A Dominican Soul Is A Marian Soul

[Dominican Nuns Menlo Park]

A little article about the Dominican Spirituality.  We're so blessed and honor to have the Virgin Mary as our special Patroness!

 

Crowning of Mary by our Prioress, Sr. Maria Christine, O.P.

                                           

Sub tuum praesidium

confugimus,

Sancta Dei Genetrix.

Nostras deprecationes ne despicias

in necessitatibus nostris,

sed a periculis cunctis

libera nos semper,

Virgo gloriosa et benedicta.

 

Under thy protection

we seek refuge,

Holy Mother of God;

despise not our petitions

in our needs,

but from all dangers

deliver us always,

Virgin Glorious and Blessed

 

The Order of Preachers has a beautiful tradition of the Salve procession where we sing the hymn Salve Regina in commending ourselves to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary while making a procession at the end of Compline each night (Night Prayer.) In our monastery, we also sing the Sub Tuum on Saturdays in Mary's honor.

 

From the very beginning of our Order's foundation, St. Dominic had commended the entire Order to Mary as our special Patroness, and there are many reasons for that.  Here is one beautiful account that related the vision of St. Dominic regarding our Lady's protection that we have heard today in the Dominican's Liturgy of the Hours. 

 

The following is a selection from the writing of Fr. M.M. Philipon, O.P. who summarizes perfectly the Marian soul of a Dominican: 

 

Under the constant guidance of Mary, our holy Father (St. Dominic) renewed the apostolic form of life in the Church, launched intrepid champions of the faith into the world, and won thousands of souls for Christ. 

 

When dying, he left as his legacy to the Church, the Rosary wherein his religious family might find the proper form for its devotion to Mary. Where is the Dominican who does not dream of living and dying with the Rosary in his or her hand? It is a universal law of the economy of salvation: the more devoted a soul is to Mary the more Christian it is. It is equally true to say that the more devoted a soul is to Mary the more Dominican it is.

 

 

Faithful God, you willed that the Order of Preachers be instituted for the salvation of souls under the special patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and that it be filled with her unceasing favors.  Hear our prayers and bring us to the glory of heaven, protected by her whose feast we celebrate today.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, 

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

(From the Morning Prayer - Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary over the entire Order of Preachers)

[inperpetuity]

Truly grateful that Our Lady gave the Rosary to St. Dominic. :nun1: Thank you for this Sister.

[Catherine Therese]

Please pray for me!

It's not that I don't WANT to love Our Lady. I just feel as if I've never really had much of a decent relationship with her. Which, given that in all other ways I'm about as Dominican as a person can get, is crazy, right?


Happy Mother's Day, O Blessed Virgin! I trust that even though our relationship seems distant, you really are there, protecting me with your mantle and guiding me toward your Son. Help me to know you more!

[SilentJoy]

Please pray for me!

It's not that I don't WANT to love Our Lady. I just feel as if I've never really had much of a decent relationship with her.

 

When I was first making the Total Consecration a few years ago, I tried to find out the "right" form this should take in my life. I tried to be more Marian, or what other people thought "Marian" should look like. But I realized that, if I'm the one consecrated to Mary, then Mary only wants me, not someone else's idea of how I should be. It might be better grounds for a relationship.