The following article by Fr. Joseph Ellul, O.P., is reprinted with permission of L'Osservatore Romano. A member of the Province of Malta, Fr. Ellul teaches Systematic Theology at the Angelicum in Rome. 

 

MASTER DOMINIC AND THE GRACE OF PREACHING
by Fr. Joseph Ellul, O.P.

"I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith." (Rom. 1:16)

This passage from the Letter of Paul to the Romans encapsulates the core message that Paul wished to convey to the Christian community residing in the capital of the Roman Empire. Through it he wanted to indicate four essential points:

• God offers salvation by way of the Gospel;

• This salvation is received through faith;

• Salvation through faith is offered to everybody irrespective of race, colour, social standing or culture;

• This salvation does not run counter to what is stipulated in the Old Covenant, but is in perfect accord with what is stated and is brought to perfection.1

The Gospel has the power to save. Faith, which is consequent to hearing the Gospel, is the centre around which the life of the Christian gravitates. In it one finds the beginning and the end of all things. It is through faith brought about by hearing the Gospel that God exercises His power in all its fullness.

The Gospel is not a political ideology, nor is it a philosophical theory. The Gospel is the story of the Cross. Consequently, the power of God is revealed through the Gospel and salvation becomes a reality for all those who believe. This very salvation is granted to us by the grace of preaching Christ crucified who, for those who are called is, "the power of God and the wisdom of God."2

Jesus Christ entrusted the grace of preaching to the Apostles when, in His last glorious appearance on this earth He admonished them with the words: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation."3 For this reason the duty of the one who is sent out to preach is that of fulfilling the Word of God that he has heard and received by proclaiming it and living its demands.

Throughout the history of salvation, whenever God entrusts somebody with a particular mission, especially if it is a mission to preach, He accompanies His command with the words: "Fear not, for I am with you." Such was the experience of the People of God and it was lived out by the Prophets in the Old Covenant.4 It was also the experience of Peter and the Apostles5 It was the experience that Mary went through as she listened to the Angel's words of comfort through which she was being prepared for her mission, a mission that was to overturn her entire life and that in the process also transformed the whole history of humanity.6 It was also the experience of Paul as he waited to sail to Rome in order to appear before Caesar.7

The mission of preaching, of proclaiming the Good News of salvation, is one that demands courage. Even this is a grace from God because it is God who brings the purpose of preaching to its fulfillment through the witness of a holy life. For this reason Paul declares to the Philippians: "I can do all things in Him who strengthens me."8

But what do we mean when we refer to "the grace of preaching"? It is both a gift and a calling that is lived out by those in whom and through whom the Spirit of God speaks out. Those to whom Jesus said: "It is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."9 Thus it is not a question of oratorical skill, but rather of preaching by the authority invested in them by the Spirit of God.

At this point one may ask: How can I preach to others when I am all too conscious of my own weakness and sinfulness? This was the very question put forward by Isaiah as he stood before God, contemplating His glory: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips!"10 The answer is to be found in the truth that the power of the word of the preacher lies in the very power of God. The courage of his words comes from the fullness of the divine presence in his life. The grace of God is the essence of his vocation. It is no small wonder that Paul could boast to the Corinthians regarding his vocation when he wrote: "By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain."11 In a similar vein, he praises the Thessalonians for having received the Word "not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God."12

The phrase "the grace of preaching" is the most beautiful meaning one can give to the calling of Dominic as well as to the inspiration which he received to found the Order of Preachers and to spread it to the ends of the earth. One of the most cherished antiphons of the Dominican tradition refers to him as "Preacher of Grace".

Honorius III, in one of the many letters that he wrote to Dominic and his brethren, laid out the purpose of the Order when he stated:
He who ever makes His Church fruitful with new offspring, wanting to make these modern times measure up to former times, and to propagate the Catholic faith, inspired you with a holy desire by which, having embraced poverty and made profession of regular life, you have given yourselves to the proclamation of the Word of God, preaching the name of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world.13

Hence, the Order, right from its foundation, was established "for preaching and the salvation of souls."14 This objective began to be fulfilled on the 16th of August 1217 when Dominic assembled his community, which at the time numbered no more than eighteen members, and scattered them throughout the major cities of Europe. When his brethren asked him what their mission consisted of, he replied that they were being sent to preach, to study, and to establish priories.

