7th Way of Prayer of St.

Dominic

St. Augustine tells us in his rule “ When you pray to God in psalms and songs, pray not only with your lips but also with your heart.”

Our father St. Dominic prayed not only with his lips and heart but with his whole body.

In the previous presentations we have seen how Dominic made use of bodily postures in his prayer:

-Bowing before the altar as if Jesus Christ is really and personally present,

-lying prostrate while beseeching God’s mercy

-genuflecting several times before a crucifix

-praying with hand gestures and bodily movements

-posturing himself in a form of a cross as if he was the crucified Lord.

Now we imagine him with his body arched heavenward while praying with his whole heart, mind and spirit.

Dominic was often found stretching his whole body towards heaven in prayer, like a choice arrow shot straight up from a bow. He had his hands stretched right up above his head, joined together or slightly open as if to catch something from heaven.

It is believed that at such moments he received an increase of grace and was caught in rapture and that his payer won for the ORDER he had founded gifts of the HOLY SPIRIT for himself and his brethren.

While Dominic was praying he was sometimes clearly heard by the brethren saying :“ Hear the voice of my supplication while I pray to you, and while I lift up my hands to your holy temple ”

Our holy Master taught the brethren to pray like this both by words and by his example.

He quoted Psalm 133:2 “ At night lift up your hands to the holy place”

Psalm 140:2, “ The raising of my hands like an evening sacrifice.”

For us who are used to a more sedate or cerebral way of praying. Dominic’s highly emotional and active manner may seem exaggerated.

However, Dominic and many other people of his age like St. Francis for instance were passionate men and women of faith whose prayer and adoration took many forms.

God created us whole human beings: emotions intellect, will , body and spirit.

From the beginning we have been invited to love God and our neighbors as whole human beings.

Prayer , so integral to nurturing our love of God, can best be done when we commit our entire self to it. Dominic realized this, and prayed this way.