Category: Dominican Life
A Heritage of Light and Truth: Homily for the Feast of All Dominican Saints~The Very Rev Lady Sherwood,OPI
The Feast of All Dominican Saints celebrates a rich spiritual legacy built on contemplation, preaching, and an unwavering devotion to divine truth. This magnificent feast invites us to look back across centuries of grace and see how the Holy Spirit has worked through the Order of Preachers to illuminate the Church and the world.
Introduction: Walking Among the Luminaries
Grace and peace to you in Christ. When we gather to celebrate the Feast of All Dominican Saints, we do not merely look at names etched into historical calendars or statues carved in stone. We gaze upon a living gallery of grace—a profound constellation of souls who took the radical gospel counsel of St. Dominic and translated it into the language of their own time and place.
From the brilliant theological synthesis of St. Thomas Aquinas to the tender mysticism of St. Catherine of Siena; from the humble devotion of St. Martin de Porres to the joyful zeal of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati (that modern friend of youth and the mountains); and from the sweeping missionary efforts of countless brothers, sisters, and laity—the Dominican family has always been called to a singular, beautiful mission: contemplata aliis tradere—to contemplate and to hand on the fruits of contemplation.
The Pillars of Dominican Holiness:
Holiness in the Dominican tradition is never an isolated, private affair. It is robust, communal, intellectual, and deeply pastoral. We see this holiness anchored in four steadfast pillars:
Contemplation and Prayer: Every Dominican saint began their journey in the quiet of the cell and before the Eucharistic Lord. St. Dominic’s famous “Nine Ways of Prayer” remind us that our bodies, our postures, and our whole physical selves must participate in our communion with God. True preaching can only flow from a heart deeply steeped in divine intimacy.
The Pursuit of Truth (Veritas): In a world often swayed by relativism and noise, the Dominican saints remind us that Truth is not merely an abstract concept, but a Person—Jesus Christ. St. Thomas Aquinas consecrated his prodigious intellect to the service of faith, showing us that faith and reason are two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.
Fraternal Life: The Order was founded as a community of brothers living together, sharing their spiritual goods, supporting one another, and holding all things in common. Holiness is forged in the friction and grace of community life, where we learn to bear one another’s burdens and practice authentic charity.
The Ministry of the Word: Whether speaking from a university podium, caring for the sick in the hospitals of Lima, comforting prisoners, or whispering words of counsel to popes and paupers alike, these saints understood that the Gospel must be proclaimed. Their lives were homilies written in deeds of mercy and words of wisdom.
Lessons for Our Time
As we ponder this great cloud of witnesses, we might ask what they have to say to us today. They speak into our weariness, our intellectual doubts, and our daily struggles with a distinctively British resilience and steady grace. They remind us that sanctity does not require extraordinary circumstances; it requires an extraordinary love applied to ordinary moments.
When we feel overwhelmed by the complexities of modern life, St. Catherine of Siena encourages us with her fiery courage: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” When we struggle to understand the direction of our lives or the mysteries of faith, St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us humility before the majesty of God, reminding us that even our deepest theological insights are merely a straw compared to the reality of divine love.
A Prayer for the Feast of All Dominican Saints:
Let us bow our hearts in prayer:
Almighty and merciful God, who raised up our holy father St. Dominic and a glorious company of saints, blesseds, and martyrs within the Dominican family to shine as beacons of truth and charity in your Church:
Pour out your grace upon us as we honour their memory today. Grant that we, inspired by their dedication to contemplation and their zeal for the salvation of souls, may walk ever more closely in the footsteps of your divine Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
May the minds illumined by their teachings find rest in your eternal truth, and may our hearts, warmed by their example, overflow with concrete acts of mercy for the broken and marginalized of our world.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
All Souls Day: Living for Jesus~The Rt Rev Michael Beckett,OPI
Y’all…. Saturday night was some night! For most of us, it was Halloween! Trick or Treat! Candy! Costumes! Fun!!! But did ya know that Halloween was originally a religious holiday? Yep. “Halloween” is a contraction of All Hallows’ Eve, meaning the night before All Saints’ Day (yesterday, 1 November). It marks the start of Allhallowtide, a three-day religious observance dedicated to remembering the dead, saints, martyrs, and souls in purgatory. This season includes All Hallows’ Eve on Oct 31, All Saints’ Day on Nov 1, and All Souls’ Day Nov 2.
