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Today, Aug 6th, is the feast day of the Transfiguration of our Lord. In the Order of Preachers, we know this day to be the day that our holy Father, St. Dominic, died in 1221, exactly 800 years ago. We celebrate this day called Dies Natalis, the birth of St. Dominic into eternal life. Thanks be to God for the saintly beauty of this man, a true gift to the world for the last 800 years.

Today, an introspection is in order. Looking at the image above, we see the apostles Peter, James and John astonished by the sight of Jesus’ transfiguration with both Moses and Elijah present, as recalled from the Gospel reading today, Mark 9:2-10.

We also see two other figures, flanking our Transfigured Lord. On the left is the Blessed Virgin Mary and on the right, St. Dominic. Fra Angelico has captured our dual feast day perfectly in this image. The transfiguration also calls to mind that on this day, St. Dominic has received the ultimate gift, the beatific vision. St. Dominic has been born into eternal life with our Lord, our Savior, our Creator, our Triune God.

The reason why Peter, James and John were astonished is something we should ponder in our hearts. Is it mere visual stimulation that astonished them? I don’t think so. It is a glimpse of the immensity of the beatific vision. Such holiness had only been seen a few times before this moment. These are the two that are significant here: when Moses’s face became radiant in Exodus 34:27-35 and when Elijah was transported to heaven in 2 Kings 2:11. In both cases, those who witnessed this holiness were shaken with emotion, with fear and awe.

If we witnessed something like this personally, how would we respond? We would probably be gripped with fear and trembling because what would be running through our minds, at that point, is clear: How is this possible? What is happening? What am I seeing? Is anyone else seeing this too? It is our unbelief would be called into question. It isn’t so shocking when our faith, the act of believing itself, is challenged, but when we are faced with undeniable holiness, something we cannot explain no matter how smart we are, this is when we are astonished. Miracles can and do happen. And that is how we characterize this type of holiness.

I say that it is our unbelief that is called into question because when we are face to face with a real miracle, like levitation, bilocation, transfiguration, the biological forensic evidence of a eucharistic miracle, just to name a few, a confrontation takes place between our minds and our hearts: What if God is real? What if I really will be judged when I die? What does this all mean? Am I prepared to change the way I live? The reality of our mortality and the state of our soul comes into question, and immediately, we find ouselves uncomfortable. We realize that we have a choice to make: to believe that all of this is true or to continue to ignore our call to holiness. It’s a tough choice, because one requires action on our part and we know it, whereas the other requires no effort at all and we know that, too.

Holiness really does exist, but where do we see it today? Well, that really depends on the depth of our faith. One place to start is this: Do you really believe what we profess in the Creed? This is a question that we should all ponder in our hearts. I’m challenging you today, on the feast day of the Transfiguation of our Lord and the birth of St. Dominic into eternal life, to look at the Creed. Read each line and ask yourself, “Do I truly believe this?” Answer yourself truthfully, because this is the only way you can move forward. We are each called to holiness, individually. God made each one of us indvidually, and that is exactly how we are called: by name.

The place where we see holiness every day should be wherever we look in the mirror. That’s right. God is calling you and me to be holy, everyday. We should see holiness in our own image. I know it’s hard, and I don’t always succeed at it either, but it’s certainly not impossible. We have choices to make. These choices may not seem important at the moment, but they really are. Choosing one way or the other can mean the difference in where we will spend eternity. Choose to be holy. It doesn’t matter what others think or say, the only One whose opinion matters is God. He is our only judge. Maybe, when you choose holiness, others might even follow your example. The reverse is also true, when you choose unholiness, others also may follow your example.

I would love it if every person in the history of the world would merit heaven. Unfortunately, I know that will not happen. This is what makes our choices, our responses, how we live our lives, what we believe, how we act… all of that matters. There are serious consequences; whether we understand them or not, has no bearing on the reality of the consequence we will experience in the future.

Having been created in the likeness and image of God, we have the innate desire to know Him. Our curiosity can lead us to Him or away from Him. If you’re a rebel, rebel against the world and run toward God. How does one run toward God? The best place to learn this is in the Catholic Church, the Bride of Christ.

For those who are not Catholic, if you’re interested in learning more about God and His Bride, the Catholic Church and what we teach, seek out an RCIA class at a local parish, which, classes will begin soon. While the Church itself seems to be far from perfection because it is comprised of sinners, and we’re all working on getting to heaven, it is the surest way to spend eternity with Christ. This is His Church, He founded it upon Peter’s faith, and He is truly present in every tabernacle of every Catholic Church in the entire world. It’s the only Church where Jesus Christ is actually present, body, blood, soul, and divinity. A great resource can be found here.

You are called to holiness and to spend eternity with God. I want to help you get there. Please, help me get there, too. Comment below, start a converation, ask a question, I will respond as soon as I can, by Sunday at the latest! I still have lots of prepping to do before 8am Sunday!

Have a blessed and holy weekend, everyone! Pray for our Lay Dominican community as six of us prepare to make our final professions on Sunday! I will livestream it on facebook! Give us a like and a share, too!

Here’s the link:

Novena to St. Dominic

It’s all over the news, blogs, social media, the subject of conversations in the parishes, missions, dioceses, it’s everywhere. We can’t escape it. And, we are expected to have a position on it. If we don’t, then it’s oversimplified for us: Are you rigid or are you with the Pope on this? Of course, this hubbub is the Latin Mass. I think some background, here, is in order so we can understand the debate a bit before we are forced to choose a side. I only am going to highlight some important aspects that are often left out of the conversations on this subject.

