaire, ever since reading that article.  It was when Matisse was sick and needed a nurse that he met Monique.  She was very kind and beautiful on the inside, as well as the out.  They confided in each other.  Henri and Monique became soul mates, in that she supported him, and he supported her.  He must have been amazed at her discernment of a religious vocation.  No wonder he desired to undertake the chapel project.  I bet he was as excited in giving his talents to God, as Monique was in giving hers.

He used a Dominican friar as a model for the drawing of St. Dominic.  That is who the drawing of the friar, behind the altar, is suppose to represent.  And since Matisse was ill, he had cancer, he would use long bamboo poles with his pencil attached, to draw.  He also had teams of artists to help him.  You see, it was a mammoth project and Matisse poured his soul into it.

It is a masterpiece.

Related articles

• Surprise in the Vatican Museums; Church of the Eucharist (onecatholicnews.wordpress.com)
• If any of these pictures, are not public use, please notify me, and I will take them down.

Day Two

This is day two of my novena to St. Dominic.

The Humility of Saint Dominic

"Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart, and you shall find rest to your souls." 
 (Matt. xi 29)

Though of illustrious birth, and endowed by God with the most splendid gifts of mind and heart, St. Dominic considered himself the lowliest, and the most miserable of men.  He well knew the grace he had received; but to God he gave glory.  He realized that humility was the root of perfection, and as such he cherished it.

So deep was his conviction of his own unworthiness, that before he entered a town he always knelt on the road and prayed to God not afflict the people for his sins, but to make his efforts fruitful in their behalf.

He embraced every occasion of humiliation.  In choosing a place of residence, he always preferred Carcasson to Toulouse, because in the former place he was treated with contempt.  Three times he refused a bishopric, preferring to remain with his brethren, under whose feet, as he said, he wished to be buried.

He even sought to lay aside the office of General of his Order, alleging that he was too negligent, that he had lost all his usefulness.

Practice

What ought to be our reflection at the sight of such an example?  What have our lives been?  Do we like the saints, examine ourselves in the light of God?  Can we look back on lives of innocence and purity, like St. Dominic?  And yet can we not count many acts of pride?  Have we made the first step in humility?  Do we realize, with St. Dominic, that, at best, our justice compared to the justice of God, is but a shadow?  Do we seek occasions of humiliatiion?  Do we strive to advance our glory in every way, entirely forgetful that to the Lord, and to Him alone, glory should be given?

Let us ask St. Dominic to change our hearts, to mold them after the model of his own.