St. Dominic: Preaching Lives, Praying Bodies
Br. Luke Ditewig
Two walked to Emmaus speaking their grief. Mary was confused mistaking Jesus for a gardener. Frightened followers gathered behind locked doors. Jesus surprised some with breakfast on the beach. Resurrection then and now is not only celebration. It encompasses all emotions including grief, confusion, fear, and wonder. Saints teach us to pray our whole lives with ups, downs, twists, and turns.
Dominic founded the Dominicans, an order of preachers. We don’t know what he said. Unlike many, we have almost nothing he wrote. Dominic told clergy and monastic leaders to focus on preaching and to live in poverty. Travel by foot rather than by horse. Dominic’s sermon was action: humility versus posturing with wealth or verbal prowess.
Dominic’s sermon was action.
Followers saw how Dominic personally prayed and wrote it down. Dominic prayed with his body, expressing his range of feeling. Here are some of his ways to pray.
Cry. Weep. Tears may be of sorrow, anger, joy, and one might not know.
Submit or reverence with a bow.
Lie flat on one’s face in full humility.
Gaze at a crucifix. Let whatever you feel come.
Hold hands open in front of you as if reading a book.
Lift arms up above your head with hands either together or open.
These may be different forms of open receptivity or longing desire. Another is to read or walk while expressing in face and hands whatever you feel.
Wonder, question, confusion, discovery, comfort, resolve. As you would in conversation with a close friend, express and receive on your face and with your whole body.
Resurrection means Jesus is powerfully present everywhere including the hard. Whatever you feel, Jesus invites and knows. Pray as you are. Pray what you feel. Let your body speak. Cry. Pound your fist. Slump. Reach. Gaze. Hold. Jesus sees. Listen to what your body knows and receives.
Like blessed Dominic, may we preach by our lives and pray with our bodies.
Questions for Reflection
The fullness of resurrection is not just joy, but also grief, confusion, fear, and wonder.
How can you cultivate a deeper awareness of Christ's resurrection presence in the everyday, particularly in moments of struggle or uncertainty?
Dominic’s preaching was his life, not just his words.
In what ways are you invited to preach without relying solely on words?
What does that kind of preaching look like in your context?
My ministry, my preaching, is one of being present to those I meet in all my travels. Words are translated in silence and peace surrounds me and those I seek out and serve. With love in my very heart, in my eyes in my silent prayer. Thank be to God for such a gift.
I am a faithful reader of your message evey day. I also meditate and communicate with God every minute of every day. I write a message to him daily and post this on a blog which unfortunately only few read. But I do love your passages.
In answer to your premise today, the best way is in one’s actions. Silently showing love love and respect and acceptance to all peopel I meet is my way of letting God knwo that all of His creation is important to me. I also, too often, stop to talk with many people, I tend to hold up traffic whereever I go so often that my wife of 58 years tends to get impatient with me.
What a great up-to-date format!! Thank-you and God bless each one of you that brings this ministry to the world.
Wow!
Love the new format!
LOVE these words
Thank you 🙏