Saint Dominic Guzman was born in Spain about 1170. His mother, Blessed Juana of Aza, while still carrying him in her womb, dreamt that she brought forth a dog which carried in its mouth a burning torch, with which it set the whole world on fire.
Father Donald Calloway wrote, “The vision proved to be prophetic. In 1216, St. Dominic founded the Dominicans, who quickly became known as the Domini canes (the dogs of God). A renowned preacher of Christian truths, St. Dominic founded the “dogs of God” to be a band of well-formed itinerant preachers, sniffing out heresy and bringing the lost sheep of God’s flock back to pasture.”
As a student, Dominic sold his books, which in his time were a very valuable asset, in order to support the victims of a famine. At the age of 25 he became superior of the Canons Regular of Osma and accompanied his Bishop to France.
Pope Benedict XVI said, “On his travels Dominic became aware of two enormous challenges for the Church of his time: the existence of people who were not yet evangelized on the northern boundaries of the European continent, and the religious schism that undermined Christian life in the South of France where the activity of certain heretical groups was creating a disturbance and distancing people from the truth of the faith. So it was that missionary action for those who did not know the light of the Gospel and the work of the re-evangelization of Christian communities became the apostolic goals that Dominic resolved to pursue.”
The Pope asked Dominic to preach to the heretical Albigensians in France. The saint devoted the rest of his life to this mission, and his spiritual sons would carry out his other dream of bringing the light of the Gospel to non-Christians.
Dominic established his threefold religious order. The convent for nuns was founded first, then the Order of Friar Preachers, and lastly came the Tertiaries, people living in the world. The Dominican motto is: “To contemplate and to share with others the fruits of contemplation.”
According to Benedict XVI, Dominic gave special importance to two values he deemed indispensable for the success of the evangelizing mission: community life in poverty and study. Community life in poverty constituted a practical witness for the people. Study was an important preparation for the apostolate. It was a study based on Sacred Scripture … the soul of all theological knowledge.
Pope Benedict XVI said, “Dominic was canonized in 1234 and it is he himself who, with his holiness, points out to us two indispensable means for making apostolic action effective. In the very first place is Marian devotion which he fostered tenderly and left as a precious legacy to his spiritual sons who, in the history of the Church, have had the great merit of disseminating the prayer of the Holy Rosary, so dear to the Christian people and so rich in Gospel values: a true school of faith and piety. In the second place, Dominic, who cared for several women’s monasteries in France and in Rome, believed unquestioningly in the value of prayers of intercession for the success of the apostolic work. Only in Heaven will we understand how much the prayer of cloistered religious effectively accompanies apostolic action!”
Blessed James Alberione said, “In his spirituality, St. Dominic used to have recourse also to material means in prayer; and among other endeavours he made use of the beads to count the ‘Hail Marys.’ Then, noting the people’s ignorance concerning religion, and having to combat the Albigensians who denied the fundamental truths of Christianity, Dominic, inspired by God, thought it well to have the people meditate a truth or mystery every ten ‘Hail Marys.’ Thus, while giving to the people an easy manner of praying, he also gave a simple means of instruction.”
The Rosary is a spiritual weapon. John Gilmary Shea wrote, “Beads in hand, [Dominic] revived the courage of the Catholic troops, led them to victory against overwhelming numbers, and finally crushed the heresy.”
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『天主的狗』點燃世界
聖道明、多明我約1170年出生於西班牙。他的母親，阿扎的胡安，當她還尚懷著他在胎中時，夢見她生了一隻狗，狗嘴裏叼着燃燒的火把，用火把點燃了整個世界。唐納德卡洛威神父寫道：「這個異象被證明是預言性的。1216年，聖多明我創立了道明會，他們很快被稱為Domini canes （天主的狗）。作為基督真理的著名傳教士，聖多明我創立了『天主的狗』，成為一群結構良好四處奔波的傳教士，嗅出異端邪說，並將上天主群中迷失的羊帶回牧場。」
作為一名學生，多明我賣掉了他的書 (在他那個時代，這是非常寶貴的資產) 以支持饑荒的受害者。二十五歲時，他成為神職團體的長上，並陪同他的主教前往法國。
教宗本篤十六世說：『在旅途中，多明我意識到他那個時代教會面臨的兩個巨大挑戰：。在歐洲大陸北部邊界尚未傳福音的人的存在，以及破壞法國南部基督徒生活的宗教分裂，某些異端團體的活動正在製造騷亂並使人們遠離信仰的真理。因此，向那些不認識福音之光的人傳教的行動和向基督徒團體重新福傳的工作成為多明我決心追求的使徒目標。』
教宗要求多明我向法國的異端阿爾比派的追隨者傳教。聖人將餘生奉獻給這一使命，他的神子們將實現他的另一個夢想，將福音的光帶給非基督徒。
多明我建立了三個道明會的團體。修女修道院首先成立，然後是宣道的男修會，最後是第三會，生活在世界上的人。道明會的座右銘是：『默觀並與他人分享默觀的果實。』
根據本篤十六世的說法，多明我特別重視他認為福傳使命成功不可或缺的兩個價值觀：神貧的團體生活和學習。神貧的團體生活能給人們實際的見證。學習是使徒工作的重要準備工作。這是一項基於聖經的研究—-所有神學知識的靈魂。
教宗本篤十六說：『多明我於1234年被封聖，正是他本人以他的聖德向我們指出兩種不可或缺的方法，使宗徒行動有效力。首先是對瑪利亞的敬禮，他溫柔地培養了這種敬禮，並將寶貴的遺產留給了他的靈修兒子們，在教會的歷史上，他們在推廣玫瑰經禱文方面有偉大的功德，這是如此珍貴於基督信徒，如此富於福音價值。其次，多明我在法國和羅馬照顧了幾家女隱修院，他堅信代禱對使徒工作取得成功的價值。 只有在天堂，我們才能理解隱修會的祈禱是多麼有效地伴隨著使徒的行動！』
真福詹姆斯·阿爾伯里說：『在他的靈性方面，聖多明我過去常常依靠祈禱中的物質方法。 其中之一是利用唸珠來計算「聖母經」。然後，注意到人們對宗教的無知，以及不得不與否認基督教基本真理的阿爾比教徒作鬥爭，多明我克受到天主的啟發，認為這很好 讓人們每十個「聖母經」默想一個真理或奧蹟。因此，在給人們一種簡單的祈禱方式的同時，他也給出了一種簡單的教導方式。』
玫瑰經是一靈性的武器。若望·吉爾馬里·謝伊寫道：『[多明我]手握唸珠，重振了天主教軍隊的勇氣，帶領他們戰勝了壓倒性的人數，最終粉碎了異端邪說。』