Yesterday, we celebrated All Saints’ Day, also known as All Hallows Day, or Hallowmas in many Western Liturgical Churches, to honor, literally, all the saints, known and unknown; those individuals who have attained Heaven. The origin of the festival of All Saints celebrated in the West dates to the month of May in the year 609 or 610, when Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs. In the 730’s Pope Gregory III moved the Feast of All Saints to 1 November when he founded an oratory in St. Peter’s for the “relics of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors, of all the just made perfect who are at rest throughout the world.”
Today, we celebrate All Souls Day, where we take it a tad bit further. In Roman Catholicism, the day is dedicated to remembering souls believed to be in purgatory, undergoing final purification before entering heaven. Catholics believe prayers, masses, and alms from the living help cleanse these souls, hence what it means “to pray for the dead.”
In Western Christianity, there is ample evidence of the custom of praying for the dead in the inscriptions of the catacombs, with their constant prayers for the peace of the souls of the departed and in the early liturgies, which commonly contain commemorations of the dead. Tertullian, Cyprian and other early Western Fathers witness to the regular practice of praying for the dead among the early Christians. (Cross, Frank Leslie; Livingstone, Elizabeth A. (2005). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press.)
In other liturgical churches whose members aren’t a big fan of the Purgatory thing, today is recognized as a celebration of all the faithful departed and recognizes those “every day folks”, who have lived and died in the faith and whose trust was put in Christ and whose example they have followed.
So in a nutshell, we’re celebrating all of those who have gone before us who were examples of holiness and innocence and faith. And lemme tell ya, one does not reach the age of 68, and living the life I’ve lived, without meeting some of those folks. And, I believe, these folks are amongst those “in white robes” that John talks about in the Book of Revelation.
Know what I’m talkin’ about? Here: Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.” (From Revelation 7)
So, reckon wonder how do we get to that point, and how do we get one of those “white robes?” In yesterday’s Gospel, Jesus kinda gave us a road map of how to get there when he gave us The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12).
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
And then, again in Matthew, Jesus gives us even more specific instructions: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
BOOM! Any questions? As we go about our daily lives, as we go to the poll booth, as we post on line, as we drive and fuss at other drivers, we have to ask ourselves, “Which person on the ballot more exemplifies what Jesus taught?” The answers might surprise you. As we drive and deal with folks who apparently got their license on sale ‘up at the Walmart’, as we deal with “that person” at work, and as we just go about our day to day, we have to ask ourselves, “Am I living The Beatitudes? Am I acting like a “sheep or a goat”? Am I weaving my own personal white robe?
St. Theresa of Avila reminds us “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
More recently, (1917) Thomas Chisholm wrote the words that would become a rather popular hymn:
Living for Jesus a life that is true,
striving to please Him in all that I do,
yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
this is the pathway of blessing for me.
Refrain:
O Jesus, Lord and Savior,
I give myself to Thee;
for Thou, in Thine atonement,
didst give Thyself for me.
I own no other master;
my heart shall be Thy throne.
My life I give, henceforth to live,
O Christ, for Thee alone.
As we live our lives, let us remember that everything we do, say, post, and put out into the world reflects who we are and what we believe. Love God. Love people. Act accordingly. Amen.
Into the Light of Grace: A Homily for All Souls~The Very Rev Lady Sherwood,OPI
Gathered in faith, we remember our beloved dead today, trusting in God’s boundless mercy and in the promise of eternal life.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
As we gather on this sacred day, our hearts carry a unique blend of sorrow and deep, abiding hope. There is a quiet gravity that settles over us during the Commemoration of All Souls. We look around our churches, and perhaps we feel the distinct, tender ache of absence. We think of parents, spouses, siblings, children, friends, and mentors—those whose laughter once filled our homes, whose counsel guided our steps, and whose love shaped the very fabric of who we are.
Death often tries to convince us that it has the final say. It builds an apparent wall of separation, leaving behind silent rooms, folded clothes, and memories that can simultaneously warm the heart and break it. Yet, standing here in the light of our faith, we proclaim a radically different truth. We are reminded that death is not a full stop, but a comma in the grand sentence of our existence.
In the Christian tradition, our remembrance of the dead is never a passive dwelling on grief; it is an active expression of love. As St Ambrose wisely reminded us centuries ago: “We have loved them during life; let us not abandon them in death, until we have conducted them by our prayers into the House of the Lord.”
When we pray for the faithful departed, we step into the beautiful mystery of the Communion of Saints. We acknowledge that the bounds of Christ’s body stretch far beyond the visible world we touch and see. Love does not end at the grave. In fact, our prayers become a spiritual bridge, wrapping our loved ones in an embrace of grace as they journey towards the fullness of God’s presence.
