he
stream of Dominican history is like all rivers. At times
it has flowed strong and full; at times its waters have
slowed to a trickle. Never has it ceased to flow.
Through
more than seven and a half centuries the basic ideas and
fundamental inspiration of St. Dominic have vitalized
the Order. In all epochs they have produced outstanding
men, in some centuries an army of such men, in others
only a handful.
Few
or many, they witnessed to the authenticity of Dominic's
insights by their life and works. What the Dominican Order
has given to the Church in past centuries, and what it
can offer her in the future is vital and necessary, because
its mission, entrusted by her - the mission to proclaim
the Gospel - touches her own origins and inner being.
Preaching the word of God and proclaiming the name of
the Lord Jesus throughout the world will always be needed
by the people of God.
It
is the Order's high duty to preach, to be concerned with
preaching, to wish it to be done in the best way possible,
to be distressed when it is not being done, sad when it
is not being done well, disappointed when another message
is announced in place of God's word. The Dominican task
is to study, explore, and discover better, more effective,
and newer ways of disseminating the Gospel message. It
will ever be the Order's duty to prepare the way for the
coming or deepening of faith in those who hear the message.
Everything the Dominican does, he must link to spreading
the Word of God. Even when doing work that seems only
distantly related to preaching, he must motivate it toward
the proclamation of the word. He must therefore remain
in close touch with the Scriptures, study them, pray them,
guide his own life by them, and spread the good news they
contain.
St.
Dominic embraced the same general elements of the Christian
life shared by others in the Church, but blended them
into a specific spirituality that is original, balanced,
and unique. The spiritual life of the Friars Preachers
draws from Sacred Scripture, bases itself on the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass, the Sacraments, and the liturgy,
incorporates principles of traditional asceticism, and
drinks from the purest sources of Western mysticism and
monasticism.
It
shares characteristics found in the spirituality of the
clergy, in earlier monasticism, and in the evangelical
movements of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. But
the Order of Preachers has given all these common elements
a Dominican emphasis. The spirituality of the Friars Preachers
is exceedingly lofty. It is theocentric, Christological,
sacerdotal (in origin, the Order is a branch of Canons
Regular and is, therefore, predominantly priestly in membership),
monastic, contemplative, and apostolic. It is, in truth,
the spirituality of Christ the Preacher and of the Apostles.
The primary intention is to elevate the friar to the heights
of contemplation, but going beyond this, Dominican contemplation
itself is intended to fructify in the apostolate for souls,
especially through preaching, teaching, and writing. Contemplation
is the generic element, the one the Friars Preachers share
with other contemplative Orders; the salvation of souls
through preaching is the specific note distinguishing
Dominicans from all other Orders. The Constitutions clearly
indicate this twofold character :
"The
principal reason we are gathered together is that we dwell
together in harmony and have one mind and one heart in
God, in other words, that we be found perfect in charity.
. . Our Order is known to have been founded from the beginning
expressly for preaching and the salvation of souls. ...This
end we ought to pursue, preaching and teaching from the
abundance and fulness of contemplation in imitation of
our most holy Father Dominic, who spoke only with God
or of God for the benefit of souls."
(Source
: Hinnebusch, Willam A. The Dominicans. A Short History.
Mount Salus Press Ltd. 1975. hinnebusch, William, A. Dominican
Spirituality Principle and Practice. The Thomist
Press. 1965.)