The preaching that Dominic had in mind was not a call for penance, or to conversion, or to seek to live a more devout life. There were already movements in place for this purpose. He wanted preaching to be truly a proclamation of the Word of God, born out of a profound love for Scripture. He wanted to address the needs of the Church and provide doctrinal and moral formation to both clergy and laity. He therefore laid emphasis on study. While still in Toulouse he sent his brethren to attend classes held by Master Alexander Stavensby who, at that time was giving classes in theology at the Cathedral school of the diocese. His purpose was not to give them an opportunity to show off their newly acquired knowledge, but to communicate his own ideal of study as the vital tool for effectively preaching the Word of God and correctly interpret it for the salvation of God's people.

In order to achieve this aim Dominic wanted study to be supported by prayer, or rather: he envisaged study as prayer and prayer as study. He was aware that the Word of God had to be read with humility, with an open heart and with a living faith that sought to penetrate the heart of the mystery of God's love. Just as for the prophet, the first question that a preacher should pose is not: "What am I to tell the people?", but rather, "what is God saying?"; and this is immediately followed by another: "What does God want me to say?" Only in this manner could one preach and teach effectively.

Dominic himself used to study the text of Scripture in this way. He showed reverence for the Word of God and sought to enter the heart of its message through prayer and meditation. Following his example, the Dominican abides by the principle that whoever studies well also prays well and whoever prays well studies well. The more one studies the word of God the more one is filled with enthusiasm in prayer, and the more zealous one becomes through prayer the more one is filled with the desire to know God through studying His Word.

But none of this can take place if it is not based on a healthy community life. Our houses are, in fact, the Sacra Praedicatio Domini Nostri Iesu Christi (The Sacred Preaching of Our Lord Jesus Christ). The preacher who leaves the priory on a mission knows that his work is being sustained by a community that preserves the kind of environment that will lead to the success of his endeavour.

But this grace of preaching could find its fulfillment in the Order because it had first taken root in the heart and work of Dominic himself. It is therefore appropriate at this point to draw a spiritual portrait of this saintly man. Who was Dominic to his brethren, to his disciples, and to his friends?

Spiritual portrait

It would not have been possible for Dominic to fulfill his mission were it not for the fact that he was constantly in union with Christ and filled with zeal for his fellow human beings. Jordan of Saxony, his first successor as Master of the Order gives witness to his holiness when he writes:

During the daytime nobody was more sociable and happy with his brethren and companions, but at night nobody was more thoroughly dedicated to keeping vigil and to prayer. "Tears waited for him at night, but joy in the morning." The day he gave to his neighbours, the night he gave to God, knowing that "by day the Lord sends His mercy, and by night he gives songs of praise."15

His prayer was one continuous conversation with the Lord. While traveling he would at times turn to his companions and say: "Go on ahead and let us meditate on Our Saviour."16 It is not surprising, therefore, that Fra Angelico portrayed him in that magnificent fresco that adorns the cloister of San Marco in Florence, as kneeling at the feet of Christ crucified. His hands are holding firmly to the wood of the cross which is bathed in blood flowing from the Crucified One, while his eyes are fixed upon those of Christ. The latter's gaze is one of serenity, as one leaving this world in a state of perfect peace and tranquility, whereas the gaze of Dominic is full of pain - as if he were taking upon himself the sufferings of the Redeemer. The scene vividly captures those words of Paul to the Galatians: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me".17 Christ crucified was for Dominic the greatest, the most wonderful and cherished bequest he could desire. Alas, today, we frequently attempt to set aside this contemplation of the love of God. We are afraid of the cross because it reveals our own weakness. In doing so we forget that Christ - God made Man - took upon Himself our very weakness for our sake. Thus we divest the cross of all its significance. Paul spoke of Christ crucified as "a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles."18 We should ask ourselves whether He has become a stumbling block or a folly to us also. When we set aside Christ crucified we measure God with our own yardstick; we cast Him in our own image and likeness. But it is God who has cast us in His own image and likeness. For which is the more noble? Measuring God with our own yardstick, or seeing ourselves as God made us?

