Four Pillars : The Dominican Charism

Each of us is gifted with a unique spirituality - a seeking of relationship with God and others. So how can you know if exploring the life of the Dominican Laity is for you? Dominican life is about joy in our relationship with God and a love for his Word and for all of his creation. According to Paul Murray, OP, the way of Dominican Life is just one way among many. It is however, a way or path that is characterized by its exuberance and joyfulness - it celebrates life! The four pillars of Dominican Life work together to connect us and ground us in God's Word. As Lay Dominicans we are called to preach from the pulpit of our lives and as we cannot share what we do not have, the pillars of Dominican Life lead us to immersion in God's Word. The following information on Prayer, Study, Community, and Preaching seeks to provide you with a glimpse of life as a Lay Dominican. For additional information, you are encouraged to visit the Come and See page to find out more about the communities near you.

Prayer

Lay Dominicans are committed to a life of prayer. Encouraged to pray the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) daily, each Lay Dominican adopts their own daily contemplative prayer practice. This includes personal prayer (time for solitude, time for prayer, time for contemplation, saying the rosary, use of scripture for meditation, praying the news, and intercessions) as well as participation in retreats, study programs and quiet days. As part of this practice, we are encouraged to use a journal to capture and reflect more deeply on the Spirit's movement in our lives.

Lay Dominicans, and in fact all Dominicans are called to resist making prayer and contemplation something otherworldly. Prayer is the language of the heart, the language of relationship and as Paul Murray, OP states in his book, "The New Wine of Dominican Spirituality"; Dominicans seek to 'bring the subject of contemplation back down from the high clouds of mysticism to the plain earth of Gospel truth". He reminds us that prayer is about relationship - it is concerned not with specific rituals or words but about speaking to God directly, as our friend.

Community

What is the role of the community in our Lay Dominican life? One member of our community reminds us that community life is like family - wonderful and sometimes messy! In our Raleigh (NC) community, life and relationships can certainly be messy at times. We are passionate and can, at times, get caught up in our individual work. However, for us, as with all Dominican communities, it is the commitment to each other that provides the life-giving nourishment that rises above the chaos. Our Dominican community is essential to our ability to share God's Word with others. It provides support in many ways including:The community provides spiritual nourishment for Lay Dominicans. Paul writes, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2). Each of us struggles to live our commitment to share God's word in our lives - the community renews us, supports us, and infuses our soul with the Spirit each time we meet.

The community provides a safe place to share thoughts and reflections as each of us seeks the Truth. We encourage each other to speak what we have heard in the Scriptures. There is a trust that the community will be there to help us understand if we are hearing our own voice, rather than the voice of the Spirit. "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come." (John 16:13)
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Study

Jude Siciliano, OP, a dear friend to our community has said numerous times, "The wood of my cross is the wood of my desk". This simple statement describes the importance of study to the Dominican charism. For Dominicans, formation (study) is a lifelong process but it is not placed in such a place of importance for its own sake, but rather for the purpose of preaching the Word of God.

In his 'Treatise on the Formation of Preachers', Blessed Humbert of Romans writes, "Though a grace of preaching is strictly had by God's gift, a sensible preacher still out to do what he can to ensure that his preaching is commendable, by carefully studying what he has to preach". So as Dominicans we are called to devour the scriptures and the teachings of the church, so as to be able to be ready to speak the truth.

Study, as preparation for preaching the Gospel, is so important to the life of Dominicans that this website has a whole page devoted to Study Materials on topics such as Dominican Saints, Theological Study, Commentaries for Breaking Open the Word and much more.

Preaching

The world needs lay people to preach the Truth by entering into real dialogue with the people we meet every day. Dominican preaching 'is' dialogue which means before we say the first word, we listen; and a conversation is then started.

Pope Francis, in his first general audience since his election to the papacy urged Catholics to "leave their comfort zone to search for 'lost sheep'. According to an article in the Washington Post (online), Pope Francis says, "We must not be content to remain in the enclosure of the 99 sheep, we have to step outside, to search for the lost sheep". 

Dominicans are called to move out of our own personal worlds to listen to people different than ourselves - to search for the lost sheep. We ask to be given a Word that honors the inclusivity of God's heart, that gives the Spirit an opportunity to speak through us to those who may feel lost or excluded.

Wherever you are in your search to speak/preach God's Word from the 'pulpit of your life', we invite you to explore this site. You will find materials on 'Breaking Open the Word' in your small faith groups, finding a Lay Dominican Chapter near you, and books that will excite you as you continue to share God's Word with those you meet. 

"Each one of us has to be a microphone of God. Each one of you has to be a messenger, a prophet." (Mon. Oscar Romero, 1978)
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Sharing the Fruits of our Contemplation