The season of Lent is underway! This time of preparation for Easter gives us an opportunity to reexamine and refocus our spiritual lives. We are encouraged to take up individual Lenten observances, usually falling in the traditional categories of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Along with making some kind of sacrifice, hopefully we are also adding […]
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We easily see that the Church is wise in her establishment of Lent. We are sinners – selfish, carnal, and earthly-minded – and so it is no surprise that we need a season devoted to intense prayer. To expect ourselves to reach a deeper conversion otherwise is mere foolishness, like going to the Mojave to […]
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For you are dust, and to dust you shall return (Gen 3:19). Most everyone agrees with this sentence irrespective of their views or religious beliefs. Unless we are alive for the Second Coming, each of us must die one day. Sometimes death comes to us like an uninvited guest, terrible and blunt. Recently, I read […]
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Over the last 800 years, the Order of Preachers has celebrated the holiness of 103 Saints and 374 Blesseds in the Dominican family. Their witness serves as a model for all of us, especially during Lent. So as we continue our observance of this holy season, may we be inspired by their words of wisdom […]
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In a tradition dating back to the fourth century, the Pope will spend Ash Wednesday at the Basilica of Santa Sabina, currently the worldwide headquarters of the Order of Preachers. After the legalization of Christianity in 313, the faithful began a custom of processing through the streets of Rome to visit various churches and to […]
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Holy Week is a special time in the life of the Church, beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Holy Saturday. During this period, we reflect on the passion and death of Christ as we prepare for the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection at Easter. In addition to the Church’s numerous devotions, Dominicans have developed […]
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Beginning on the fifth Sunday of Lent (formerly known as Judica Sunday after the first words of the introit “Judge me, O Lord”) and throughout passiontide, a number of churches veil all statues, images and crosses in purple cloth. Many theories exist as to the historical origins of this practice. During the ninth century in […]
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Lent is just around the corner, and as we all know, fasting for 40 days is not easy. In order to make the most out of this holy season, one needs to get ready ahead of time. The first way to do this is by preparing ourselves physically. We can start by cleaning out the […]
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Life as a Dominican is rooted in four areas, what we typically call the four pillars: prayer, study, common life, and ministry. Based on these pillars, we’ve developed four tips to help you have a better Lent. They all require a little bit of time, but with a little bit of effort they are all […]
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