In the life of Dominic this union with the suffering Christ found its fullest expression in the celebration of the Eucharist. Jordan of Saxony testifies that:

He used to weep plenteously and frequently, and his "tears were his bread by day and by night," by day especially when he celebrated his daily Mass, and by night especially when he kept watch in his uniquely unwearying vigils.19

Such an observation might elicit a wry smile today - even a certain disbelief; but taken in the light of faith this detail is loaded with significance. Dominic was fully aware that in the celebration of the Eucharist he was standing before the Divine Presence. He had a profound sense of his priestly calling and of his own unworthiness. Before Christ present in the Eucharist he could not but utter that same profession of faith given by Thomas the Apostle before the Risen Christ: "My Lord and my God!"20

This continuous dialogue with Christ was strengthened through his meditation of the Word of God, especially through the Gospel according to Matthew and the Letters of Paul. He used to carry them with him everywhere and committed them to memory.21 He did this, not in order to repeat them word for word, but in order to be ever more aware of the presence of God.

Scripture was known in Dominic's time as the Sacra Pagina, the Sacred Page. In this divine communication he was able to "comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge".22 In the words of Brother Bonaventure of Verona, one of the witnesses at the process for Dominic's canonization, he "always wished to dispute, talk or read about God or to pray while journeying."23

His familiarity with the Gospel spurred him to identify his whole life with the characters that are mentioned in it. It is, therefore, not without reason that Jordan of Saxony referred to him as vir evangelicus, a man of the Gospel.24 Already while serving as sub-prior of the canonical chapter at Osma he saw in this community a reflection of the community of the Apostles gathered around Jesus its Master.

In the Rule of Augustine that he had already embraced as a canon - and which was later chosen as the Rule upon which the Constitutions of the Order of Preachers which he would later found were to be fashioned - it is written that the purpose for which a community is gathered is so that its members might live in harmony, having "one mind and one heart in God".25

Following the Apostles he wanted the Friars Preachers to dedicate themselves "to prayer and to the ministry of the Word". Through these two elements they were to intercede for the world.

Dominic never detached himself from the people whom God entrusted in his care. His dialogue with Jesus during his night vigils was aimed at securing the salvation of all those for whom our Saviour died on the Cross: his brothers and sisters in the Order, the clergy, the laity, the Jews, the Muslims, the pagans, all those who strayed from the path of righteousness. All these were the object of his constant attention during prayer. Often his brethren heard him sighing deeply in his prayers as he said: "O Lord, be merciful to your people. What will sinners do?"26

But Dominic also enjoyed being in the company of others, beginning with his brothers and sisters; his neighbours, from whom he begged for bread for the community; pilgrims met while on their way to Rome or to some other renowned sanctuary (such as that of Santiago de Compostela); even the sick whom he visited with joy.

He took advantage of such circumstances in order to preach to them the Word of God. He was familiar with everybody; he was clear and simple in his words and in his deeds. On this point Jordan of Saxony remarks:
Everybody was enfolded in the wide embrace of his charity, and since he loved everyone, everyone loved him. He made it his own business to rejoice with those who were rejoicing and to weep with those who wept. He was full of affection and gave himself utterly to caring for his neighbours and to showing sympathy for the unfortunate.27
He suffered greatly at seeing so many people following teachings that not only distorted the Word of God, but which also brought about division within the Church. For him this was a twofold wound since, as Thomas Aquinas would later rightly point out, "heresy essentially opposes faith, schism the unity of ecclesiastical charity".28

His preaching went well beyond mere words. He sought to speak to the hearts of those whom he encountered. He wished to listen to their joys and their sorrows, the fears and the hopes that they harboured. And this attitude maintains its relevance for us today. For do we not often find that the rejection of the Christian faith is not so much a cry of anger as it is a wail of anguish coming from a heart full of pain and sorrow?

A man of consolation

For this reason Dominic was also a consoler. He himself knew what the need for consolation meant. We must not forget that for seven whole years, between 1207 and 1214, he had been alone preaching in the south of France: Beziers, Carcassonne, Toulouse, Montpellier and Prouille. It was a region known for its spiritual aridity where the thorns of heresy had deep and strong roots. Certainly nobody there was about to roll out the red carpet for him while he was passing through its towns and villages. He had to bear the insults, the derogatory remarks, doors slammed in his face, and even death threats.

At this point one might draw a comparison with what is taking place in our day when all we hold most sacred is exposed to public ridicule in the name of freedom; when teaching the truths of the Christian faith is being considered an imposition on others; when teaching how Christians should behave is thought of as stifling individual freedom.

