You Could Die Tomorrow
When will I die, and how? Will it be at the ripe old age of ninety after I’ve lived a full life? Will it be painless? What if I die tomorrow…
Blog
Reflections for the New Year
It’s fitting that we celebrate January 1st as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. In her essay The Mystery of Christmas, the philosopher and…
Christmas in New York
On my first visit to New York City, I had the pleasure of being among the many tourists who flock to Manhattan for the holiday season. New York…
O Antiphons
Today, the Church begins to sing the seven, so-called “O Antiphons.” Dating from the early Church, these antiphons are sung at Mass and Evening…
Loving God as a Habit
I vaguely remember, as a child, being so proud of the fact that I could tie my shoes. I consciously thought through what my fingers were doing…
Advent’s Pregnant Pause
Advent has begun!We’ve entered into a pregnant pause. The hope of the world—of our lives—is imminent ! The canticles of Zechariah, Simeon, and…
Thanksgiving and Surrender to Divine Providence
While millions of Americans gather to give thanks to God for blessings given throughout the year, to many of us, it might be a difficult time…
Reflections of Entering Religious Life
Every year several young men from all over the country visit St. Albert’s Priory for a Come and See weekend. I will never forget my first visit…
St. Cyril and the Eucharist
St. Cyril of Alexandria lived between c. 378-444 AD and was the Patriarch (Archbishop) of Alexandria during a very turbulent time in the Church.…
An Instrument of God’s Healing
What are comforting words you would give to a couple burying their only child? How would you explain why—after trying to have children for many…
Fear of the Lord
In contemporary public discourse we hear much about “fear,” often with a negative connotation. We hear about “fear based politics,” “fear-mongering,”…
Praising God
We Catholics praise God. We, as His creatures praise God for many reasons. We praise God to thank Him, to adore Him, and to glorify Him. Praise…
Did Jesus Have Siblings?
One day, during my childhood, my mother and I were attending daily Mass. During the Gospel reading the priest proclaimed a passage from Matthew…
Leaving Home
Introduction: In July 2019, the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) held a General Chapter in Vietnam. A very democratic process, a General Chapter…
Doctrine for the Thirsty Soul
Theology can seem far removed from our spiritual life—a cold, dry, clinical exercise—like studying botany textbooks compared to gardening. Theologians…
Ad Ministerium
The diaconate is one of the most ancient offices of the Church, dating all the way back to the time of the Apostles. The Church has always recognized…
By the Grace of God
One of the biggest difficulties about wearing a white habit is that it is absolutely impossible to keep spotless. In a way, being a sinful, concupiscent…
Another Year Begins in the ‘School of Perfection’
Here at the house of studies, St. Albert’s Priory, we have started another academic year! Late summer and early fall are always times of transition…
Take the Novice Prayer Pledge
On Thursday August 29th at 7:30pm, in a beautiful ceremony called Vestition, the four young men below will join the Dominicans; receiving the…
Wise and Compassionate
Matthew 25:1-12 tells the parable of the ten bridesmaids who went to meet the bridegroom’s wedding feast. Five wise virgins brought extra oil…
Residency Year
At this point in the academic year, I am finishing my year of ‘residency.’ This year – typically a student brother’s fourth year of formation…
Be Still
When it comes to leisure, many of us tend to associate it with time spent not working or studying, doing what we enjoy. In other words, leisure…
The Coronation of Mary
“Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.” As Dominicans, we pray these words quite frequently, after every Rosary…
The Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
When we meditate upon the fourth glorious mystery, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we should be meditating upon love; namely, the…
The Third Glorious Mystery: The Holy Spirit Comes Upon the Apostles at Pentecost
In the Third Glorious Mystery of the Rosary we contemplate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles at Pentecost. Our meditation on this…
The Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension
As we continue to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us meditate on the Second Glorious mystery, Christ’s Ascension into…
The Day of the Lord
Exult, let them exult! Having been baptized during an Easter Vigil, these opening words from the Exsultet have a special place in my memory of…
Mercy for a Traitor
Today, we are entering into the mystery of Holy Week, the most significant week in the liturgical year, the week in which God shows his ineffable…
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
After meditating on the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, and the Carrying of the Cross, with the Fifth…
The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Among the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary, this is arguably the only one that focuses on Christ’s active role in His Passion. Christ…
Accept the Crown of Love
And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe upon Him, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand.…
The Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
One of the first challenges that we face when meditating on the Second Sorrowful Mystery is that the Gospels only provide a minimal amount of…
A Vigil in Gethsemane
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…
And To Dust You Shall Return
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.…
Pilgrimage: Walking with God
Christians throughout the ages have undertaken strenuous journeys to shrines far and near. Early pilgrimages focused on the Holy Land, on the…
The Chair of St. Peter
As we draw near to the feast of The Chair of St. Peter it is worth reflecting on what papal infallibility is and is not. People often think this…
Preaching Like St. Paul
Recently, in one of my Scripture classes, we addressed the similarities and differences between St. Paul and the Greek philosophers. The philosophers…
What is Morality About?
