Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception

The glorious Battle of Lepanto, in an ancient painting.
Pope Pius V’s feast day was recently celebrated on April 30.

Despite his tears and protests, Michele Ghisleri – better known as St. Pius V – was elected Pope in 1566. Born into a poor family, he was taken in by the Dominicans, who gave him his education, and eventually he joined the Order when he turned fifteen.

He was a virtuous and simple man, buying little for himself. Although he would travel from one town to another to hear confessions as a priest, he did not own a cloak. When asked about this he remarked, “Poor followers of the Gospel ought to be content with one tunic.” Continue reading ‘The Dominican Pope Pius V Showed Concern for Christendom and Zeal Against Heresy’ »

The feast of St. Catherine of Siena is April 29.

By modern measures, she would probably be considered a superhero. St. Catherine of Siena, a Third Order Dominican, gave instruction to the Pope, received the wounds of Christ, lived on little food but the Eucharist, and was granted mystical visions, including one where Christ claimed her as his bride.

A saint of the 14^thcentury, St. Catherine was born in Siena, Italy, and joined the Dominican Tertiaries at the age of sixteen. She is famous for her letters to Pope Gregory XI, in which she urges him to return to Rome after he made his residency in Avignon, France. Continue reading ‘The Mystic, St. Catherine of Siena — A “Superhero” of Old’ »

From a conference by Saint Thomas Aquinas, O.P., doctor of the Church. From the Office of Reading for the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Why did the Son of God have to suffer for us? There was a great need, and it can be considered in a twofold way: in the first place, as a remedy for sin, and secondly, as an example of how to act.

It is a remedy, for, in the face of all the evils which we incur on account of our sins, we have found relief through the passion of Christ. Yet, it is no less an example, for the passion of Christ completely suffices to fashion our lives. Whoever wishes to live perfectly should do nothing but disdain what Christ disdained on the cross and desire what he desired, for the cross exemplifies every virtue.

If you seek the example of love: Greater love than this no man has, than to lay down his life for his friends. Such a man was Christ on the cross. And if he gave his life for us, then it should not be difficult to bear whatever hardships arise for his sake.

If you seek patience, you will find no better example than the cross. Great patience occurs in two ways: either when one patiently suffers much, or when one suffers things which one is able to avoid and yet does not avoid. Christ endured much on the cross, and did so patiently, because when he suffered he did not threaten; he was led like a sheep to the slaughter and he did not open his mouth. Therefore Christ’s patience on the cross was great. In patience let us run for the prize set before us, looking upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith who, for the joy set before him, bore his cross and despised the shame. Continue reading ‘Two Reasons Why Christ Chose to Suffer’ »