Category: Newsletter

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Dear Brothers and Sisters, (3/21/2020 11:58 AM)

I hope you all are doing well and staying safe.

Below is a letter from Fr. Augustine regarding Sunday observance during this time. We must do our best to observe the Sabbath, even though we are dispensed from the Sunday obligation. In his letter, Father gives us guidance and reference points to aid us. Please distribute this to your chapter.

Also, if anyone needs anything, or would like to talk or pray, please feel free to call me anytime. I would be happy to help in any way I can, or simply pray the Rosary with you.

God bless and protect you,

Denise (Harvey, Lay Provincial Council President)

310.597.3014

Dear Dominican Laity,

As we enter into the first week when all dioceses in the United States have cancelled public worship on weekdays and Sundays indefinitely, we have an assurance from Christ and His church that worship still goes on. First, your priests are celebrating Masses for you and for your intentions every day. Second, we worship in spirit and truth and no one can take away our acts of worship. Finally, the work of worship is the work of Jesus Christ who says two things that we must remember: I and the Father are one and I will never leave you, I am with you always. So our worship continues.

But our Sunday obligation is so much more than going to Mass on Sundays and this is what I want to speak about. While we miss the public work of the church on Sundays, the church has always spoken of many things to do to observe our Sunday observance. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (#2183) mentions that if we cannot participate in the Mass, we can participate in another public act of worship, the Liturgy of the Hours. If you have the four volume set, I suggest you also read the readings for the Office of Readings (Matins). We follow the Israelites through Exodus and have the saints to help us to understand the larger works of God and His church. Also, if you have the Magnificat Lenten reflections, you can read these.

But the Sunday observance doesn’t end with God. The third commandment to observe the Sabbath in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy both have reasons, but two different reasons. One speaks of resting as God rested on the seventh day. The other is to rest because we have been freed from the slavery of Egypt and have a duty to rest from work, which can enslave us. The rest with God is our Sunday observance in Mass and other prayers together. But our rest from the slavery of work is the rest which rejuvenates and proves that God truly is the Lord of the Sabbath. God has made the sabbath for us. We must take it that way.

The first duty that comes with the Sabbath rest is being able to serve our family and reaching out to the elderly in our midst. This is difficult, but not impossible in the age of phones and internet, but has never been impossible since the invention of letter writing. Let us reach out to those who are lonely. This can also include an elderly neighbor. You can even make a grocery run for them during the week, if this seems appropriate.

The second Sunday work is a work of recreation. This can include reading for leisure, relaxing in works of nature or creating works of beauty. God’s work in us is to model and image the Creator. May God be praised in our works of leisure and beauty.

May you all be able to rest in the Lord this Sunday and every Sunday. May this Sunday teach you new and wondrous ways to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Remember to pray the Salve Regina every day for those who have died during the day.

I end with prayers for all of you from St. John Chrysostom. “The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord so has it come to pass; blessed be the Name of the Lord forever.”

Peace,

Fr. Augustine, OP

http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1998/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_05071998_dies-domini.html

Sorry I missed this back on November! From Denise Harvey, our Lay Provincial Council President:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Happy Feast Day of All Dominican Saints!

May you be blessed through the intercession of our brothers and sisters in heaven as you strive for holiness.

Below is the Litany to Dominican Saints and Blesseds. May they intercede for you as you strive for holiness, and one day be counted among them.

God bless you! Denise

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary,  Pray for us. (repeat after each line)
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
St. Michael,
St. Gabriel,
St. Raphael,
St. Joseph,
St. John the Baptist,

All you holy angels and archangels,
All you holy patriarchs and prophets,
All you holy apostles and evangelists,
All you holy martyrs,
All you holy virgins and widows,
All you holy men and women,

Bl. Jane of Aza,
Bl. Reginald of Orleans,
Holy Father Dominic,
Bl. Bertrand,
Bl. Mannes,
Bl. Diana,
Bl. Jordan of Saxony,
Bl. Ceslaus,
St. Peter of Verona,
St. Hyacinth,
Bl. Sadoc and Companions,
Bl. Giles,
St. Margaret of Hungary,
Bl. Bartholomew of Vicenza,
St. Thomas Aquinas,
St. Raymond of Peñyafort,
Bl. Innocent,
St. Albert the Great,
Bl. John of Vercelli,
Bl. Amata,
Bl. Cecilia,
Bl. Emily,
St. Agnes of Montepulciano,
Bl. Margaret of Castello,
Bl. Imelda,
Bl. Margaret Ebner,
Bl. Henry Suso,
St. Catherine of Siena,
Bl. Raymond of Capua,
St. Vincent Ferrer,
Bl. John Dominic,
Bl. Peter of Castello,
Bl. John of Fiesole,
St. Antoninus,
Bl. Osanna of Mantua,
St. Pius,
St. John of Cologne and Companions,
St. Louis Bertrand,
St. Catherine de Ricci,
St. Rose of Lima,
St. Dominic Ibáñez and Companions,
Bl. Agnes of Jesus,
St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions,
St. Martin de Porres,
St. Francis de Capillas and Companions,
St. Juan Macias,
St. Louis de Montfort,
St. Vincent Liem,
Bl. Marie Poussepin,
St. Ignatius Delgado and Companions,
St. Dominic An-Kham,
Bl. Hyacinth Cormier,
Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati,
Bl. Bartolo Longo,
All you holy Dominicans,

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Pray for us, all you Dominican Saints and Blesseds, That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray, O God, source of all holiness, you have enriched your Church with many gifts in the saints of the Order of Preachers. By following the example of our brothers and sisters, may we come to enjoy their company for ever in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.