The Traditional Latin Mass, also known as the Tridentine Mass, is known as Traditional because it had been the Mass for at least 1400 years. It was codified by Pope Pius V, in the Roman Missal of 1570, following the Council of Trent. This is why we know this Mass as the Tridentine Mass. What was ordered in this Roman Missal, however, was the Mass that was largely unchanged since at least the 7th century (1400 years ago), but also very closely followed the very Mass that St. Ambrose himself celebrated in the 4th century (1700 years ago). So, we’re not just talking about small “t” tradition in this case, we’re talking about the big “T” Tradition. This is the Mass that was celebrated by such beloved saints as St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John of the Cross, St. Padre Pio, literally all of the saints from the 300’s AD to 1970.

Let’s think about this another way. The Mass has been celebrated in the Church in much the same way for about 1700 years before it was radically changed. Martin Luther protested the Church in 1517, just over 500 years ago. So this Mass was celebrated in the Church for 1200 years before Martin Luther came along. So, we can confidently say that the Traditional Latin Mass has some serious history in the Church.

With that in mind, let’s look at Latin. Why Latin? Latin is the official language of the Church. It is a “dead” language, meaning it does not change. The definitions of words in the Latin language do not “evolve”, the language is not “malleable”, it is precise and unambiguous.

Today we hear the phrase, “Latin Vulgate” and we might not know what that really means, especially when found in the context of a bible translation. The Latin Vulgate bible was translated by St. Jerome in the late 300’s, who famously said, “ignorance of scripture is the ignorance of Christ.” It was the language used by the common people of the Roman Empire, and later the Holy Roman Empire. It was the “commoners” language, the lingua franca of the time. Think about that for a moment. This was the language that was common to those who professed the Christian faith. This translation was used for over 1500 years. So, again, we have some serious Tradition with Latin.

You might be thinking I’m taking sides here. No, I just want to highlight the facts that get shoved to the side in the name of modernism or are omitted when the discussion gets underway. These facts ought never to be ignored.

It is the Latin Vulgate Bible and the Latin Mass that provided the foundation of faith for Saints to be made. That’s nothing we should ignore.

This hubbub about the Latin Mass is a huge deal in the Church. This isn’t about the pros or cons of Vatican II. This is about restricting the Mass that has been celebrated in the Church for 1700 years. It’s definitely worth discussing and the facts are worthy of understanding before jumping to conclusions.

Also, it is worth mentioning that the Traditional Latin Mass is not widely available in all dioceses. I attend the Novus Ordo Mass because when Mass is available in my parish and deanery, that is what is celebrated. On extremely rare occasions, the Traditional Latin Mass has been celebrated near my parish, and I have attended. If both were regularly offered, I would likely attend both regularly. I love the big “T” Tradition and the small “t” tradition of the Catholic Church. I love my Catholic faith. The more I learn about the Church, the more I love her, despite all of the infighting, backbiting, name calling, and hair pulling, even with the abusive clergy. We are a family, and we certainly act like it.

I’d like to make mention of one more thing before I sign off here. Whether you’re a Novus Ordo or a Latin Mass lover, we’re all Catholic. The Mass is a sacrifice, not a party, nor a social event, nor a concert, nor is it subject to fleeting secular scrutiny nor its norms. The attitudes of the secular world should have no influence on the holy sacrifice of the Mass. When we allow that to creep into our sacred place of worship, the sin of sacrilege often results. This is the serious sin of profaning the holy. Whichever Mass you prefer, worship God with reverence, with the proper disposition of repentance, remember the purpose of your presence there and don’t forget where you are at that moment. You are in the presence of God, in the Holy of Holies, and you’re there to worship Him, with praise and thanksgiving. Do it with awe, reverence and humility.

Ms. Renee Valenzuela, OP

As we embark on this new adventure, we’re learning quite a lot along the way. As the admin of this site, I’m asking that you might share this blog with others. You may not know me, or maybe you do, or only know of me, I’m asking for your trust in our Lay Dominican group to bring you great catholic content that will stimulate your mind and your soul. We want to help you to not only better understand the Catholic perspective, but also to help you to invite Christ into your own personal life. He wants you to spend eternity with Him. That’s the reason why God created you, me and everyone else. And that’s the reason why this blog exists.

If you have questions or comments, a content wish list, that’s why we’re putting this out there. As this blog grows each week, share it with others and ask them to share too. We plan to add media, reflections, saints, history, events, links, social media pages and handles, all to help as many people as possible to see how God is relevant in our modern world. Right now, what you see is only the beginning. Some of us even want to start a YouTube video blog (aka vlog) which will also be added on this site.

So, please, share with your family and friends, and stay tuned for more content to be added frequently! Oh, and, we also ask for your mercy and patience as we learn how to do all of this. Thank you and may God bless you and your families abundantly!

Ms. Renee Valenzuela, OP

“To convert somebody go and take them by the hand and guide them.” St. Thomas Aquinas, OP

The journey begins, indeed. We are venturing out onto the waters here with a new page, a new blog, a future in social media, there so many ways to preach. Welcome to the 21st century!

Thanks for joining us on this adventure! Taking people by the hand and guiding them is exactly what we intend to do here. Subcribe to our blog, open your minds and hearts to God. Together we can overcome those stumbling blocks that stand in the way of a great relationship with our Creator.

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On this blogsite, we will discuss all sorts of topics that relate to Christianity. We will make reflections on scripture, discuss the faith, explain difficult teachings, and talk about current events as they relate to faith matters. A solid foundation in your faith makes navigating in this chaotic world so much better.

It isn’t easy and sometimes we just need a little encouragement. The video below is a sample of what Dominican preaching looks like. It’s simple, understandable, and true to the faith. Check it out.

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