There are lessons for our times in what has just been stated. As Christians, as a Christian community, as Church, we share in the mission of the Prophets and of the Apostles. Following their example we must be the conscience of the society in which we live.

In these circumstances Dominic would have been greatly tempted to return to the peace and quiet of the cloister of the Cathedral of Osma where, as sub-prior, he commanded the respect and love of those who lived with him. He would have been greatly tempted to ask himself the question: "What on earth am I doing here in this wilderness?" In such times when a man of little faith might have lost all courage or given way to despair, Dominic made his own those words of solace that Paul addressed to Timothy: "take your share of suffering for the gospel in the power of God... for I know whom I have believed."29

These are the very sentiments that kindled Dominic's heart and brought about in him the conviction that there is no glory without suffering, as our Lord Jesus Christ had already exemplified in His transfiguration. He therefore knew the meaning of suffering, of the lack of love, of the crisis of faith.

The virtue of compassion, together with the celebration of the Eucharist and the practice of prayer and meditation on the Word of God, was the wholesome food that nurtured his faith. He was not a man who was detached from the realities of daily life. While contemplating the word of God in the light of his personal experiences he was able to address the problems of the society in which he lived, and he showed great responsibility in putting to good use the grace that was given to him for the benefit of those who were entrusted to his care.

It was not enough for Dominic to seek those who went astray and bring them back to the fold. He also sought to lift them from their sorrows and sense of hopelessness. Like Paul before him, he could well affirm that God "comforts us in all our afflictions, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."30 He knew how to fill them with courage. He knew how to show them that they had a purpose in life - holiness - and that they had to strive for it with a deep sense of responsibility convinced that God was with them.

He did not pursue this mission solely with those who were lukewarm in their faith or who had abandoned it altogether. He was also conscious that many women whom he met were endowed with particular graces and he associated them to his apostolate. He went on to establish four monasteries for them: Prouille, Rome, Bologna and Madrid.

There were also many priests and pious laypeople to whom he spoke with such charity about the Word of God that they in turn, captivated by his zeal and the example of his life, embraced the Order which he founded: people such as Hyacinth of Poland and his brother Ceslaus, Diana d'Andalò and Cecilia, and so many others.

Dominic also had the courage to present university professors and their students with the greatest challenge of their lives, that of transforming their ambition to make a career for themselves into an ambition to save their own souls and those of others. Among these we may count Reginald of Orleans and Jordan of Saxony who was elected to succeed him at the helm of the Order and often went to confession to him.31

Being a consoler, Dominic continues to challenge the Dominican Family today. We need to be a true Dominican family in order to be preachers made of flesh and blood, so that we too may rejoice in God who shared in our humanity. We too need those noble sentiments flowing from the unique intuition of the heart with which women are endowed, whether they are sisters dedicated to the apostolic life or nuns who are living out their vocation within the silent walls of the cloister. We too need the experience of married couples who can share with us their joys and their sufferings in starting a family and watching it grow and mature in today's society with all the challenges that it places before us. Even in today's modern society Dominic is calling us to continue this great and noble work of salvation. In short, we are called upon to embrace the spirit and the tradition that he bequeathed to us, to build together our communities in the service of Christ at the heart of the Church. At this point it is appropriate that we talk about Dominic's relationship and that of the Order which he founded with the Church that he served so faithfully and so lovingly.

In the midst of the Church

Dominic always considered the grace of preaching that he received as one that lies at the very heart of the Church's mission - as contributing to its growth and expansion. He took to heart the counsel of Paul to the Corinthians when he wrote: "Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the Church."32

He recognized the needs of the Church of his day and the zeal of the Popes for the renewal of Christian life. He made them his. For this reason he enjoyed the trust of both Innocent III and that of his successor, Honorius III.

It is no wonder that, in one of the legends surrounding his life which has continued to inspire whole generations of Dominicans, it is stated that during his stay in Rome in 1215, while praying in St. Peter's Basilica for the protection of the Order, he beheld a vision in which he saw the Apostles Peter and Paul. Peter handed him a staff (symbolizing his journeys throughout Europe preaching), whereas Paul handed him a book (symbolizing the Gospel). Together they instructed him with the words: "Go and preach, because God has chosen you for this ministry." At that very moment he saw a multitude of his brothers spread throughout the world, walking in pairs, preaching to God's people.33

This was at the time of the Fourth Lateran Council, when Dominic could observe bishops from Eastern and Western Europe as well as from the Middle East gathering in order to discuss the reforms that the Church needed in order to be a true witness of the mission entrusted to her by Christ. Innocent III, who had convened the Council, had urged Dominic to share with him what Paul called the "anxiety for all the churches".34 When Honorius III subsequently confirmed the Order of Friars Preachers on the 18th of January 1217, he set out to implement this project of his.

