Godsplaining | Catholic Podcast

Happy Feast of All Saints of the Order of Preachers! In each and all the Dominican saints, whether famous or anonymous, we catch a glimpse of Dominic’s own special grace—the grace of the Word, which impelled him to speak always either with God or about God. Every Dominican’s life is indeed marked by his own cooperation with this Dominican grace, whereby he becomes a praedicator gratiae, a preacher of grace. Like Dominic, the Dominican first speaks with God in prayer and contemplative study, praising him and blessing him, and then he speaks forth about God in common life and the apostolate, predicating in word and deed the one truth who saves: Jesus Christ is Lord. All the Dominican saints we celebrate today have partaken of this grace, each in a unique measure. And so we chant at Vespers this evening: This is true fraternity, which conquers the darkness of the world by the love of Christ (Responsory, Feast of All Dominican Saints). For all who are clothed in the Dominican life, and for all who benefit from the Order’s ministries in any way, the Feast of All Dominican Saints is a sign of wonderful hope. Dominic’s intercession, now compounded by that of untold Dominican saints throughout the ages, yet redounds to the salvation of a great multitude, which no one could count (Rev 7:9): thousands upon thousands of Dominicans hitherto, and millions upon millions of those touched by the Order’s charism. Today, we rejoice, praising and blessing God and beseeching Holy Father Dominic and the whole host of heavenly hounds, that they keep sending help for the holy preaching unto the ends of the earth: Fulfill Father, what you have said, and help us by your prayers. —Fr. Charles Marie Rooney, O.P.

Happy Feast of Saints Simon and Jude! As the patron of “hopeless cases,” of lost causes, of the impossible, many of us embrace devotion to St. Jude when we are most desperate, when we cannot outrun or out-ride reality’s most dreadful grief. St. Jude offers hope to the hopeless, a ray of light to those most beset with darkness – he offers nothing less than Jesus himself. Yet why should only St. Jude be shown holding the image of Christ? Holding a medallion recalls the question he asked Jesus in the gospel: “Lord, what has happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” (John 14:22). Essentially, St. Jude asks Jesus why he is not manifesting himself to everyone in the world at once; why Jesus is choosing to allow the relatively small number of apostles to get to know him, and then rely on them to spread the word about who Jesus is. Indeed, it would seem that a simple media blitz, broadcast to everyone in the world would be the most efficient way to let everyone on earth know Jesus. Our heart must be touched, and touching requires a personal contact. Touching reaches a particular person, in a particular place and circumstance – it is perfect for the way God loves an individual sinner. Like a tattoo, God’s touch considers the contours of our individual person – His grace comes tailor-made to our individual weaknesses, strengths, needs, and gifts. Yet all the while calling us to something more: inviting us to find our final end in himself. As with tattoos, his grace penetrates below the surface and leaves his image under our skin. And like St. Jude with his mega-medallion, we must bear the image of Jesus to others – they should recognize us when they see us showing off Christ. Let us pray that we embrace the call to “put on Christ” (Gal 3:27), that through the imitation of Jesus we might “keep [our]selves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life” (Jude 1:21). —Fr. Pier Giorgio Dengler, O.P.