When I say the word morality, what do you think of? Your first thought may be of rules, duties, and obligations - dos and don'ts of what is acceptable…
St. Thomas and Obedience to the Truth
Dominicans are not especially zealous in promoting the veneration of our saints, a tendency that goes all the way back to our beginnings and…
What is Celibacy?
Every single person is called to love. If we do not experience love, life remains incomprehensible to us. But if we do experience love, then…
Does Jesus exaggerate when he says: “… apart from me you can do nothing”?
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”…
The Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Finding in the Temple
That the twelve-year-old Jesus clearly knew the Law and the Prophets is evident in the fact that the learned men even bothered listening to the…
The Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation
It seems an unusual requirement that Mary and Joseph should consecrate God’s own Son back to Himself. And yet, in obedience to the Law of Moses,…
How Does a Dominican Chapter Work?
Since the earliest days of St. Dominic, the Order of Preachers has been a fiercely democratic institution, embodying the principles of collegiality,…
The Third Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
“Who has performed and done this,calling the generations from the beginning?I, the Lord, the first,and with the last; I am He.” (Isaiah 41:4)Secrets…
The Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
As we continue through the season of Advent, almost everyone anticipates the joy of opening presents on Christmas morning. For most people, it…
St. Jude Shrine Christmas Novena
“We are a ‘touchy’ people, Father… we like to touch.”Dear friends of St. Jude,I was invited for this past St. Jude feast by the devotees of St.…
The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
In my senior year of high school, I took over leading an optional lunchtime Rosary on Fridays in the school chapel. The usual attendees included…
The Impact of the Lima Center
Last month on November 3, the Church celebrated the feast of Saint Martin de Porres, a Dominican brother who cared for the poor and the sick…
Advent: a Season of Watchful Preparation
In this moment between Thanksgiving and Christmas, while the carols are already playing, our liturgical calendar goes through its transition:…
Dominican Study
Assiduous study ranks as one of the most salient features of the Order of Preachers. When one thinks of the Dominican friar, thoughts of great…
The Presentation of Mary
On Wednesday, the 21st of November, we celebrate the Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Ancient traditions in the church,…
St. Albert: A Model for Scientist-Theologians
On November 15th, we celebrate the Feast of a Dominican saint who deserves to be better known in modern times: St. Albert of Cologne (d. 1280),…
Dominican All Souls Day
Our society likes to forget about death. A common motivation for doing so is to avoid the pain of having to deal with the limitedness of our…
Wanting Heaven
Whether it is in a silly commercial or a John Lennon song, I keep coming across this notion of forgetting Heaven, or of focusing on building…
Christian Joy
This past fall, I have often found myself demoralized. There is a seemingly continuous stream of distressing news describing troubles outside,…
To Be Super
The superhero story is a great success and fascination of our time. It holds captive not only children and teenagers, but adults as well. These…
A Perennial Call
I thank God for the many blessings of living with the Dominican community here in Bologna as I study Italian. I appreciate the robust community…
Where is the Kingdom?