The Church’s ancient teaching on Purgatory is ultimately a profound manifestation of God’s immense mercy. It recognises that while we are destined for heaven, we carry the scars, the dust, and the lingering attachments of a broken world. God, in His infinite purity and tenderness, does not cast us away because we are imperfect upon our departure; instead, His refining fire heals, cleanses, and prepares us so that we might gaze upon unmasked Love face-to-face. It is a suffering born of longing—a transition from shadow into brilliant, unencumbered light.
Therefore, our gathering today is an act of solidarity. We offer our Masses, our rosaries, our quiet sighs, and our tears for those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, especially those who have no one else to remember them. In doing so, we also recalibrate our own lives. We are reminded of the brevity of our earthly pilgrimage. We are nudged to live more deeply, to love more fiercely, and to hold onto the things of heaven rather than the passing treasures of this world.
Let us look forward with great hope. The day is coming when every tear will be wiped away, when separation will be swallowed up in victory, and when we will be reunited in the unending liturgy of heaven with all those we have loved and lost.
Let us pray:
Gracious and merciful Father, Lord of the living and the dead, we lift up to You today all our departed brothers and sisters. Look upon them with Your infinite love and forgiveness. Cleanse them of any human frailties or earthly stains, and welcome them joyfully into the banquet of Your eternal kingdom.
Comfort those of us who still mourn. Pour out Your healing balm upon our grief, and deepen our faith so that we may never lose sight of the invisible yet unbreakable bonds of love that unite us with those who have gone before us.
May our prayers today lighten their journey, and may our lives bear witness to the glorious hope of the Resurrection. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
From Scars to Resurrection — Absorbing the Light~The Rev. Frank Bellino,OPI
Brothers and sisters, we gather this evening carrying something heavy, yet something deeply sacred. When we look across the church tonight, we feel the ache of the empty chairs at our dinner tables, we see the names written in our parish Book of Remembrance, and we feel those quiet, unexpected moments where grief catches our breath. The world often looks at death as pure tragedy, finality, and utter destruction. As the Book of Wisdom tells us, in the view of the foolish, our loved ones seemed to be dead and their passing thought to be an affliction. But Scripture pierces straight through that worldly illusion with five simple words of divine truth: They are in peace. We do not come here tonight to pretend our grief does not exist or to hide behind empty platitudes. We come to bring the raw ache of our human hearts right into the presence of Almighty God.
The Book of Wisdom reminds us that God tests the just as gold in the furnace, taking them to Himself as sacrificial offerings. That purifying fire of purgatory is not a place of condemnation; it is the restorative, tender crucible of God’s relentless love. It is the Lord completing the healing of every wound, burning away every earthly frailty, and finishing the work of grace He began in them. That is why our prayers and our offerings at this altar tonight matter so deeply. We stand in the gap of love for our brothers and sisters who have gone before us, asking the Lord to bring them swiftly into His perpetual light and rest.
In our human grief, we find ourselves wrestling with the very questions our hearts whisper in the dark:
I asked God, “Why did You take them so soon, when they were such beautiful souls?”
And the Lord answered: “Because they completed the assignment I gave them faster than others. The world was not worthy of the goodness they carried. So I brought them home.”
“But why didn’t You give them more time to live?”
“Because I saw the storms you could not see. I protected them from the pain, the struggles, and the hardships that were yet to come. You see death as a tragedy. I see it as a rescue.”
With tears in my eyes, I asked, “Then why does it have to hurt this much? Why leave me here carrying this pain?”
“Because grief is love with nowhere to go. The depth of your pain is a reflection of the depth of the blessing I placed in your life.”
“Finally, how am I supposed to walk this earth without their light?”
And God whispered: “You don’t walk without it. You absorb their light. You carry it with you—the love, the lessons, and the memories they left behind. Their light did not disappear; it became a part of you. They are not only in your past. They are waiting for you in a place where there is no goodbye.”
That divine reassurance is the exact reality Jesus anchors for us in the Holy Gospel: “This is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day.” Not a single soul entrusted to the Father’s care is forgotten, discarded, or lost. In baptism, we were buried with Christ so that we might walk in newness of life. When Jesus rose from the dead, He did not erase His wounds. His scars remained—not as symbols of defeat, but as glorified marks of redemption and healing. The very scars that broke Him became the gateway to our salvation, reminding us that God never wastes our pain, and He will never leave our loved ones in the grave.
