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Preachers of hope

On October 14th we rejoiced to welcome to the novitiate Sr Mary Catherine, op. (previously Riana George). At the clothing ceremony Sr Teresa, our Prioress General, preached the following sermon:

Address by Sister Mary Teresa, O.P. at the  clothing of Sr Mary Catherine October 14th2024        

Some of what I say today has mostly been gleaned from a couple of letters Timothy Radcliffe wrote to the Order when he was Master in the 1990’s. Now, of course I can quote from an eminent Dominican Cardinal elect not just one of our brethren though Timothy will always remain one of our brethren.

He comments that in our tradition formation is not the moulding of passive matter to produce a standard Dominican. It is our accompanying you, as you Riana freely respond to the call from the Risen Lord to follow Him.

Our Constitutions re-iterate that saying:

The person called is primarily responsible for her own formation since she alone can freely and spontaneously choose to accept the call to Dominican life and all that it implies. However, each individual needs the guidance of those engaged in the work of formation and the support of the religious family to which she herself feels called.  (Constitutions 69)

One of the patronesses of the Order is Mary Magdalene and we repeat the Lord’s words to her when she meets Him in the Garden, ‘What do you seek’,

Mary, only recognised Jesus when He called her by her name and even then, she was not allowed to hang onto Him but was immediately sent to preach the news to others.  (John 20.15 ff.)

This precious time of the Novitiate does give you time to hang onto the Lord and to discover just how much He loves you as you try to respond to His call. Wherever the discernment leads you the love will never, ever fail for you are always a precious child of God.

The essence of Dominican preaching is that we hand onto others the fruits of our own contemplation, and this is the very special time to do just that. Timothy described contemplation as our search for God, which leads to our encounter with God who is searching for us. We look for God in silence and in prayer, in study and in debate, in solitude and in love.

Our Dominican vocation is not a matter of finding a job, or even a useful service to the Church and society. It is my ‘Yes’ to God, my ‘Yes’ to my sisters, and my ‘Yes’ to the Mission of Preaching the Gospel. Wherever we are and whether in the habit or not we are totally committed to preaching the Risen Lord in many different circumstances. Timothy goes on to say that different conceptions of being a Dominican should never divide us because the unity of the Dominican Order does not lie in a common ideological line. What holds us together is a way of life which allows for great diversity and flexibility but a common mission and a form of government which gives a voice to each person.

We all different and uniquely precious to God: He said to St Catherine in the Dialogue:

‘I could have made all people in such a way that they all had everything, but I preferred to give different gifts to different people, so that they would all need each other.’ (Dialogue 7)

You may have a very different life in the Order than some, but it is always possible in every personal interaction wherever we are to bring the Risen Lord into peoples’ lives. It does mean that our common mission has priority over any private agenda. You may have talents and dreams, but you are preparing to give yourself to the shared preaching of the Good News. Becoming a preacher is more than absorbing a certain amount of information so that you know what to say, it is being formed as someone who can hear the Lord and speak words that offer life.

We cannot know where life will lead us, a further study of theology was my dream but that was not to be and despite that my life in the Congregation has been one of complete fulfilment. Dominic’s life was moulded by responses to situations he could never have foreseen and that set the pattern for the spread of his vision. In the earliest days his brethren were not allowed to settle down but were immediately sent out to preach the Good News, as was Mary Magdalene in the Garden.

Preachers of hope are needed more than ever in our world of ever-increasing despair at the spread of war, the concern about climate change and the massive inequality so obvious around the world. ‘In this world so tempted by despair there may be no other source of hope than trust in God who has given us His Word.’  (IDI April 1994)

The preaching does need to be informed and to do that we need to receive the Word ourselves and in prayer and study learn to be still and attentive so that we may pass onto others what we have received:‘What I received from the Lord, is what I also deliver to you.’  (1 Cor 11:23)

Later on in your Dominican life you may be overwhelmed by demands on your time, but this is the precious time to establish a life of silence with God which you will need all your life. It is a strange sensation not to be needed and particularly after your last two years as an F1 and an F2, you may even miss your bleep, I know I did – but these years are unique in your life except perhaps for retreats so try to enjoy the new experiences the time and space gives you for God will not be outdone in generosity.

Timothy concludes his letter by praying that this initial formation may help everyone to grow in Dominic’s confidence and joy. I pray that for you Riana and conclude with a quote from the reading we had a week or so ago: ‘This is my prayer for you: I pray that your love will keep on growing more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgment so that you will be able to choose what is best.’   (Phil 1:10)

Our communities should be places in which we give each other courage especially when times are hard. The Dominican family recognises the dignity of everyone and the equality of every person and the relationships in community should also be seen as a ‘Holy Preaching’. Dominican life should not weigh us down but grant us a freedom to walk lightly as we go onto preach in many differing situations for we are all vowed to Mission.

Last Sunday’s prayer summed up the Noviciate in three lines:

‘Lord God, open our hearts to your grace. 

Let it go before us and be with us,

          that we may always be intent upon doing your will.’

The love of your sisters and much prayer will surround you every day, so never feel alone, for we all journey with you.

Sr Mary Teresa O.P.