Saint Albert the Great was born sometime between 1193 and 1206, to the Count of Bollstädt in Lauingen in Bavaria.  Contemporaries such as Roger Bacon applied the term “Magnus” to Albertus during his own lifetime, referring to his immense reputation as a scholar and philosopher.  Albertus was educated principally at Padua, where he received instruction in Aristotle’s writings. A late account by Rudolph de Novamagia refers to Albertus’ encounter with the Blessed Virgin Mary, who convinced him to enter Holy Orders. In 1223 (or 1221) he became a member of the Dominican Order, against the wishes of his family, and studied theology at Bologna and elsewhere. Selected to fill the position of lecturer at Cologne, Germany, where the Dominicans had a house, he taught for several years there, at Regensburg, Freiburg, Strasbourg and Hildesheim. In 1245 he went to Paris, received his doctorate, and taught for some time as a master of theology with great success. During this time Thomas Aquinas began to study under Albertus.

In 1254, Albertus was made provincial of the Dominican Order, and fulfilled the arduous duties of the office with great care and efficiency. During his tenure he publicly defended the Dominicans against attacks by the secular and regular faculty of the University of Paris, commented on St. John, and answered what he perceived as errors of the Arabian philosopher Averroes.

In 1260, Pope Alexander IV made him Bishop of Regensburg, an office from which he resigned after three years. During the exercise of his duties he enhanced his reputation for humility by refusing to ride a horse—in accord with the dictates of the Dominican order—instead walking back and forth across his huge diocese. This earned him the affectionate sobriquet, “boots the bishop,” from his parishioners. After his stint as bishop, he spent the remainder of his life partly in retirement in the various houses of his order, yet often preaching throughout southern Germany. In 1270, he preached the eighth Crusade in Austria. Among the last of his labors was the defense of the orthodoxy of his former pupil, Thomas Aquinas, whose death in 1274 grieved Albertus. After suffering a collapse of health in 1278, he died on November 15, 1280, in Cologne, Germany. His tomb is in the crypt of the Dominican church of St. Andreas in Cologne, and his relics at the Cologne Cathedral.

Albertus was beatified in 1622. He was canonized and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1931 by Pope Pius XI. St Albert’s feast day is celebrated on November 15.

Blessed John Licci, born to a poor farmer, his mother died in childbirth. His life from then on, all 111 years, was a tale of miracles.  His father, who fed the baby on crushed pomegranates, had to work the fields, and was forced to leave the infant alone. The baby began crying, and a neighbor woman took him to her home to feed him. She laid the infant on the bed next to her paralyzed husband – and the man was instantly cured. The woman told John’s father of the miracle, but he was more concerned that she was meddling, and had taken his son without his permission. He took the child home to feed him more pomegranate pulp. As soon as the child was removed from the house, the neighbor’s paralysis returned; when John was brought back in, the man was healed. Even John’s father took this as a sign, and allowed the neighbors to care for John.

A precocious and emotional child, John began reciting the Daily Offices before age 10. While on a trip to Palermo, Italy at age 15, John went to Confession in the church of Saint Zita of Lucca where his confession was heard by Blessed Peter Geremia who suggested John consider a religious life. John considered himself unworthy, but Peter pressed the matter, John joined the Dominicans in 1415, and wore the habit for 96 years, the longest period known for anyone.

He founded the convent of Saint Zita in Caccamo, Italy. Lacking money for the construction, John prayed for guidance. During his prayer he had a vision of an angel who told him to “build on the foundations that were already built.” The next day in the nearby woods he found the foundation for a church called “Saint Mary of the Angels,” a church that had been started many years before, but had never been finished. John assumed this was the place indicated, and took over the site.

During the construction, workmen ran out of materials; the next day at dawn a large ox-drawn wagon arrived at the site. The driver unloaded a large quantity of stone, lime and sand – then promptly disappeared, leaving the oxen and wagon behind for the use of the convent. At another point a well got in the way of construction; John blessed it, and it immediately dried up; when construction was finished, he blessed it again, and the water began to flow. When roof beams were cut too short, John would pray over them, and they would stretch. There were days when John had to miraculously multiply bread and wine to feed the workers. Once a young boy came to the construction site to watch his uncle set stones; the boy fell from a wall, and was killed; John prayed over him, and restored him to life and health.

John and two brother Dominicans who were working on the convent were on the road near Caccamo when they were set upon by bandits. One of the thieves tried to stab John with a dagger; the man’s hand withered and became paralyzed. The gang let the brothers go, then decided to ask for their forgiveness. John made the Sign of the Cross at them, and the thief‘s hand was made whole.

One Christmas a nearby farmer offered to pasture the oxen that had come with the disappearing wagon-driver. John declined, saying the oxen had come far to be there, and there they should stay. Thinking he was doing good, the layman took them anyway. When he put them in the field with his own oxen, they promptly disappeared; he later found them at the construction site, contentedly munching dry grass near Father John.

