As we make our way through the hot days of August…longing for the cool days to return, we encounter on our journey of saints, Saint Dominic de Guzman. He was born in Spain in the year 1170. His mother, Blessed Joan of Aza, who was barren, made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Saint Dominic of Silos, and when Dominic was born, she named him Dominic in honor of the saint.

When Blessed Joan was pregnant with Dominic, she had a vivid dream that her unborn baby was a dog that ran through the streets with a torch in its mouth…”setting the world of fire.”  Instead of fretting, she understood that this was a symbol that her son would set the world on fire for the Lord.  This story is made more interesting, in the fact that Saint Dominic started an Order, which was called the Dominican order, or Dominicanus, in Latin, which when translated as Domini canis or “Dog of the Lord.” A few days later when the infant Dominic was baptized, she saw a star shining from his chest, which led to him becoming a patron of astronomy. It is also a symbol that stuck with him, and many artists use it when they depict him in art.

With help from his uncle who was a priest, he studied theology and philosophy at the University of Palencia. In 1193, Dominic was ordained a priest. At the time the Albigensian heresy was making its way through France. They believed that a good spirit created the spiritual world and a bad spirit created the material world. It was such a dangerous heresy, that Saint Dominic devoted much of his time preaching against it. He even created the Order of Preachers or the Dominicans to combat it.

The Dominicans were a group of apostolic men who lived in common and professed poverty, obedience and chastity. They fervently celebrated the Holy Eucharist, studied assiduously and preached the Good News of Salvation.

But no matter how he worked…no matter how much he preached, it seemed that the heresy was always one step ahead of the Dominicans, and Saint Dominic became discouraged. It was then that the Blessed Mother appeared to him She gave him the rosary and taught him how to pray with it. She told him that he should be praying the rosary daily, and that he should teach it to all who would listen. She told him that with the rosary as his weapon, true faith would win out. Even though the rosary was around before this time period, St. Dominic and the Dominicans are credited with spreading the devotion far throughout the lands.

Saint Dominic was a miracle worker who brought four people back from the dead. There is a legend that St. Dominic received a vision of a beggar who, like Dominic would do great things for the Faith. Dominic met the beggar the next day. He embraced him and said, “You are my companion and must walk with me. If we hold together, no earthly power can withstand us.” The beggar was none other than Saint Francis of Assisi.

Saint Dominic continued to live and serve the Lord with great love charity. He died in Bologna on the 6th of August in 1221, he was 51. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1234.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

Most merciful Redeemer, who didst choose Saint Dominic to labor with Thee in the saving of souls, and he, by his zeal and Thy grace, won over to the Church so many heretics who were separated from her, and so many sinners who had grieved her by their evil lives; O my God, do thou send new laborers always into Thy vineyard to work for Thy glory and to gather in the fruits of everlasting life.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

O good Jesus, who didst delight to see Saint Dominic kneeling every night before Thine altar, adoring Thee hidden in the Blessed Sacrament with lively faith and offering in turn groans, prayers and penances in behalf of the Church, at that time persecuted by her enemies and profaned by her own children; defend this Thy Spouse through the intercession of Saint Dominic from the insults and the plots of the infernal enemy of mankind.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.