As we transition to the Eucharistic altar, we hold fast to the promise that for God’s faithful people, life is changed, not ended. In this Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the veil between heaven and earth becomes paper-thin. When we step forward to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, we enter into communion not only with our Savior, but with the entire communion of saints and our beloved dead who rest in His mercy. Lay down your sorrow, your unspoken regrets, and your wounded hearts on this altar tonight. Do not walk out into the night feeling empty. Absorb their light. Carry their love. May the Holy Spirit wrap you in His peace, knowing that the God who brought our loved ones through their trials will raise them up on the last day, where every tear will be wiped away and love will have the final word. Amen.
What’s Sitting on Your Altar?~The Rev Frank Bellino OPI
When that lawyer walked up to Jesus trying to trap Him with a trick question about the greatest commandment, Jesus didn’t play games, and He didn’t quote a committee report. He cut straight through the noise: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. And love your neighbor as yourself. Period. Full stop.
Take a good look around this room today. That commandment isn’t just ink on a page; it’s the heartbeat of St. Michael’s Catholic Parish, and it is the exact reason the Unified Old Catholic Church exists. If you think back to when you first walked through that door, you didn’t come looking for cold clerical rules, someone looking down their nose at you, or church politics. You came because you were tired, maybe a little bruised by life, and hungry for real grace. You stayed because you found a family where the Holy Spirit moves, where nobody is treated like a second-class citizen, and where the communion table is open to all who seek Christ. That’s our draw. It’s why you’re here, and it’s the exact invitation you need to extend to someone you know who’s given up on church. Tell them to stop listening to hearsay, come sit in these pews, and see it for themselves.
Now look at Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. He commended them because they turned away from dead idols to serve the living God. We are quick to say we don’t have golden calves sitting on our mantels in San Antonio, but don’t fool yourself into thinking we don’t worship idols. Our idols are our overtime hours, our retirement accounts, our political anger, our smartphones, our pride, and our stubborn habit of trying to handle every battle alone instead of handing it over to God. Anything that consumes your thoughts, your time, and your allegiance before God Almighty is an idol. You cannot stand here with hands raised in worship while clutching onto something dead in your back pocket. Dominican tradition calls us to seek the truth, and the truth is that half-hearted faith doesn’t cut it.
And don’t think for a second you can claim to love God while turning your back on people. In Exodus, God makes it crystal clear: don’t you dare oppress the alien, the widow, the orphan, or the poor man, because if they cry out, God hears them. Love isn’t just a warm fuzzy feeling; it’s got boots on the ground. Love is what you do when you see someone struggling to make ends meet. It’s treating the stranger with respect. It’s supporting our neighbors who have to work double shifts on Sunday just to put groceries on the table. If what we celebrate at this altar doesn’t change the way we treat people out in the community tomorrow morning, we’re just making noise.
God didn’t call us to play church. He called us to follow Him into the mess of this world and bring His light where it’s dark. So, before you walk up to receive our Lord in the Eucharist today, ask yourself the tough question:
What is the idol you need to drag off the altar of your heart today so God can have first place—and who is the person you need to show real, tangible love to this week so both of you can make it home to the Kingdom of Heaven?
A Contemplative Journey Through the Beads: A Homily on Our Lady of the Rosary~The Very Rev Lady Sherwood,OPI
Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, a day that invites us to contemplate the profound power of simple, meditative prayer in the midst of a noisy world.
When we hold the rosary in our hands, we are not holding a superstitious talisman or repeating empty words. We are grasping a spiritual lifeline—a chain that links earth to heaven. The Rosary is fundamentally a Christ-centred prayer. Though the words of the Hail Mary echo through each decade, Mary’s sole purpose is always to point us directly to her Son, Jesus Christ.
As we pass the beads through our fingers, we walk through the Gospel. We enter into the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries of our faith:
The Joyful Mysteries teach us the beauty of surrender, from Mary’s courageous Fiat at the Annunciation to the quiet joy of the Nativity.
The Luminous Mysteries call us into active discipleship, urging us to “do whatever He tells you,” just as Mary instructed the servants at Cana.
The Sorrowful Mysteries remind us that we never suffer alone. Mary stood at the foot of the Cross, and she stands beside us in our darkest hours of heartbreak, grief, and doubt.
The Glorious Mysteries offer us ultimate hope, pointing to the truth that death and despair do not have the final word—resurrection and eternal life await us.
In our modern lives, we often complain that we are too busy or too distracted to pray. Yet the Rosary is a sanctuary we can carry in our pockets. It invites us to slow down, breathe, and sit with Jesus through the loving eyes of His Mother. When life feels chaotic, the steady beat of the beads grounds us in the peace of God.
