We, the General Promoters of the Order, recently came together for a few days during the Easter season to reflect on our ministries and our lives as disciples of St. Dominic, Preacher of Grace. Looking toward the upcoming feast of Pentecost, we are aware that the Holy Spirit who anointed the early disciples of Jesus, sending them out to preach the Good News to the world (Acts 2), is the same Spirit who anointed St. Dominic to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ 800 years ago. This apostolic preaching mission was confirmed for Dominic during his pilgrimage to Rome in January, 1217: Finding himself in the presence of God, in the Basilica of St. Peter, Dominic, the man of God, directed his prayer in favor of the conservation and expansion of the Order. The Lord allowed him to contemplate...the glorious princes of the apostles, Peter and Paul, drawing near to him. Peter handed him a walking stick for support, while Paul gave him a book; and they added: "Go, preach, for that is the ministry for which God has chosen you." Immediately he saw his children going out into the whole world, walking two by two (Lk 10:1), preaching the Word of God to all peoples.[i]
Here we are today, the sons and daughters of St. Dominic, who, 800 years later, continue to seek to be faithful to our call to preach the Good News to the people of our times. Aware of this great heritage and responsibility, we invite you, our Dominican sisters and brothers worldwide, to join us in renewing our commitment to the grace of preaching in the spirit of St. Dominic.
In the coming weeks and months, we will celebrate with the universal Church several important solemnities and feasts, all of which are important for our Order. Culminating the Easter Season with the Solemn celebration of Pentecost, we will begin our pilgrimage of Ordinary Time, which will include the festive celebrations of Saints Peter and Paul and of St. Mary Magdalene - all of whom invite us to be courageous preachers of the Gospel. This will lead us to the Solemnity of our Holy Father, St. Dominic, followed by Mary's Glorious Assumption, the very day on which St. Dominic dispersed the first preachers from the tiny hill next to the Monastery of St. Mary of Prouilhe.
Therefore, as we journey through these marvelous liturgical celebrations, let us encourage one another to deepen our commitment to the preaching of the Good News. As part of these coming weeks and months, we invite all of us, brothers and sisters of the Dominican Family worldwide, to renew our preaching vocation by reflecting prayerfully - both alone and within our local communities - on the questions that appear below. We also invite you to join us in praying the Jubilee Prayer each day during these coming weeks and months, opening our hearts to receive anew the Spirit's anointing, so as to respond ever more faithfully to the grace of the Holy Preaching, entrusted to us by St. Dominic.
Your brothers and sisters in Dominic:
María Fabiola VELÁSQUEZ MAYA, International Coordinator of DSI
Márcio COUTO, Socius for the Intellectual Life
Prakash Anthony LOHALE, Socius for the Apostolic Life
Brian PIERCE, Promoter General for the Nuns
David KAMMLER, Promoter General for Laity
Carlos RODRÍGUEZ LINERA and Toni HARRIS, General Co-Promoters for Justice and Peace
Constantine MAMO, Director of IDI
Scott STEINKERCHNER, Promoter General for the Internet
Louis-Marie ARIÑO-DURAND, Promoter General of the Rosary
Enrique SARIEGO GARCÍA, Secretary of IDYM (International Dominican Youth Movement)
Rose Ann SCHLITT and Edward RUANE, Co-directors of DVI (Dominican Volunteers International)
Olivier POQUILLON, Permanent Delegate to the United Nations
[i] Gómez OP, Vito, and Lorenzo Games, Santo Domingo de Guzmán: Fuentes para su Conocimiento, (Edición de 1987), p. 259. It is Constantino de Orvieto who first refers to this prayer experience of St. Dominic before the tomb of St. Peter. It probably happened in January of 1217.
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