Candidate Formation
Required Texts
- CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Murray, Paul The New Wine of Dominican Spirituality: A Drink Called Happiness. Bloomsbury. 2006
- Philippe, Jacques Time for God Scepter Publishers. 1992
- Ferrell, Walter My Way of Life Confraternity of the Precious Blood. 1952
- Christian Prayer (Red Book) Catholic Book Publishing Corp., New York, 1976
or the Four-volume set of Liturgy of the Hours- You may also use apps/websites like iBreviary to guide you
Meeting 1
Introduction to the Dominican Order Pt. I
Saint: Bl. Reginald of Orleans [PDF]
- Identify the following elements of Dominican Spirituality:
- the emphasis on the role of the movement of divine grace upon the will
- the role of preaching
- the centrality of the Incarnation
- love of truth: Veritas
- Recognize the source of Dominican joy — living the life of the Beatitudes
- Explain the origins of the Dominican Salve Procession [link] [PDF]
Murray, Paul. The New Wine of Dominican Spirituality. Ch. 1 “What is Dominican Spirituality” (pp. 5-44)
Study Questions
[PDF]
Meeting 2
Introduction to the Dominican Order Pt. II
Saint: Bl. Jordan of Saxony [PDF]
- Recognize the long history of Dominican Laity (begun 1285) and its continuity with the earliest days of the Order.
- State the founding purpose of the Lay Fraternities.
- Deepen one’s knowledge of St. Dominic and the early days of the Order through the reading of selected canonization proceedings.
- Identify ways of personally imitating Dominic’s prayer, over, & virtues.
Excerpts from The Libellus and Canonization proceedings of St. Dominic from Lehner, Francis C., O.P., (Ed). Saint Dominic: Biographical Documents, Washington, D.C.: Thomist Press, 1964. accessed July 2016. [link] [PDF]
“Statute of the Congregation of St. Dominic, Bologna, 1244” and “New Statutes of the Congregation of Our Lady of Arezzo, 1262” in Tugwell, Simon, OP. (Ed). Early Dominicans Selected Writings. Paulist Press, New York: 1982, pp 433-439. [PDF]
Murray, Paul. The New Wine of Dominican Spirituality. Ch. 2 “Dominicans and Happiness” (pp. 45-77)
Study Questions
[PDF]
Meeting 3
The Four Pillars of Dominican Life: Prayer, Part I
Saint: Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati [PDF]
- Explain how the local chapter is connected to the Dominican Order and to the universal Church.
- Describe the character of the Lay Dominican promise (see Ritual Order)and the earliest statutes.
- Identify the historical development of the Lay Dominican Rule from its conception to the present
Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. Ritual Order for the Reception and Profession into Clerical or Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic, 1998. Promulgated by Timothy Radcliffe, OP, 1999, pp. vii-ix; xiv; and pp. 7-28. [PDF]
Code of Canon Law (1983): Applicable canons from “Associations of the Christian Faithful” (#298, 301, 303-306). [PDF]
Selections from the Rule and Directory of the Southern Province(2016) [PDF]
I – Letter of Father Kammler, Oct 2007 [PDF]
II – Historical Development of the Rule (p. 6)
III – Decrees of Cardinal Hamer & Master General Fr. Damian Byrne, OP (pp 7-8)
IV – General Declarations of the rule of the Lay Fraternities (1987), (pp 13-16)
Study Questions
[PDF]
Meeting 4
The Four Pillars of Dominican Life: Community
Saint: The Saints of Lima: St. Juan Macias [PDF], St. Martin de Porres [PDF], and St. Rose of Lima [PDF].
- Study and reading of the Rule and Directory in order for one to make a Temporary Promise
- Understand how the Rule of Lay Chapters applies to one’s life by the nature of the Promise
- Explain the Basics of Lay Dominican Life
- Recognize the structure of the Government of a Chapter
- Explain membership and the process of incorporation
Rule and Directory, Southern Province of St. Martin de Porres, 2016. “The Rule of the Lay Chapters of St. Dominic,” sections 1-14 pp 9-12 and The Particular Directory Preface and Section I “The Basics of Lay Dominican Life” and “Structure and Government of a Chapter” pp 20-31 [Rule & Directory] [Guided-Reading Chart]
Study Questions
[PDF]
Meeting 5
The Four Pillars of Dominican Life: Prayer, Part I of III (Liturgical)
Saint: Pope St. Pius V [PDF]
- Define “Liturgy” as expressed in the CCC
- Discuss in what sense the Liturgy of the Hours is the:
- Prayer of the Bride of Christ;
- prayer of Christ the Head;
- prayer of the Mystical body
- extension of the Mass throughout the day
- Grow in one’s devotion to the Holy Mass by identifying its four-fold purpose (as explained by LaGrange): adoration, praise, reparation; petition
United States Catholic Conference. “The Historical Development of the Liturgy of the Hours” in Study Text VII: The Liturgy of the Hours. Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 1981, pp. 11-15. [PDF]
United States Catholic Conference. “A Theology of the Liturgy of the Hours” in Study Text VII: The Liturgy of the Hours. Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 1981, pp. 17-21.