Let us never underestimate the power of this simple prayer to bring peace to our hearts, heal broken families, and transform our world.
Let us pray:
O Holy Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary,
We come to you today with open hearts, seeking your guidance and protection.
Teach us to treasure the mysteries of your Son’s life in our hearts, as you did.
In moments of joy, help us to give thanks.
In moments of sorrow, strengthen us to stand faithful at the foot of the Cross.
In moments of confusion, shine the light of Christ’s wisdom upon our path.
Intercede for our world, which aches so deeply for peace.
Bring reconciliation to our families, healing to the sick, and hope to the forgotten.
Wrap us in your motherly mantle, and draw us always closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.
Amen.
Guardians of Grace: Walking in the Presence of the Angels~The Very Rev Lady Sherwood,OPI
The Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels invites us to remember that divine protection and guidance are woven into the very fabric of our everyday lives.
In the busyness of our routines, it is easy to succumb to the feeling that we are navigating life’s storms entirely on our own. We face difficult decisions, emotional burdens, and moments of profound spiritual fatigue. Yet, Catholic tradition and Sacred Scripture assure us of a comforting truth: God’s care for us is so deeply personal that He assigns a dedicated heavenly companion to every human soul.
Our guardian angels are not distant mythical figures, nor are they mere symbols of good fortune. They are active, intelligent, and loving ministers of God’s grace who work quietly behind the scenes of our lives.
Constant Companions: From the moment of our birth to our final breath, our guardian angel remains steadfastly by our side. They witness our struggles, celebrate our victories, and quietly offer strength when we feel ready to give up.
Whispers of Truth: Angels rarely speak in loud, miraculous voices. Instead, they guide us through subtle inspirations—a sudden urge to do good, a quiet warning to avoid a near occasion of sin, or a moment of unexpected peace amidst chaos.
Defenders in Spiritual Battle: We often face subtle spiritual combat—discouragement, pride, anger, and anxiety. Our angels act as shields, interceding on our behalf and deflecting the unseen snares of the enemy.
Ambassadors of Prayer: When we pray, our guardian angels join their voices to ours. They carry our hidden tears, unspoken longings, and intentions directly to the throne of God, amplifying our humble petitions with their perfect adoration.
To truly honour our guardian angels, we must cultivate an inner stillness. When we slow down, practice silence, and invite the Holy Spirit into our day, we become far more attuned to the gentle promptings of our celestial guardians. Let us learn to speak to them daily, trusting that through their ministry, God is actively guiding our steps toward eternity.
Let us pray for intercession of Our Guardian Angel:
Angel of God, our guardian dear,
To whom God’s love commits us here,
Ever this day, be at our side,
To light and guard, rule and guide.
Deliver us from all harm,
Strengthen us in times of weakness,
And lead us safely along the path of salvation,
Until we are brought into the light of heavenly glory.
Amen.
Personally Speaking~The Feast of Our Holy Father, St Dominic
On this Feast Day of our Holy Father, St Dominic, we hear from a few of our members as they express what being a member of The Order of Preachers Independent means to them…
The Very Rev Lady Sherwood,OPI
Bound by Vows, Set Free by Grace: What the Order of Preachers Independent Means to Me
To live as a Dominican Priest and Solemnly Vowed Sister in the Order of Preachers Independent means embracing a deeply personal sacred calling—one centred on my pursuit of Truth (Veritas) while extending radical, unconditioned love to a hurting world. It is how I bridge rich historical tradition with my daily, living faith, carving out a space where ancient devotion meets modern compassion.
What This Vocation Means to Me:
My Preaching Through Presence and Word: As a member of the Order of Preachers (Ordo Praedicatorum), preaching is not merely what I do from a pulpit; it is the fundamental rhythm of my life. It means witnessing to grace through active listening, pastoral care, and speaking truth to systems of hardship.
My Commitment Sealed in Vows:
My solemn vows are not a restriction, but my profound freedom. They anchor my heart entirely to God and the service of His people, offering me a daily invitation to live simply, love purely, and serve obediently to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
My Freedom in the Order of Preachers Independent:
Standing within an independent Dominican tradition allows the charism of St Dominic to flourish in spaces that might otherwise be overlooked or underserved. It grants me the pastoral liberty to meet every soul precisely where they are, offering sacraments, solace, and spiritual accompaniment without barrier or hesitation.