While he did plenty of preaching in his 90+ years in the habit, usually on Christ’s Passion, he was not known as a great homilist. He was known, however, for his miracles and good works. His blessing caused the breadbox of a nearby widow to stay miraculously full, feeding her and her six children. His blessing prevented disease from coming to the cattle of his parishioners.  A noted healer, curing at least three people whose heads had been crushed in accidents, he was Provincial of Sicily, and Prior of the abbey on several occasions.

The General Council of the Order of Preachers, IOCC is thrilled to announce The Very Reverend Lady Sheila Tracey Sherwood has been admitted to the Novitiate of our Order.  Please continue to keep our dear sister in your prayers as she continues to develop her ministry in the UK, and as she begins the process of preparing for her life as a solemnly professed Dominican.

Luke 18:1-8

This parable was told in effort to comfort the disciples. Jesus knows when our hearts our troubled. A heavily troubled heart can lead to doubt,, and doubt can lead to sin.

Truth (trooth) n.  1. the thing that is a fact or reality;  2. something factual or so clearly stated that it is without need of an explanation;  3.  a position, concept or statement generally believed to be accepted or obvious, or a scientific accuracy or undisputed conclusion; 4.  to be faithful to a cause or person [i.q. true] and steadfast in that faith;  5. Honesty, or a sincerity of or toward honesty;  6. that which is not deceptive or wrong;  7. God.

A definition of truth, by Merriam Webster dictionary.  As a theologian, I can see where they key definition lies. Truth is honesty, steadfast faith to a cause or person not deceptive. Truth is God.

In scripture we are told: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.'” [John 14:6].  Ipso facto, Jesus is truth. However it seems to be the weakness of man, that we do not know the truth, or recognize the truth or what is true. We are told from the outset of the Gospel; “… and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” [John 1:10-11]

Continually throughout scripture, Jesus seems to be convincing people- sometimes even his own disciples, who he is and was it the truth.  “He said to them, ‘Do you light a lamp to put it under a bowl or bed?  Instead don’t you put it on a stand? For whatever is hidden, is meant to be disclosed and whatever is concealed is meant to be found and brought out into the open.” [Mark 4:21-22]

If we are to find truth and believe in truth- in God, where are we to look?  Perhaps, since Christ is love and taught love, we are to look there.  It is a pillar of Dominican life that it is impossible to separate truth and love.  They become not only so dependent on each other and interchangeable that they indeed become almost the same word.  Try this- read scripture and replace the word “truth” for the word “love” wherever it is found.  The meaning is not lost.  It may even be more influential.  More powerful.

“Come before the Father, full of grace and truth.” [John 1:14]  “Worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth.” [John 4:23]  “The Lord is near to all who call him, to all who call on him in truth.” [Psalm 145:18]

From those few simple passages we can see, God desires to be worshipped and approached in love. This then , is truth. Because in love, we bare our souls and expose ourselves.  It is only then that we can truly be enlightened and holy. For together, “Love rejoices in truth.” [1 Corinthians 13:6]  For love and truth go hand in hand- the are the same thing.

All through the First Epistle of John, we are told time and time again- that if we are deceptive, lie or become like hypocrites we do not have the truth within us.  That being so, we do not have love within us.  For love opens us up. It is only through love, that we can ever hope to become true followers of Christ and practitioners of His word.

Recalling now the dictionary definition that began this, perhaps we need to amend and expand upon the defined meaning of truth.  Maybe we need to add an eighth definition of the word- that truth is love. I could take an editorial license here in my own essay and add that after the fact-  ” 8. Love.”

Oh wait, it is there already.  In the seventh definition-  ” 7. God.”

The Order of Preachers is thrilled to announce the acceptance of Igor Kalinski into the Dominican Order as a postulant.   Igor lives in the country of Macedonia, and is eager to please the Lord.

Please join us in our prayers for our newest member, that she continue to grow in service to Our God.

The Order of Preachers is thrilled to announce the acceptance of The Very Reverend Lady Sheila Sherwood into the Dominican Order. She is currently the International Old Catholic Churches’ Vicar General of the United Kingdom, an ordained priest, and is very experienced in serving Our Lord and His people.

Please join us in our prayers for our newest member, that she continue to grow in service to Our God.

For those of you who might have had the opportunity to read my article, Where is your church?  (Convergent Streams magazine, Third Quarter 2013. Volume 1. Number 1), I am going to build upon those thoughts. If you have not read it, the premise is simple- there are many clergy who do not have a “physical church building” in which to worship.  There are some options, limited as they maybe.  There are hospital or nursing home chapels to be solicited, other houses of worship willing to open their doors to other congregations (United Churches of Christ, as an example) or outdoor venues; such as parks or beaches.  Initially I tried such an option, a nearby hospital chapel, but was met with courteous questions: how many people did I expect and what were my insurance protections for limited liability?  Needless to say, two questions without adequate answers.