Lagrange, Reginald Garrigou-. The Three Ages of Interior Life., Vol. 2 Ch. 24. “The Sacrifice of the Mass and Proficients” Part 3 – “The Illuminative Way of Proficients” Ch. 24 [link] [PDF]
Benedict XVI. Spe Salvi (Saved in Hope). Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City: 2007, excerpt from paragraph #34 [PDF]
Study Questions
[PDF]
Meeting 6
The Four Pillars of Dominican Life: Prayer, Part II of III (Mental Prayer)
Saint: Bl. Henry Suso [PDF] and St. Catherine of Siena [PDF]
- State that prayer in all stages is always the initiative of God the Holy Spirit, a gift of grace.
- Recognize that fidelity to mental prayer helps one to grow in love of God , love of neighbor (Ch. 1) and love of the Church.
- Recognize the various categories that spiritual writers use to describe ways and stages of prayer:
- Purgative, illuminative, unitive
- Meditation, affective prayer, contemplation
- Active prayer to passive prayer
Study Questions
[PDF]
Meeting 7
The Four Pillars of Dominican Life: Prayer, Part III of III (Lectio Divina and Mental Prayer)
Saint: Bl. John of Piesole (Fra Angelico) [PDF] and Bl. Imelda Lambertini [PDF]
- Explain the importance of meditation to growth in prayer. Ch. 4)
- Practice Lectio Divinatogether with a passage from a Gospel. (Perhaps invite a guest to speak/present on it.)
- Pray the “Jesus Prayer” (Ch. 5)
- Understand how the praying the Rosary unites us with the Heart of Mary and leads us into Her own mental prayer giving us access to the Heart of Jesus (Ch. 5)
- Recognize spiritual writers and various forms of mental prayer
Meeting 8
The Four Pillars of Dominican Life: Study
Saint: St. Thomas Aquinas [PDF] and St. Albert the Great [PDF]
- Understand St. Dominic’s passion for study of Sacred Scripture and Teachings of the Church
- Define study as a sacred task
- Compare and contrast the anthropologies of Plato and Aristotle. Briefly explain why Thomas favored Aristotle’s.
Murray, Paul. The New Wine of Dominican Spirituality. Ch. 3 “Eat the Book: Study in the Dominican Tradition” (pp. 78-127).
Ashley, Benedict, OP. “The Life of a Teacher” in Thomas Aquinas: The Gifts of the Spirit. New York: New City Press, 1995, pp 7-13. [PDF]
Excerpts from Misericordia Veritatis, “The Mercy of Truth.” Acts of the General Chapter of Providence, 2001, Chapter III: “The Intellectual Life” and the General Chapter of Trogir, 2013. [PDF]
Study Questions
[PDF]
Meeting 9
The Four Pillars of Dominican Life: Preaching/Apostolate
Saint: St. Vincent Ferrer [PDF]
- Describe the Church’s understanding of the Role of the Laity as expressed in Lumen Gentium
- Understand St. Dominic’s zeal for preaching the Word of God for the salvation of souls
- Describe how the Holy Spirit fills one with the desire to preach the Gospel
- Recognize Mary’s role as Preacher of the Word
Murray, Paul. The New Wine of Dominican Spirituality. Ch. 4 “Dominicans Drinking: Preachers and the New Wine of the Gospel” (pp. 128-170)
Pope Paul VI. “The Laity”. Chapter IV of “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church – Lumen Gentium.” Vatican: the Holy See. Rome, 21 Nov. 1965. Web. 29 Jan. 2013 [PDF]
Cadore, Fr. Bruno., OP. “Mary: Contemplation and Preaching of the Word,” Essay of the Master of the Order of Preachers in preparation for the 800thJubilee. February, 2013. [link] [PDF]
Study Questions
[PDF]
Meeting 10
Virtue and the Nature of Happiness
Saint: Bl. Margaret of Castello [PDF]
- Describe the nature of happiness (according to St. Thomas)
- List the powers of a rational soul: the role of the intellect, the will, and reason;
- Enumerate the “passions” and identify their goals:
- Love and hate
- Desire and aversion
- Pleasure and pain
- Hope and despair
- Fear and daring
- Anger
Meeting 11
Introduction to the Cardinal and Theological Virtues
Saint: St. Antoninus [PDF]
- Define the four Cardinal Virtues and the Theological/infused Virtues:
- Compare the role of the natural Virtues and the Supernatural Virtues
- Explain that we are moved to action through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
- Understand that the Beatitudes are perfected Gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit
“The Beatitudes: The Portrait of Happiness” by Bishop Robert Baron [YouTube]
Farrell, Walter and Martin Healy, OP. My Way of Life: the Summa Simplified for Everyone. New York: Confraternity of the Precious Blood, 1952. Part IIa. Chs. 6-10 (pp. 235-268)
“The Beatitudes” Part I 15:00 by Bishop Robert Barron [YouTube]
Study Questions
[PDF]