Every Sunday we celebrate Christ’s victory over evil and sin. We might ask ourselves: what does the victory of Christ mean? What happened after…
The Battle of Lepanto and the Holy Rosary
Christian sailors joined Pope Pius V (a Dominican) in praying the Most Holy Rosary, and defeated a much larger Turkish force at the Battle of…
To Learn and Serve
Residency year is typically the 4th year of formation for student brothers of the Western Dominican Province. During this…
Set Apart to Serve
On August 8, the Solemnity of Saint Dominic, I received the sacrament of Holy Orders by being ordained a deacon alongside my classmate, Br. Cody…
With our arms extended
On September 1st, four of my Dominican brothers and I made our first profession of poverty, chastity, and obedience. When I returned to my seat…
Easter Joy and the Resurrected Body
Saint Thomas would later be identified with his moment of doubt, but now it is not doubt that captures his mind. Jesus stands before him in the…
Discovering a Desert in Bloom
The height of winter usually finds the novices of the Western Dominican Province roaming the deserts of the Southwest. This journey takes us…
Live Lent Like a Dominican
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…
Devotion to the Holy Name
As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, the titular feast of the Western Dominican Province, Fr. Augustine Hilander, O.P., our promoter…
Double Take: Two Masses in Two Days
This year, since Christmas falls on a Monday, many people are asking, "If I only go to a Christmas Vigil Mass on Sunday, December 24, have I…
Immaculate Mary: Facing the Dreaded Foe
In 1854, Pope Pius IX declared the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a dogma of the Catholic faith.* In the…
Prepare the Way of the Lord
As we finish the month of November, many people are already singing carols and setting up their Christmas trees. But before we celebrate Jesus'…
Advent and Apocalypse
With the end of the liturgical year fast approaching, Fr. James Disney Thompson, O.P., offers his keen insights as to how we should receive the…
Brothers in the Lord
"Within that region where the sweet west wind comes blowing...lies Caleruega, fortune-favored town...There the staunch love of the Christian…
Dominican Traditions During Holy Week
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…
We Saw A Star Rising
While the Christmas creche is often attributed to Saint Francis, credited with making the first living nativity scene in Italy, the Feast of…
Why Christmas is December 25th
The near universal celebration of Christmas on December 25 dates to the early fourth century. It is commonly said that this date was chosen to…
Praying for the Dead
For years Hollywood has portrayed purgatory as something it is not. Instead of presenting it as a process of purification before heaven, movies…
The Power of the Rosary
The Blessed Virgin Mary plays an important role in salvation history. She gave birth to the Savior of the world, and because she was so closely…
Lift High The Cross
The sign of the cross has been a part of the Church’s tradition for nearly 2000 years. Constantly depicted in film and art, it has become one…
The Death of Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic de Guzman died on August 6 in 1221, after arriving at the convent of San Niccolò nelle Vigne, sick with a fever. After making his…
3 Tips for a Virtuous Vacation
Taking a vacation during the summer holidays can be difficult. Long lines at the airport and more cars on the road are often a cause of frustration.…
Christ is our Cornerstone
The Priory of Saint Albert the Great, the Western Dominican Province's House of Studies, has a history unlike any other. The Priory sits…
Solemn Vows: A Commitment of Service Until Death
Priestly ordination is often seen as the climax of one's life as a Dominican friar. But actually it's the profession of solemn vows which unites…
Why Are the Statues Covered?
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…
Surprising Discoveries - The Southern Tour
Every year the novices of the Province visit each of our communities (except the one in Alaska, due to time and resources). These visits are…
How Do Dominicans Elect Their Leaders?
As itinerant preachers, Dominicans are constantly on the go, traveling from place to place in order to proclaim the Gospel for the salvation…
Carnival: Feast Before the Fast
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…
Be A Preacher of Mercy
“We are called to show mercy because mercy has first been shown to us,” Pope Francis proclaims in Misericordiae Vultus. As we continue our celebration…
The Real Saint Nicholas
Nicholas was born in the village of Patara, on the southern coast of present-day Turkey, towards the end of the third century. When he was a…
New Habits
On September 3, my five brothers and I were welcomed into a year of discernment with the Order of Preachers as we received the Dominican habit…
Our Lady of the Rosary
For centuries the Church has taught that the rosary is a powerful prayer.Saint Dominic learned this truth almost 800 years ago, when the Blessed…
Mater Dolorosa
Michelangelo’s Pietà is probably one of the most famous portrayals of the Virgin Mary known to mankind. Every year millions of tourists, Catholic…
Work and Dignity
While most Americans think of the first Monday in September as the last day of summer vacation, Labor Day (as the name suggests) is more about…
Take the Novice Prayer Pledge
On Thursday, September 3rd at 7:30pm, in a beautiful ceremony called Vestition, the six young men below will join the Dominicans; receiving the…
The Traveling Philosopher
Earlier this summer, Fr. Michael Dodds, O.P., one of our professors at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT) in Berkeley, was…
Go Forth In the Face of Adversity
In December of 1216, Pope Honorius III approved Dominic de Guzman’s plan for an order of contemplative preachers.Tradition holds that shortly…
The Law of Liberty
Although William of Ockham once spoke of freedom as the absence of restrictions, the Catholic Church has always thought of freedom as something…
May is Mary's Month
Bring flowers of the rarest, bring blossoms the fairest...The month of May is full of devotions in honor of the Virgin Mary. In Catholic schools…
4 Tips for a Better Lent
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…
Why St. Thomas Aquinas Matters
Despite the incredible connections available to us through roads, language, and the internet, we live in times of great confusion. Modern men…
The Blessing of Catholic Schools
I stand on the sidewalk in front of St. Dominic Parish School in Eagle Rock to greet the happy children popping out of cars as their parents…