Let Us Rejoice, Jesus Christ is King!
Br. Anthony Maria Akerman, O.P., reflects on the Gospel for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Jn 18:33b-37) in our weekly video series.
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You Are My Inheritance, O Lord
Br. Kevin Peter, O.P., reflects on the Gospel for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mk 13:24-32) in our weekly video series.
The Jar of Flour Shall Not Go Empty
Br. Emmanuel Maria, O.P., reflects on the Gospel for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 12:41–44) in our weekly video series.
The Lord Our God Is Lord Alone
Br. John Vianney Russel, O.P., reflects on the Gospel for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 12:28–34) in our weekly video series.
Your Faith Has Saved You
Br. John Peter Anderson, O.P., reflects on the Gospel for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 10:46–52) in our weekly video series.
For the Son of Man Did Not Come to Be Served but to Serve
Br. Thomas Maria, O.P., reflects on the Gospel for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 10:34–45) in our weekly video series.
Go Sell What You Have
Br. Humbert McCrorey, O.P., reflects on the Gospel for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 10:17-27) in our weekly video series.
LMP-LMI Transition
Friends - we're excited to share that the Lay Mission Project is now becoming the Lay Mission Institute! This means that the Lay Mission Institute…
The Solemnity of Corpus Christi
On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (the Latin phrase for “The Body of Christ”), we spend the day giving special veneration to Our Lord presenting…
Honoring Our Bodies as Temples of the Holy Spirit
We should always remember that our bodies are not simply ours to do with as we please. After receiving the sacrament of Baptism, we become temples…
The Unity and Diversity of the Mystical Body of Christ
Can the diversity of the Church be reconciled with her unity? In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul speaks about the diverse manifestations…
Eucharist: Fruit of the Tree of Life
“… The fruit of the earth and the fruit of the work of human hands” would be a more literal translation of the prayer used during the preparation…
Eucharist: The Sacrament of Love
In a manner atypical of the usual scholastic precision of his theological works, St. Thomas Aquinas’ great Eucharistic hymn Adoro te devote sublimely,…
The Western Dominican Province and Thomas Aquinas College: A Lasting Connection
Earlier this year, several Dominican friars and sisters paid a visit to Thomas Aquinas College in southern California. Three friars of our Province—Fr.…
Canine Ecology
Like many of you, I grew up with a dog. Ever since then I have been fascinated by dogs’ intelligence and social sensitivity. In the world of…
Eucharist: What Makes Us Who We Are
Kurt Vonnegut’s 1963 novel Cat’s Cradle features a fictional religious movement that teaches that life is intrinsically meaningless. People,…
Greeting the Resurrection through the Ages, Part Four
Easter Morning Reading, Northern Syria (?), circa 1216 AD Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Today we come to the conclusion of our Easter…
The Easter Octave: Rippling Joy
“Would you like to go to Easter egg hunt?” “No, I am too old for that.” At some point, we hear that response from children. The excitement for…
Greeting the Resurrection through the Ages, Part Three
Bright Tuesday Divine Liturgy, Constantinople, circa 1001 AD Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Yesterday we looked at a 14th-century Italian…
Greeting the Resurrection through the Ages, Part Two
Easter Matins, Italy, circa 1300 AD Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! For the first entry of our Easter Octave series, Greeting the Resurrection…
Greeting the Resurrection through the Ages
Christ Surrexit vere, alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia! With this Paschal greeting, we join the Saints throughout the…
A Meditation for Good Friday
“I have pains in my gut. How can I not have pain in the gut of memory when it is filled with putrid stuff?” -St. Bernard Of Clairvaux, Ad clericos…
Palm Sunday: Embracing the Triumph and Humility of Christ
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, a sacred journey that culminates in the joyous celebration of Easter Sunday. This significant day…
Feast of St. Joseph
Among other titles in the Litany of St. Joseph, the foster father of Our Lord is invoked as the “terror of demons.” One reason for this is that…
Joseph Most Obedient
God the Father offered his friendship to the first human family, to Adam and Eve, but their disobedience broke this friendship. Yet another family…
Confession: Calling Us Out of Comfort
This past summer I had the great gift of completing a hospital chaplaincy internship. There were numerous moments of repentance and grace (thanks…
The Power of Lenten Prayer
The “penance” we do in Lent means turning away from sin and toward God. To enable us to cooperate well with God’s grace in doing penance, the…
The End and Means of Lent
We come, once again, to the holy season of Lent! Just as before the joy of the Resurrection there was the pain of the Passion; so too before…
The Power of Lenten Almsgiving
Often, when we think about almsgiving, our minds immediately turn to money. Of course, contributing material wealth is important and commendable…
The Power of Lenten Fasting
Christians attribute great effectiveness to fasting. It keeps us alert, awakens our sensitivity to God, allows us to know ourselves, and makes…
2024 Convocation of the College of Fellows: A Student Reflection
The DSPT College of Fellows convened for the first time in four years on February 2-4, 2024, after a pandemic that began in 2020 was followed…
The Choral Office: The Work of the Preacher
The Dominican Order’s official name is “Order of Preachers.” We embrace the apostolic life, possessing material goods only in common, and devote…
Consecrated to Obedience
“But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that…
A River of Many Waters: Brotherhood of Preachers
We had come, like streams of a river, from the same source in our native land, had separated from each other in pursuit of learning, and were…
Can you hear God through the noise?