We should always be reminded of the most basic, Christ tells us: “For where two or more gather in my name, there am I also.” (Matthew 18:20)  So in the worship and adoration of God, it shouldn’t- and needn’t, be a concern as to where worship, praise and prayer takes place.  For that matter, form and format should not be a concern either. Again Christ tells us: “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners so they may be seen by others. But when you pray, go into your room alone and close the door and pray to your Father in heaven. For your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:5-6)

Nevertheless, for those of us clergy and religious- it is a spiritual comfort and inspiration to have a sacred space in which to pray, reflect and be at one with God.  Surprisingly, it is something easily achieved and maintained.  We have all seen those outdoor tributes, statues of the Blessed Mother or Christ in gardens or in front of homes. Forgive me for being judgmental, but I wonder if these ever receive the attention and inspiration they deserve. I digress.  As a resident of the seasonal and temperamental northeast- not to mention restrictions places upon me by apartment community restrictions, such outdoor tributes are not possible.

So I- we, need to set apart a sacred space within our homes where we can go and be with God- to worship God.  It does not have to be grand- adorned with the trappings of a cathedral, but it does have to be reverent, respectful and sincere. A place or area within the home where a visitor would know- you are a Christian and indeed, Christ is present in this place.

For me it is a sacred space in the corner of our dining room.  A high top table which supports a wine rack underneath. On this table sits a collection of green plants surrounding my most prized religious possession- a ceramic and porcelain statute of Jesus on the cross.  (Such a simple statue purchased in a hospital gift shop to watch over my mother in her final days.) And to the side my husband’s most prized possession, a porcelain statute of our Blessed Mother. (A statute that was his mothers and may be perhaps eighty years old.)  Together the sight and placement of these holy statutes, demand the reverence and respect.  It is here, or from a nearby chair, that I can worship and pray.

To add to the beauty and adoration of this sacred space, I ensure that Christ is always present and mindful.  This is done by the purchase and placement of a ‘seven day’ religious candle. (The kind easily purchased at any supermarket)  Lit in transition and prayer- the “light of Christ” never goes out in our apartment.

In a useful pastoral handbook, The Book of Occasional Services (2003), there is even a format- “Setting Apart Secular Space for Sacred Use”.

“Blessed are you, O God, ruler of the universe. Your gifts are many, and in wisdom you have made all things to give you glory. Be with us now and bless us as we dedicate our use of this space to your praise and honor. As often as we worship you here, precede us and abide with us. Be known to us in the Word spoken and heard, in fellowship with one another, and in the breaking of bread. Give us joy in all your works, and grant that this space may be a place where your will is done and your name glorified; through Jesus Christ our Savior, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.” (BOS p.245)

So dedicate such a place within your home, apartment or even your room. A place for reflection and reverence- for you Mass Sine Populo, to pray for the Church Suffering and celebrate the Church Triumphant!  We rejoice for those who have actual churches- to call the attention of the world to the love and promise of our Lord, but no less is the splendor and majesty of our Sacred Space in a Secular Place!

Oh yes- for those of you that did read my “Where is your church?” I am still praying and searching for that church building to celebrate a beautiful Mass.  Nothing extravagant mind you, but a pipe organ would be nice.

(Also known as James Bianconi; James of Bevagna; Jacobus de Blanconibus de Mevania)

Very early in life, prodigies surrounded Blessed James, for on the day of his birth three brilliant stars, each containing the image of a friar preacher, appeared in the sky over Bevagna. Children ran through the streets crying : “To the schools! To the schools! behold the new masters heaven is sending us !” The three preachers were later understood to be James, Blessed Ambrose of Siena, and St. Thomas Aquinas.

James was given a good education and was carefully trained in the ways of holiness. The power of his prayers was seen early. When still a small child, he brought about peace between two quarreling families. At the age of sixteen, he met the Dominicans. Two friars had come to preach in his native city during Lent. Deciding, after much prayer, that God was calling him to the Dominican apostolate, he went home with the two missioners and began his novitiate.

The early promises of his great learning were well fulfilled. In and age that shone with the brilliance of Albert, Thomas and Bonaventure, the preaching of James of Bevagna was still remarkable. He was particularly gifted at reconciling enemies and bringing peace to warring families and cities.

James was very severe with himself, particularly in the matter of poverty. On one occasion, his mother, shocked at the poor condition of the habit he was wearing, gave money to buy a new one. As he wanted very much more to get a crucifix for his cell, he did so. His mother reminded him that the money was given for clothing. James replied with the text, “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ,” assuring her that this was the garment he had bought with her gift.

At another time, praying before the same crucifix, James was overcome with a sense of his own unworthiness and begged of God some sign that his soul was to be saved. Blood gushed from the hands and side of the figure on the cross, and a voice from heaven told him that his token of God’s favor would reassure him. Some of the miraculous blood was preserved for more than two centuries. Kept at the tomb of Blessed James, it worked many miracles, but it was stolen by heretics.

Forewarned of the hour of his death, James was assured that Our Lady would come to meet him, because he had often sacrificed to adorn her altars. She came at the time foretold, and James went happily with her into the presence of God.

Born: Bevagna in Umbria, Italy in 1220

Died: 1301 at Mevania, Italy of natural causes

Beatification: 1400 (Cultus confirmed) by pope Boniface IX; again on May 18, 1672 (cultus confirmed) by Pope Clement X