St Dominic Guzman, whose feast we celebrate today was born in the turbulent times of 12th century. The influx of Aristotelian ideas into Europe and the rise of intellectually convincing teachings of heretics like Albigensians, Cathars etc. were problems that the poorly trained clergy could not manage. The century indeed saw the famine prophesied by Amos, the famine of the hearing of the word of God. St Dominic, whose mother dreamt of a dog wielding a burning torch leaping out of her stomach while she was carrying him, was indeed a man of many talents. The profound intellectuality of St Thomas Aquinas, the fiery tongue of St Vincent Ferrer, the love St Catherine had for Church, the devotion to the Holy Rosary of Pope St Pius V and the charity of St Martin de Porres are all found within the person of St. Dominic.
St Dominic, I am sure was aware of Hosea’s prophesy of people getting destroyed due to lack of knowledge. He set out to correct the problem of poor education by providing solid theological training to the priests. St Dominic is denoted as the first education minister of Europe for breathing new life into the European education system. Dr O’Leary the Protestant biographer of St Dominic, says that “It is worth while observing that the Dominicans were the first to undertake the regular theological training of the clergy.” He established the first Papal Palace school in Rome and later when the Papal court was shifted to Avignon, Pope Clement V appointed a Dominican to preside over the theological school in recognition to the vision of St Dominic.
St. Dominic’s knowledge of theology and zeal to edify others in sacred doctrine made Pope Innocent III to appoint him as the first Master of the Sacred Place, an office which was renamed as the office of the Papal theologian. While in the Papal household, St Dominic saw that while cardinals and people holding high ranks were meeting the Pope, the prelates and clerical attendants to the Cardinals used to come together and engage in gossiping. Abhorred by this mindless wastage of time, St Dominic started to give exegetical lectures on the scripture to them. The vision and mission of St Dominic resulted in Dominicans being held in highest regard in theology and retaining the office of the Papal theologian with themselves for over 800 years to this day.
St Dominic was the holy hound who retrieved over 100,000 souls for Christ, the light of the church who shone brightest when darkness of Albigensian and Cathri heresies engulfed the church; the grace filled preacher who called us to “Arm yourself with prayer instead of a sword; be clothed with humility instead of fine raiment”, the rose of patience whose fragrance of love reached out to all and in loving all and compassion flowing freely to all men and, in loving all, he was beloved by all. His tongue flashed like a rapier to utter the word of the Lord with eloquence, his eloquent mouth sabered heresies to make him at once the most revered and the most dreaded of all the missionaries. As we bask in the glory of St Dominic, Catholics all across the world recite the words of the Dominican rite, “Blessed be the redeemer of all, who providing for the salvation of mankind gave St Dominic to the world.”