The Lord invites Elijah to witness His presence in 1 Kings 19. As the Lord passes by, Elijah discovers that the Lord is not in a great and strong…
Epiphany: The Invitation to Wonder at God’s Presence
When most of us think of the Epiphany, we immediately think of the Wise Men visiting the Christ Child. However, this is only part of what the…
St. Thomas Becket’s Martyrdom
The relationship between faith and the state has been controversial at least since the beginning of Christian history. Matthew points to this…
Prepare The Way
In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every…
Gregory Nazianzen: Doctor of Vigilance
I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to study Greek and Syriac patristic theology in Rome near the locations where so many saintly theologians…
The Immaculate Mother of All the Living
When the Anglican scholar Edward B. Pusey wrote his Eirenicon, St. John Henry Newman felt compelled to reply by letter to his old friend’s polemics…
Using This World Well
Oscar Wilde once visited the Sistine Chapel while the choir sang the “Dies Irae,” a classic chant about the Last Judgment that’s still used as…
Eucharistia
The greatest act of thanksgiving is found in the Church’s celebration of the Eucharist
Lay Up for Yourselves Treasure in Heaven
One of my favorite pieces of choral music to listen to and meditate upon is called Funeral Ikos. Written by the English composer John Tavener,…
Reflections with Relics
"What you are now, we once were. What we are now, you shall be."
Saint Martin de Porres
One of the best-known Dominican saints around the world is not famous for his eloquence or his education. There are no sermons of his passed…
The Rosary: How Our Trials Unite Us to God
At the root of all our desires is a yearning for oneness with God. In our fallen state, we are prone to respond to that yearning with things…
Meditating on the Mysteries: The Soul of the Rosary
Was the Rosary truly historically given by the Blessed Virgin Mary to our founder St. Dominic de Guzman? Unfortunately, even though more than…
The Rosary and Public Life
As one of the most widely-practiced forms of Christian prayer, the Rosary is well-known for the many benefits which it can confer on a person’s…
The Rosary: Jesus and Mary’s Aid to the Order
Art can help us understand theological and historical realities by providing us with concrete images that symbolically express a truth.
St. Michael: A Patron for our Trying Times
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
The Ascension of the Lord
Throughout the season of Advent, the Church prepares for the birth of Jesus. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, and became…
Behold the Truth of Christ’s Resurrection with the Eyes of the Heart
Whereas in his nativity Christ demonstrates the mystery of his own virgin birth, in the resurrection he gives a pattern to all who are to be…
Conquest of the Old Tyrant
Imagine that we are standing on the top of a cliff. We look down, and we don’t see the base of the cliff. The space below us is shrouded in mist.…
St. Catherine of Siena, A Patroness of Tears
One of the most striking aspects of the writings of St. Catherine of Siena is her attention to bodiliness. Her visual metaphors are often punctuated…
The Tomb is Empty
Mary was waiting for Him with joy Not as a mother waits for the return of her son from war But as one waits for a friend who never broke a…
Why does Jesus Keep His Wounds After Rising from the Dead?
Did you know? Everyone in heaven gets a trophy!
Why did Jesus die?
Why did Jesus die? The question of why Jesus had to die is one that has puzzled Christians for centuries. It is easy to point fingers and assign…
Arc of the Triduum
How to better experience the three Holy Days before Easter.
Food of Pilgrimage, Pledge of Glory
Feeling hopeless? There’s medicine for that … the medicine of immortality!
The Annunciation: Mary’s Fiat As Our Model of Humility
Of course you kvetch, you've overstretched! Let Mary show you a better way.
A Holy and Gentle Hatred of Sin
Want to be holy? Choose hatred!
Thinking Again about Repentance
Are you sure you have repented? Think again!
A Perfect Time to Sort Our Priorities
My younger sister is a fantastic skier. We have both skied since a very young age. However, once upon a time, she fell down and hurt her knee…
Cultivating a Healthy Sense of Shame
Can shame be healthy?
Religious Life: A Total Gift to God
How does a whole burnt offering point people to the meaning of human life?