In both leaders Dominic saw men who took their office of pastors with the utmost gravity. They considered their authority as primarily a service to the Church, as Peter had been quick to point out in his first letter, "not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock."35

Thus the position that Dominic occupied within the Order also lay within the Church and was the expression of the mind of the Church. He did not work alone. He was a priest who possessed a high level of education (here we have to keep in mind that in his days seminaries did not exist) and as we have already seen, he did not need anybody to spur him on in order to study the Word of God and the truths of the faith that derive from it. Several times he gave proof of the solidity of the teachings that he imparted as well as of his power to convince his hearers. As a priest and as an ecclesiastical person he was well aware of his responsibilities and fulfilled them with the utmost diligence.

At the same time, again as we have already seen, he was capable of putting to good use the grace that was granted to him for the salvation of all. His request that the Order that he founded be established as the Order of Preachers was in itself a moment of grace for the entire Church.

For this reason the office of preaching was handed down to the Order from the highest authority of the Roman Catholic Church and under his oversight. Dominic did not want to preach behind the backs of the leaders of the Church. He wanted the approval and the confirmation of the Order that he founded be a clear sign of the mission entrusted to him. He wished to demonstrate that his work went hand in hand with the Christian tradition that goes back to the time of the Apostles.

On the other hand, the Church, through the Pope, acknowledged this act of obedience on his part and entrusted him with the ministry of preaching. From these strong ties with the hierarchy of the Church Dominic stood to gain from the experience of men who were trained in the ecclesiastical sciences who saw in him a man who truly lived up to his name. He was Dominic, a man of God and sent by God, and the grace granted to him was integral to the framework of the mission of the Church.

Dominic did not consider preaching as some added element that lay outside the life of the Church. He wanted it to be rooted in the liturgy and the sacramental life. He therefore linked the office of preaching with the sacrament of Penance, which frees man from sin, and with the sacrament of the Eucharist, which unites him to Christ and to the Church. This is why our Order is a clerical Order.36

Conclusion

What lessons may we who are living at the dawn of the twenty-first century now draw from all that has been said?

The year dedicated to the Apostle of the Gentiles was brought to a close in June of last year and we are now celebrating the year dedicated to priests under the patronage of St. Jean-Marie Vianney. Last year we as Dominicans have celebrated the seven hundred and seventy-fifth anniversary of the canonization of Dominic, of whom his friend and confidante Gregory IX said: "I knew him as a man who was loyal to the entire apostolic rule, and I am sure that, in heaven, he is joined in glory to the apostles."37 We are also in the midst of decade of celebrations leading to the Jubilee of the foundation of the Order of Preachers in 2016.38

The celebration of these events should lead us to an examination of conscience as priests, as religious, as laypeople in the Church.

In the light of what I have stated above it is perhaps appropriate that we should pose ourselves some questions concerning our life and our actions and consider to what extent are these still reflecting the sacred heritage that has been bequeathed to us.

We need to ask ourselves as Christians whether we have leant too heavily on our past without realizing that the faith which we received is, in the words of Paul, a "treasure in earthen vessels"39 which might well be taken away from us.

We have to ask ourselves whether we have opened the door to compromises in our lives, compromises that have brought about contradictions between the faith that we profess orally on the one hand, and our mentality and behaviour on the other.

We need to ask ourselves whether this mentality - or should I say, obsession - that we must be like everybody else in everything - has made us forget who we are.

We need to ask ourselves whether this enthusiasm - or should I say, obsession - for bland and neutral language - is stifling our religious discourse.

We must ask ourselves whether the thought has even crossed our minds that our moral landscape is in grave danger; that if we are to keep the front door of our house ajar, then we might as well throw it wide open.

Today's society has every right to pose uncomfortable questions to the Church. It is an essential element of that healthy tension that should exist between them. But it is no less true that this same society should be ready to hear some uncomfortable answers. The Church's mission is that of proclaiming the Gospel, and the content of the latter is not necessarily what one would wish to hear nor is it always music to our ears. Neither is it up to society to dictate what issues the Church should speak about and those about which it should keep its mouth shut.