My Harmony of Contemplation and Action:
My Dominican life flows from personal contemplation (Contemplata Aliis Tradere—to contemplate and to give to others the fruits of contemplation). In my silent prayer, study, and reflection, I find the strength and wisdom required to step outward as a priest and sister into the labour of pastoral love.
My Sanctuary of Grace:
Ultimately, walking this path within the Order of Preachers Independent means being a living signpost to God’s expansive, unfailing mercy. It is my honour to carry this ancient torch into contemporary life, offering a sanctuary of prayer, spiritual direction, and sacred presence to all who seek peace on their journey.
Let me close with a Scripture and Prayer:
”If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:31–32
A Prayer of Commitment and Grace:
Heavenly Father, God of Truth and Love,
We give You thanks for calling us to walk in the footsteps of St Dominic—to contemplate Your holy Word and to proclaim Your grace to a world in need of hope.
Grant me the wisdom to seek Your truth in all things, the courage to speak it with gentleness and warmth, and the humility to embody Your boundless compassion. Anoint my ministry as a priest and sister, that my vows may be a living sign of Your freedom, and my presence a sanctuary of peace to all whom You place in my care.
Keep my heart rooted in prayer, my mind open to Your wisdom, and my hands ready to serve. May all that I preach, pray, and do reflect Your unfailing light, guiding souls closer to Your loving heart.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Great High Priest.
Amen.
The Rev Frank Bellino,OPI
A Preacher’s Reflection: 5 Years with St. Dominic and a Roadmap for the Road Ahead
Today, August 8th, as we celebrate the Feast of St. Dominic, I’m pausing to look back—and more importantly, to look forward.
Today marks my fifth year as a Dominican. Reaching this milestone has given me time to reflect on the long road that brought me here, but even more than that, it has given me clarity on where we need to go next.
If you know me, you know I’ve spent almost my entire adult life wearing a uniform. For 23 years, it was the uniform of the United States Air Force. After that, for 44 years, it was the badge and uniform of a Texas Peace Officer. When you spend decades putting on a uniform every single morning, you learn pretty quickly what it actually means. You don’t wear it to look special or stand out. You wear it because it stands for something bigger than you—duty, integrity, protection, and a commitment to serve.
Looking back, I realize St. Dominic was quietly influencing my life long before I stepped into the Order—even before I realized I was a Dominican at heart. All those years on patrol, listening to people on their worst days, standing up for what was right, and trying to bring peace to chaotic moments—that was God shaping a preacher’s heart in me.
Today, five years into this Dominican journey, the uniform looks different, but the mission is the same. When I put on the habit, it’s my daily reminder of who I belong to and who I represent: Jesus Christ.
St. Dominic built our Order over eight centuries ago on one core word: Veritas—Truth. But for Dominic, Truth was never a cold set of rules or an argument to win. Veritas is a Person. Truth is Christ Himself, preached with a heart overflowing with compassion.
Looking back gives us gratitude, but faith requires a roadmap. As your pastor and a brother in St. Dominic, here is the pathway I’m setting for myself and inviting our whole parish family to walk together:
Our Dominican Roadmap Ahead
1. Contemplate First, Then Share (Contemplare et contemplata aliis tradere)
Before we can speak Truth to a noisy world, we have to sit with Christ in silence. Our roadmap starts with prayer—grounding our homes, our parish, and our daily decisions in Scripture and the Sacraments so we actually have His light to give away.
2. Preach Through Action and Compassion
Preaching isn’t limited to the altar on Sunday morning. Every day in our community, on the job, and around the family dinner table, we preach by how we listen, how we forgive, and how we stand up for those who are hurting or forgotten.
3. Stand Firm in Veritas with Love
The world doesn’t need more noise or harshness; it needs real, authentic Truth delivered with genuine warmth. We are called to be steady, reliable witnesses of the Gospel—uncompromising in our faith, but endless in our charity.
Wearing the habit reminds me every day that the duty continues. As we celebrate St. Dominic today, let’s not just honor history—let’s live it. Let’s take this roadmap, step out with courage, and bring the light of Christ into every room we walk into.
Holy Father St. Dominic, pray for us!
The Rt Rev Michael Beckett,OPI
Becoming a Dominican, for me, isn’t a thing you do, it is recognizing who you are, to whom you belong, which is reflected in all that one does, in fact, do. St. Dominic built his Order on the Four Great Pillars of the Dominican Charism: Truth, Community, Prayer, and Study.
