By Dave Sanders
“I shall be more useful to you and more fruitful after my death than I was in my life,” promised St. Dominic from his deathbed. Gifted at comforting the suffering, he spoke these final words to give strength and peace to the distraught followers at his bedside; those he was leaving to carry forward his vision for an order of preachers.
Eight hundred years after his death, we see that he kept his promise by the growth and influence of the Order he founded. Yet it is only when we reflect on his extraordinary life that we can fully appreciate how great St. Dominic’s intercessory powers truly are.
St. Dominic was and is a saint’s saint. Saints and would-be saints within and outside the Order of Preachers have looked to him; studied him, tried to imitate him. St. Dominic gave every ounce of his life to God. Testimony from his cause for canonization tells us everything he talked about was either about God or for God. But more significantly, he and his followers went out into the world and preached, imitating Christ Jesus and his apostles as their models.
Friendship, love, humility
How do sisters, associates and others benefit today from studying and reflecting on Dominic’s life? First, we grow in understanding of the intensity of his prayer life which led to his extraordinary friendship with Jesus. This friendship filled him with the Holy Spirit allowing him to clearly hear God speaking, guiding him in founding the Order of Preachers in the most enduring and fruitful way. We see the depth of his love for God, the Church, those entrusted to his care, and his neighbors, especially lost souls and the poor. We learn about his humility, his patience in suffering and setbacks, and his complete trust in Divine Providence.
In life, St. Dominic was among the greatest of God’s servants. In death, he continues to serve. Knowing about his earthly life and his heavenly work continue to be important to all of us who aspire to be saints. His last words remind us of that.
Dave is a Dominican associate and member of the JUST Words editorial board. He worships at St. Joseph the Worker, Chatham, Ill.