Religious Life and the Life to Come
There is nothing unfortunate about the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience!
The Word Abides
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple was a monumental moment in the history of salvation. How do Simeon's words in the Gospel of Luke show us the Word's fulfillment of the entire Old Testament?
St. Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Guide and Follower of Christ
We often find the life of the mind placed in opposition to the spiritual life. However, is this a fair opposition? Aquinas can be our guide in resolving this tension.
The Holy Name of Jesus: The Power of His Name
What should the name of Jesus evoke within me?
The Holy Name of Jesus: Rescued by a Name
What is so special about a name?
What Does Epiphany Have to Do With the Cross?
During this Christmas season of joy, how can Christ manifest in our struggles and sorrows?
Christmas, the Strategy of Christ, and the Mystery of the Holy Family
The nativity of Jesus: a mystery of a personal victory that mobilized his friends and agitated his enemies.
The Incarnation: God's Story about God
An effusion of the Ineffable!
Advent Reflections: 4th Sunday of Advent
Do not be afraid to take Mary into your home (which always brings Christ) as we come to the end of Advent and prepare for His coming at Christmas.
The Incarnation: O Come, Divine Messiah!
How can we joyfully prepare for God Incarnate amidst a dark and sinful world?
Advent Reflections: 3rd Sunday of Advent
It's Gaudete Sunday and we are entering the third week of Advent with joyful anticipation for the commemoration of Christ's birth.
Immaculate Against the Idols
Mary the Immaculate Conception: Forbidding Myth or Grace-filled Maiden?
What you didn't know about St. Nicholas...
St. Nicholas is not only a giver of gifts but a giver of Truth!
Advent Reflections: 2nd Sunday of Advent
How can we better prepare for the coming of our Savior this Advent season?
Our Brothers Thank You
We're so grateful for your support of this year's Rosary Sunday: Dominican Student Appeal!
Friars in Print 2022
Browse the newest publications by Western Dominicans
The Incarnation: God's Face
To see God's face once meant death, but now we see true life in the face of God Incarnate.
The Afterlife: Hell
Can thinking on Hell increase our faith? Learn why hellish meditations should be included in our spiritual exercises.
Advent Reflections: 1st Sunday of Advent
How can we grow in the virtues of hope, patience, and joy?
The Afterlife: Heaven
Will we grow bored of worshipping God in heaven for "forever?" How will our heavenly unity with God affect our desires?
The Afterlife: Purgatory
What is the value of suffering - for us and for "holy souls" in Purgatory?
St. Martin de Porres - A Humble Saint
What is true humility? The foundation of humility lies not in ourselves, but in God.
St. Jude, Intercession, and Sharing in God's Goodness
St. Jude and the Birthday Cake - is the oft-forgotten apostle a baker?
The Rosary as a School of Prayer
Climb the mountain - a pilgrimage of our mind and heart!
Mary, Queen and Mother
Worthy of love or worthy of honor: how do we properly approach Our Lady?
The Perfect Prayer
How do I pray well, even perfectly? Br. Anthony Maria Akerman, O.P. offers a reply to this perennial question.
Why Should We Pray Daily to St. Michael the Archangel?
How is St. Michael the Archangel a powerful defender in all battles? Learn from Fr. Michael Hurley, O.P., on how this powerful saint helps us flex our spiritual muscles!
St. Michael the Archangel vs. The 6th Century Plague
If St. Michael the Archangel can save Rome from the plague, how can he help us in modern times? Br. Scott Norgaard, O.P., helps us understand how angels are instrumental in executing God's mercy.
Was the Big Bang the Moment of Creation?
The Big Bang was the moment of creation...or was it? Br. Pascal Strader, O.P. helps unfold the cosmological and theological considerations in this claim.
Incomprehensible Mercy
How should we treat those who have seriously hurt or wronged us? Br. Anselm shares the difficult, but life-giving answer in honor of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.
Summer Reflection: Studying German in Berlin
This past July, I was in Berlin taking an intensive course in German. Over the past five years studying at the Dominican School of Philosophy…
Summer Reflection: Studying Spanish in Mexico
This summer, I spent several weeks learning Spanish in Mexico along with four other Dominican student brothers -- Br. Nathaniel Maria Mayne,…
Summer Reflection: Fraternity with Polish Brothers
The Dominican Friars of the Western Province have had a special relationship of mutual support and collaboration with the Polish Province for…
Summer Reflection: Studying Arabic in Cairo
When I disclose the fact that I am learning Arabic to family, friends, and acquaintances here in the Western United States, I receive similar…
Celebrating our Jubilarians
Dominicans offer their lives to preach the Gospel and dedicate their lives in service to God and the Church. The vast majority of Dominican friars…