We continually strive for Truth, not only to be truthful, but to recognize that what is ‘truth’ for one person might not be “truth” for another. We strive to recognize truths within ourselves and what that means for our spiritual life and the lives of all with whom we come into contact.
We must recognize that Community is not just our nearest and dearest, but that the concept of “community” is recognizing that every person, regardless of ethnicity, skin color, sexuality, political persuasion, socio-economic status or anything else that may divide us, is to be included in our own personal communities. We know and live with the understanding that there is not one person on this earth, nor will there ever be any persons on this earth, that God does not love, and there can be no limits to our love of God’s people.
The Apostle Paul teaches us in his First Letter to the Church at Thessalonica, Chapter 5, Verse 16 that we are to “pray without ceasing.” This does not mean that we are constantly on a “spiritual phone call” with our Lord, but that we recognize that everything we do and say should be done for the glory of God. You’ve heard it said that folks should strive to “be the best you can be.” Praying without ceasing recognizes that not only must we be the best we can be, we be that best in order to praise God. Even the most mundane tasks, if well done and completed, or even attempted, with the attitude that “in our work we praise,” we are praying. Keeping this uppermost in our minds helps us to do better, to be more faithful, and to be more loving.
In our quest for Truth, Community, and true Prayer, we recognize that we must Study. If we are to be our best, we must study how to achieve that best. If we are to pray continually, we must know how to pray; if we are to build Community, we must learn who the people in our communities are and what is needed, and we must, beyond any shadow of a doubt, know the Truth of what we say, do, and believe.
It is through the lens of these Four Pillars that we, as Dominicans, live and breathe the love that Jesus taught us. Just as there are no limits to God’s love, there should be no limits to ours. The old hymn, “Give of Your Best to the Master” by Howard B. Grose, sums it up nicely:
Give of your best to the Master,
give Him first place in your heart;
give Him first place in your service,
consecrate every part.
Give and to you shall be given-
God His beloved Son gave;
give Him your heart’s adoration,
give Him the best that you have.
Give of your best to the Master,
nought else is worthy His love;
He gave Himself for your ransom,
gave up His glory above;
Laid down His life without murmur,
you from sin’s ruin to save;
give Him your heart’s adoration,
give Him the best that you have.
I will leave you with two quotes from St. Dominic.
Arm yourself with prayer rather than a sword; wear humility rather than fine clothes.
I am not capable of doing big things, but I want to do everything, even the smallest things, for the greater glory of God.
Let us pray:
God of Truth you gave your church a new light in the life and preaching of our Father Dominic. Give us the help we need to support our preaching by holy and simple lives. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
Beyond Secondhand Faith: The Honest Witness of Saint Thomas~The Rev Frank Bellino,OPI
Today, the liturgical color is red as we celebrate the Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle. That red isn’t just a liturgical color; it is the color of fire, the color of the Holy Spirit, and the color of the blood spilled by the men who stood on the front lines to build the early Church. It represents the ultimate sacrifice of a soldier for Christ.
Now, history has given Thomas a raw deal. We call him “Doubting Thomas.” But as Dominicans—as members of the Order of Preachers—our entire mission is built on one word: Veritas. Truth. And when you look at Thomas through the lens of truth, you don’t see a cynic. You see a man who wanted a direct encounter. He didn’t want second-hand faith; he wanted to see the Master face-to-face.
When the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord,” Thomas stood his ground with absolute, unfiltered honesty. He wasn’t going to fake it. He refused to give a superficial nod to something his heart hadn’t reconciled.
Look at how Christ responds to that honesty in today’s Gospel. Jesus doesn’t cast him out. He doesn’t read him the riot act or lecture him for having questions. No—eight days later, Jesus walks right through the doors, stands in their midst, goes straight to Thomas, and meets him exactly where he is. He says, “Put your finger here and see my hands.”
Jesus offers His wounds. And what does Thomas do? He doesn’t even need to touch them. He falls to his knees and delivers the most powerful, absolute confession of faith in the entire New Testament: “My Lord and my God.”
In our first reading, Saint Paul tells the Ephesians—and he is telling us today at St. Michael’s—that we are “no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.”
Thomas is a cornerstone of that foundation. His struggle, his grit, and his fierce loyalty to the truth are part of the bedrock we stand on.
My friends, we live in a world filled with noise and uncertainty. In life, we face storms, trials, and moments where our faith is tested. Thomas teaches us that true integrity means bringing your questions directly to the feet of the Master. Christ can handle your doubts. What He wants is your heart—honest and true.