Rather, should it not be the case that the ideal, charism, and mission of Dominic should enlighten the Church's mission just as it did during his lifetime? We cannot afford to rest upon our laurels. As Dominican communities we are required to witness to the relevance of the Gospel at all times and in all places. We need to face the challenges posed by our modern - or post-modern - society with faith and courage. This requires a thorough overhaul of our formation programmes, especially as regards catechesis, study, and the content of our preaching.

What is at stake is no less than our relevance as Christian communities and as a Church. The Church should maintain that healthy tension that has been a hallmark of its life and mission since the time of Peter and Paul: the tension between structure and movement. A Church without movement is lifeless; a Church without a structure is spineless.

As in the time of Dominic, we must realize that our Christian communities must be prophetic and apostolic. In these times of crisis on all fronts, where there exists a great void that was formerly occupied by God, we are required to bear witness to the fact that human beings have dignity and rights and these have been given by God who cast us all in His image and who redeemed us through His Son. But these rights go hand in hand with responsibilities.

As Dominicans we are called to proclaim that men and women do not have dignity in accordance to what they produce; that the family - father, mother and children - is the natural environment in which one begins to learn the meaning of love; that small gestures can turn out to be the most beautiful and effective homilies for raising the hopes of those who are marginalized. Like Dominic before us we have all been called to receive and live the grace of preaching.

It is therefore fitting that we turn our gaze to Dominic our father and our master and seek his prayers and intercession through that poignant antiphon that is an integral part of our Dominican liturgical tradition:

O SPEM MIRAM

O wonderful hope which you gave
to those who wept for you at the hour of your death,
promising after your departure
to be helpful to your brethren.
Fulfill, father, what you have said
and help us by your prayers.

You who shone by so many miracles
worked on the bodies of the sick,
bring us the help of Christ
to heal our sick souls.
Fulfill, father, what you have said
and help us by your prayers.

 Footnotes:

1. See Mt. 5:17.
2. 1 Cor. 1:24.
3. Mk. 16:15.

4. See Is. 43:5. See also Is. 41:10; Jer. 1:7-8.
5. See Lk. 5:10.
6. See Lk. 1:30.
7. See Acts 23:11.
8. Phil. 4:13.
9. Mt. 10:20.
10. Is. 6:5.
11. 1 Cor. 15:10.
12. 1Thess. 2:13.

13. Honorius III: Letter to Dominic and his brethren, 18 January 1221 (MOPH XXV, p.144)
14. Prologue of The Primitive Constitutions.

15. Jordan of Saxony, On the Beginnings of the Order of Preachers, edited and translated by Simon Tugwell, OP, Dominican Sources, Blackfriars Publications, Blackfriars - Oxford, 1982, nn. 104b-105a.
16. Testimony of Paul of Venice, Process of Canonization at Bologna, n. 25 in:
http://www.domcentral.org/trad/domdocs/0003.htm
17. Gal. 2:20a.
18. 1 Cor 1:23.

19.  Jordan of Saxony, op. cit., n. 105.
20.  Jn. 20:28.
21.  Testimony of John of Spain, Process of Canonization at Bologna, n. 29.
22.  Ef. 3:18.
23.  Testimony of Bonaventure of Verona, Process of Canonization at Bologna, n. 3.
24.  Jordan of Saxony, op. cit., n. 104.
25.  The Rule of St. Augustine, Introduction.

26. Deposition of Lord William Peyre, Abbot of the monastery of St. Paul, Process of Canonization, Toulouse, in : http://www.domcentral.org/trad/domdocs/0004.htm
27. Jordan of Saxony, op. cit., n. 107.
28. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, IIa IIae, q. 39, art. 1 resp.

29. 2Tim. 1:8b.12.
30. 2 Cor. 1:4.

31. Jordan of Saxony, op. cit., n. 3.
32. 1 Cor. 14:12
33. Constantine of Orvieto, Legenda, n. 25.
34. 2 Cor. 11:28.

35. 1 Pt. 5:3.
36. Fundamental Constitution, VI.

37. Jordan of Saxony, op. cit., n. 125 in http://www.domcentral.org/trad/domdocs/0001.htm
38. See http://curia.op.org/jubilee/
39. 2 Cor. 4:7.