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Four Pillars of Dominican Spirituality
From Fr. Bart:
As we prepare to move into a new academic year of Campus Ministry Programming, I would like to invite the entire parish to a deeper understanding of what it means that the Catholic Community at Stanford is a cooperative ministerial effort between the Diocese of San Jose and the Western Dominican Province. When a bishop invites a religious order to assume responsibility for a ministry within the Diocese, there is an expectation that the spirituality and charism of that order will develop within the life of that ministry. I have spoken in recent weeks of the Dominican tradition of ministering on campus. I would like to further expand on that theme today.
The charism of the Dominican Order is preaching the Gospel. That certainly includes liturgical preaching, which probably is the first thing that comes to mind when we think of “preaching.” But it is not limited to preaching associated with worship. The Order of Preachers founded by St. Dominic envisions every part of its life as contributing to the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This life of preaching is seen as for the good of the Church and for the salvation of souls. In recent years, the Order has identified 4 areas of Dominican life that typify and form an authentic Dominican identity. In many ways these “4 Pillars of Dominican Life” are really 4 categories of Christian living and would, in some sense, be present in the life of every Christian, even those who have never heard of the Dominican Order. But, as Dominican Pillars, these 4 are all aimed towards that Charism of Preaching, that spreading of Good News of the Kingdom for the Salvation of Soul. The 4 pillars are Community, Prayer, Study, and Preaching itself.
Community
When discerning my own religious and priestly vocation back in the 1980s, I intentionally looked for a religious order for whom community-life was a guiding value. I have always understood community as central to the Christian life. God has, through the history of our religious tradition, mediated his grace through a people: through Israel in the Old Covenant, and through the Church in the New. Jesus himself began his ministry by gathering a community of disciples; and he promised those disciples “where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20) Since my earliest days in campus ministry, I have sought to facilitate the development of strong community among Catholics on Campus, and have taught that “Community is the canvas on which the rest of the Christian life is painted.” Christian community is upheld by Jesus himself as a witness of the life to which he invites his disciples: “By this all know that you are my disciples, if you love one another…” (John 13:35) The development of friendship and love bonds within a diverse community is a witness to the power of the Gospel to transform lives and create unity from diversity.
The Dominican commitment to living in and preaching from communities extends to the ministries we serve. We seek to promote community in the contexts of worship, social gatherings, and ministries. Among the expressions of this pillar in a campus ministry would be Masses and other worship and prayer opportunities, small Christian communities or faith sharing groups, meals and other social gatherings, hikes and other excursions, and the promotion of friendships and relationships within the community.
Prayer
From Jesus’ teaching his disciples to pray and teachings about the importance and efficacy of prayer to traditions of communal prayer within religious orders and congregations, the centrality of prayer to the Christian and Dominican life is apparent. All Dominicans: men women, friars, sisters, nuns, and lay Dominicans commit themselves to a life formed by and steeped in prayer. The central prayer for every Dominican is the Eucharist. Our life comes from sharing in the Body and Blood of the Lord: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life…” (John 6:54). We draw our strength for the other demands of religious life from our sharing in this beautiful gift. That Eucharistic devotion extends from the Mass to Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament to draw strength from our continuous proximity to the Lord. Second only to the Eucharistic focus of Dominican Prayer is devotion to Mother of the Lord. Having been entrusted by our Holy Father Dominic to the maternal care of the Blessed Mother, every Dominican incorporates Marian Prayer into his or her life. Chief among Marian Devotions is the Most Holy Rosary, the content of which is closely related to Biblical preaching and a growing knowledge of the life of the Lord.
The recitation of the Divine Office informs the daily pattern of life and reminds us to consecrate the entire day to the Lord. Private and contemplative prayer rounds out the habits of prayer that inform Dominican life. Just like the focus on Community, the Dominican life and patterns of prayer inform our ministries. Especially as we invite those entrusted to our care into our public prayer, our preaching and teaching is aimed at helping others learn efficacious patterns of prayer. Among the ministerial activities that represent this pillar are Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, organized holy hours, retreats, recitation of the Rosary and other devotional prayer, and instruction in Prayer.
Study
From the beginning of the Order until now, the emphasis on study at the service of preaching has been paramount in the life of every Dominican Friar. Our presence at Medieval universities was at the service of our mission to preach the Gospel. Study is not merely a way of increasing knowledge, it is a means of intellectual formation leading to our being formed more perfectly in the image of our creator, who has gifted us with the remarkable powers of human intellect. In this sense, study becomes a pious practice. A well-formed intellect aids in a well-formed conscience and an ordered operation of the will. Simple put: knowledge of the truth helps us to choose the good. Obviously, study is an important part of university life; but in addition to our secular and practical studies, Dominicans on campus must provide opportunities and resources for the kind of intellectual pursuits which help form the soul. Among campus ministry activities which relate to this pillar are liturgical preaching, theology lectures and classes, guest speakers, sacramental formation, and an active catechumenate.
Apostolate
Dominican Study is closely related to contemplation, whereby the soul and its voluntary powers are formed through study. St. Thomas Aquinas offered what has become a Dominican motto: Contemplata alliis Tradere (Give to others the fruits of our contemplation). Never content merely to pray and study in the midst of community, Dominicans bring the fruits of prayer and study to action in the world for the spreading of the Gospel. For the friars, the fourth pillar is always “Preaching.” While also true for others, “preaching” is often interpreted as the liturgical act of commenting on the Gospel. In Dominican life, “preaching” is as much by our lives and actions as by our words. So, this 4th pillar will encompass whatever service or apostolate becomes an expression of the Gospel, and participates in the Church’s broadest mission: to bring the Good News to the whole world (Mark 16:15). We are called to be Jesus and his presence in the world for others. Dominicans on Campus must provide opportunities for all our brothers and sisters to participate in ministries of Word and Service which bring the reality of the Gospel to light in the World. In Campus Ministry this is accomplished through opportunities for all to share their witness of God’s action in their lives, participate in service and outreach projects which serve others, actions to promote justice in the world, work to spread the Gospel on Campus.