As we approach the altar today to receive the Holy Eucharist, we are encountering that very same Risen Christ. Let our prayer today be just as deep, just as bold, and just as faithful as Saint Thomas’s. When we look upon the Lord, let us say with absolute conviction: “My Lord and my God.”
Saint Thomas the Apostle, pray for us.
The Overflowing Fire of Love~The Rev Frank Bellino,OPI
If we are being completely honest, Trinity Sunday is a day that makes a lot of preachers nervous. Too often, it gets treated like an annual, abstract geometry lesson full of dusty definitions and dry formulas, leaving everyone in the pews feeling detached from the mystery. But if we pull back the curtain and look at the real human story behind these scriptures, we find something far more raw, intimate, and urgent. The mystery of the Trinity wasn’t revealed in a pristine, quiet university classroom to scholars who had life completely figured out. It was revealed directly in the trenches of human vulnerability and struggle. Look at Moses in our first reading from Exodus. When he climbs Mount Sinai early in the morning, he isn’t carrying a victory trophy; he is carrying replacement stone tablets because the people had just completely blown it with the Golden Calf. He is leading an exhausted, rebellious, “stiff-necked” people, and he is bone tired. Look at Nicodemus in the Gospel of John. He encounters Jesus under the cover of night because he is terrified of what others will think. He is a prominent religious leader hiding in the shadows, surrounded by intense political and social tension, carrying a heart full of unspoken questions, doubt, and paralyzing anxiety.
The story behind the story is that God deliberately chooses to reveal the deepest mystery of His inner life precisely when we are at our lowest, our messiest, and our most afraid. Many of you walked through the doors of St. Michael’s today carrying that exact same weight. You might be carrying the heavy regret of a recent spiritual failure, like the wandering Israelites, or you might be hiding an overwhelming anxiety in the dark, like Nicodemus. And what is the Veritas—the divine Truth—that meets us in that darkness? On that mountain, God doesn’t descend in the cloud to shout a list of rigid rules, point fingers, or condemn a broken nation. Instead, He stands with Moses and proclaims His very Name, which means He reveals His core, unchanging character: He is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity. Centuries later, Jesus takes that revelation to its absolute peak for Nicodemus, handing him the master key to reality: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.”
This brings us to the very reason for the Trinity—the divine “why” behind this great feast. Scripture tells us that God is love. But think deeply about the nature of love: love fundamentally requires an “other.” If God were a solitary, isolated, single person sitting alone in eternity before the universe was created, He could not have been love, because there would have been no one to love. He would have been a God of cosmic isolation, perhaps a God of raw power or a God of ego. But our faith proclaims something radically different. The reason God is a Trinity is because God is an eternal, dynamic relationship. Before the world ever existed, God was already a perfect community of love. The Father is the one who loves; the Son is the one who is beloved; and the Holy Spirit is the living, breathing bond of love that flows eternally between them. God is a Trinity because God is, in His very essence, an infinite and perfect family.
This is where that profound divine Truth catches fire with the power of the Charisma. Because the inner life of the Trinity is an eternal explosion of love, it simply cannot keep itself contained. Love, by its very nature, demands expansion. God didn’t create the universe because He was lonely or needed us; He created us out of sheer generosity so that His existing family love could overflow and have more people to share it with! That love overflowed into creation, it overflowed in the cloud on Sinai, it overflowed on the wood of the Cross, and it overflowed in a violent rushing wind and tongues of flame at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is the unquenchable, living fire of that Trinitarian love, and that same Spirit was breathed directly into you at your Baptism. You are not passive bystanders standing on the shoreline, looking at an abstract painting of the Trinity; through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, you have been pushed directly into the dynamic current of God’s inner life.
This is why this Mass is so incredibly important to us today. We live in a culture that is hyper-connected digitally but deeply isolated, lonely, and fractured. People are starving for authentic relationships and belonging. The Trinity is the ultimate community, and God’s greatest desire is to bring you into that divine family so that you never have to walk alone again. As a parish, we cannot experience this divine fire and remain the same. Saint Paul gives us the practical blueprint for living out this Trinitarian life when he exhorts the Corinthians to mend their ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, and live in peace. We cannot do that by our own human grit or willpower, but we can do it by tapping into the active fellowship of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. The gifts of the Spirit, the praise that fills this church, and the Veritas we proclaim are all meant to turn us into a living icon of the Trinity for a broken world. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn your mess, your past, or your struggles. He sent Him to save you by inviting you out of the shadows and directly into the Fire of His family love. So let’s stop watching from the shoreline. Today, let’s dive deep into the endless sea of His mercy.
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