MEMORIAL OF ST DOMINIC, PRIEST, THURSDAY OF THE EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, AUGUST 8, 2024

St Dominic (1170-1221) in Prayer by El Greco

MASS READINGS:

Gospel

Mt 16:13-23

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi

and he asked his disciples,

"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,

still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

Simon Peter said in reply,

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.

For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.

And so I say to you, you are Peter,

and upon this rock I will build my Church,

and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.

Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;

and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Then he strictly ordered his disciples

to tell no one that he was the Christ.

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples

that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly

from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,

and be killed and on the third day be raised.

Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,

"God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."

He turned and said to Peter,

"Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.

You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

REFLECTION

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

... upon this rock I will build my Church

The Albigensians, also known as Cathars, had many different doctrines that differed from the Roman Catholic Church. It was named for Albi, a city in southern France, where this heresy flourished. Catharism held that the universe was a battleground between good, which was spirit, and evil, which was matter. Human beings were believed to be spirits trapped in physical bodies.

St Dominic's mission was preaching against the Albigensian heresy. St Dominic lived in poverty and prepared for the debates held with the Albigensians. Pope Innocent III called for the Albigensian crusade to eliminate this heresy. The Catholic Church accused them of worshiping Satan and the crusade involved the nobility of northern and southern France, as well as the king of France. 

St Dominic founded the Order of Preachers who were dedicated to saving souls by preaching and persuasion. Christ, the Son of the living God, built His Church. St Dominic's Order of Preachers defended the Church and its teachings. Everyone knew he was a man of the Gospel. He always spoke with God in prayer and about God. Always praying to be effective in caring for souls, he gave himself to the salvation of all, just as Jesus Christ.

Thank you, God, for St Dominic.

God Bless You.