St. Dominic
Dominic was born at Calaruega, in Spain of the noble family of the Guzmans, and went through his liberal and theological studies at Palencia. He made great progress in learning, and became a Canon Regular of the church of Osma, and afterwards instituted the order of Friars Preachers. While his mother was with child, she dreamt she was carrying in her womb a little dog holding a torch in his mouth, with which, as soon as he was born, he would set fire to the world. This dream signified that he would enkindle Christian piety among the nations by the splendor of his sanctity and teaching. Events proved its truth: for he fulfilled the prophecy both in person and later on by the brethren of his order. His genius and virtue shone forth especially in confounding the heretics who were attempting to infect the people of Toulouse with their baneful errors. He was occupied for seven years in this undertaking. Then he went to Rome for the Council of Lateran, with the Bishop of Toulouse, to obtain from Innocent III the confirmation of the order he had instituted. But while the matter was under consideration that Pope advised Dominic to return to his disciples, and choose a rule. On his return to Rome, he obtained the confirmation of the Order of Preachers from Honorius III, the immediate successor of Innocent. In Rome itself he founded two monasteries, one for men and the other for women. He raised three dead to life, and worked many other miracles, in consequence of which the Order of Preachers began to spread in a wonderful manner.
Monasteries were built by his means in every part of the world, and through his teaching numbers of men embraced a holy and religious manner of life. At length, in the year of Christ 1221, he fell into a fever at Bologna. When he saw he was about to die, calling together his brethren and children, he exhorted them to innocence and purity of life, and left them as their true inheritance the virtues of charity, humility, and poverty. While the brethren were praying round him, at the words, ‘Come to his aid, ye saints of God, run to meet him, O ye angels,’ he fell asleep in the Lord, on the eighth of the Ides of August. Pope Gregory IX placed him among the saints.
Truly, a saint who would not compromise one iota; a saint who cared not for pleasing the world, but for what God entrusted him to do as one specially chosen to receive from the heavenly Mother of God the weapon to fight heresy: the holy Rosary, Mary’s Psalter.
Saint Dominic, pray for us. We need Heaven’s help more than ever!
Feast of Saint Dominic, Confessor and Religious Founder
Monday in the Eighth Week after Pentecost
Missa “Os justi”
INTROIT: Psalm: 36: 30-31
The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom, and his tongue shall speak judgment: the law of his God is in his heart.
Be not emulous of evildoers; nor envy them that work iniquity. Glory be to the Father.
COLLECT
O God, Who hast vouchsafed to illuminate Thy Church with the virtues and teaching of blessed Dominic, Thy Confessor, grant that, by his intercession, it may not be destitute of temporal aids and may ever progress in spiritual increase. Through our Lord.
EPISTLE: 2 Timothy 4: 1-8
Dearly beloved, I charge thee before God and Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the living and the dead, by His coming, and His Kingdom. Preach the word: be instant in season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience, and doctrine. For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but according to their own desires they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears, and will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables. But be thou vigilant, labor in all things, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry. Be sober. For I am even now ready to be sacrificed; and the time of my dissolution is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the Faith. As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord, the just Judge, will render to me in that day; and not only to me, but to them also that love His coming.
GRADUAL: Psalm 91: 13, 14
The just man shall flourish like the palm-tree: he shall grow up like the cedar of Libanus in the house of the Lord.
(Ps. 91: 3) To show forth Thy mercy in the morning, and Thy truth in the night.
Alleluia: Osee 14: 6
Alleluia, alleluia.The just shall spring as the lily: and flourish forever before the Lord.
GOSPEL: Luke 12: 35-40
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: “Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands, and you yourselves like to men, who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh, shall find watching. Amen, I say to you, that He will gird Himself, and make them sit down to meat, and passing will minister unto them. And if He shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open. Be ye then also ready; for at what hour you think not, the Son of man will come.”
OFFERTORY: Psalm 88: 25
My truth and My mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
SECRET
Let us pray. Sanctify, O Lord, the gifts dedicated to Thee, that, by the merits of blessed Dominic, Thy confessor, they may profit for our healing. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God
PREFACE Common Preface
It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation that we should at all times and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God: through Christ our Lord. Through Whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, the Dominations worship it, the Powers stand in awe. The Heavens and the Heavenly hosts together with the blessed Seraphim in triumphant chorus unite to celebrate it. Together with them we entreat Thee, that Thou mayest bid our voices also to be admitted, while we say in lowly praise: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY…
COMMUNION: Luke 12: 42
A faithful and wise steward, whom the Lord has set over His family; to give them their measure of wheat in due season.
POSTCOMMUNION
Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that we, who are borne down by the weight of our sins, may be sustained by the patronage of blessed Dominic, Thy confessor. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, For ever and ever.
Homily of St. Gregory, Pope
My dear brothers, the direction of the reading of the Gospel you have just heard is very clear. But lest it seem, because of its simplicity, too high to some, we briefly will travel in order to explain the meaning to those who do not know, but without being a burden to those who know it. The Lord said, “Let your loins be girded about.” We gird our loins when we repress the inclinations of the flesh by the continence. But because it is a small thing to abstain from evil, if one applies, and diligent efforts to do good, our Lord immediately adds: “Have in your hands lighted lamps “. We hold in our hands lighted lamps, when we give our neighbor, our good works, examples that illuminate. Master certainly means those works, when he says: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Dominic, the founder of the Order of Friars Preachers, was born in Spain in 1170, and died at Bologna, Italy, in 1221. In 1208 while the saint was at prayer Our Lady appeared to him, gave him the Rosary, and bade him go forth and preach. Beads in hand, he led the Catholic troops against the Albigensians. and crushed that heresy. Countless souls were brought to grace by his words. His parents attributed his birth to the prayers of the holy Benedictine Abbot, Dominic of Silos; his mother saw in a vision her child in the shape of a little dog, holding a torch in his mouth. He became the great defender of Catholic Doctrine, and the opponent of heresies.
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