St. Dominic Guzman was born of a nobleman named Felix de Guzman and Blessed Joan of Aza at Caleruega, Castille, in Spain. The name Domingo, in Spanish, means "I belong to God." St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers, lived up to the meaning of his name and exuded immense joy through his mystical connection with God. He studied at Palencia and, in 1196, joined the Canons Regular. St. Dominic led a disciplined life of prayer and penance. In 1203, passing through southern France while on a trip to Denmark with Bishop Diego of Osma, he was appalled at the confusion created in the minds of the faithful by the preaching of the Albigenses. The Albigenses or Cathars, "the pure," claimed to be Christians but held the heterodox belief that flesh and all matter were evil, that the spirit was of God, and that flesh and spirit were, therefore, in permanent conflict. Further, they denied the Incarnation and rejected the sacraments. However, the Albigenses lived in admirable personal austerity, inveighing continually against the worldliness and wealth of the Church and its Prelates.
Pope Innocent III launched a crusade to preach against the heresy. But the failure of the mission of the Papal legates and preachers in Languedoc in 1206, arriving as they did with much show of pomp, convinced Dominic and his bishop that the heretics could be won over only by austerity that equaled their own. He established a convent of nuns at Prouille with a group of women converted from the heresy, and with his group of friar-preachers, was welcomed into Toulouse by Bishop Foulques, who established them as "diocesan preachers" in 1215. He encouraged a life of poverty and barefoot walks, like Francis of Assisi. St. Dominic said, "A man who governs his passions is master of the world."
The Church initially looked skeptically at the idea of anyone but consecrated clergy preaching the faith; however, the evident success of the friars eventually prompted Pope Honorius III to say, when granting the Order his formal approval in 1216: "We pray and beseech you to preach the Gospel in season and out of season!" By the time of his death at Bologna, Italy, on 6 August 1221, his friars had spread across Italy, France, England, Scandinavia, Poland, and the Holy Land besides Spain, and Dominic is said to have converted some 100,000 unbelievers! To him goes the credit of stemming the tide of the Albigensian heresy. He won the hearts and loyalty of many through his charming personality, unwavering commitment to truth, sense of responsibility balanced with a compassionate love for sinners, and profound understanding of the current era's needs and spirit. Additionally, he placed great importance on devotion to the Rosary. His miracles, which even included the raising of a dead man to life, were a testimony to his holiness. Dominic was canonized on 3 July 1234 by his friend, Pope Gregory IX, who declared that he no more doubted the sanctity of Dominic than that of Saints Peter and Paul.
St. Dominic Guzman, pray for us, that we may remain steadfast in our commitment to uphold Jesus' teachings and spread Gospel, even when faced with obstacles along the way.
Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Most High Servant,
Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love
(Blessed and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)
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