The Door to Lightness

St. Dominic was born on Caleruega, halfway betwwen Osma and Aranda de Duero in Old Castile, Spain. When he was a boy, he used to sleep on the floor. He thought of it as a little sacrifice thinking of the other people who are not in comfort. Once when he went with his mother to the Benedictine abbey, he met a monk and was inspired by his words. Soon, he went to Palencia for his studies. There, he sold his clothes, furniture and even precious manuscripts to feed the hungry. When asked why he was doing such thing, he answered: Would you have me study off these dead skins, when men are dying of hunger?

After an incident happened where he almost sacrificed himself for the freedom of another person, the Bishop of Osma talked to him. He was then asked to join the Canons Regular in the canonry of Osma. In 1203 or 1204, he accompanied Diego de Acebo, the Bishop of Osma, on a diplomatic mission for the King of Castile, Alfonso VIII. They were to secure a bride in Denmark for the crown prince Ferdinand amidst his early age. They traveled to Denmark via Aragon and the south of France where they encountered the Cathars, a Christian religious sect with gnostic and dualistic beliefs. They believe that there are two Gods. The avenging God in the Old Testament and the loving God in the New Testament. The Roman Catholic Church deemed this as heretical. Eventually, the negotiations ended successfully but the princess died before leaving for Castile.

Soon after, a rich resident of Toulouse gave his house to Dominic for his establishment alongside with six followers. Prayer and penance were the monastic rules subjected by him and his companions. They managed to have an authority to preach throughout the territory of Trolouse and went to Rome to ask for the approval of the pope. Eventually, they were granted and the order was named Ordo Praedicatorum (O.P.) or The Order of Preachers. It was then popularly known as the Dominican Order.

Dominic continued his mission and sent many of his followers where soon enough his brotherhood of friars grew. Dominic maintained a simple life observing silence, fasting, wearing the meanest clothes, and never allowed himself the luxury of a bed. He preached all throughout the land walking barefooted ignoring the pain in his feet because of the thorns and sharp stones. He would spend his nights praying to the Lord, asking for forgiveness and guidance. He believed that discomforts are nothing for praising God is all that matters.

After some time, he reached the convent of St. Nicholas at Bologna, Italy. He was fifty-one years old at that time and was sick and weary with a fever. He eventually died after all those years of exhaustion with the austerities and labors of his career. But before he died, he said these words: Do not weep, I shall be of more use to you and bear more fruit for you after death than I ever did in life. God will provide me.

Four words. One line. It is indeed a simple sentence. Yet, it is complex in meaning. Simple as any people could say this. But complex as not anyone who would say this would get the true meaning of this. How simple could one say these words. Yet how complex it is as to how one believes in these words.

St. Dominic said these words when he had a conversation with the Diego de Acebo, Bishop of Osma. He gave out everything that he had to the poor and the needy. Asked as how would he live now with nothing after giving everything, St. Dominic confidently answered that God will provide him. Even if others were telling him to save for himself, he didnt listen. He could not stand studying and living in comfort while other people were dying of hunger. He was willing to give everything he had even his own life for others.

Cries. Fear. Selfishness. These were the things that the people had. Through war and famine, people became selfish, full of fear and miserable.

They forgot what its like to trust people and believe and them. Even God, they forgot whats the truth in Him. Their ideas of God got mixed up due to the continuous war that was happening.

But amidst all that, St. Dominic never gave up hope. He encouraged his other fellow holy men to teach other people especially those who already forgot God because of the situation. He gave the people the very faith that they forgot and doubted. He gave them an example of a person having so much faith whos willing to do everything for God. And that example was he, himself. And because of that, St. Dominic opened the eyes of many towards seeing the door of believing in God and proclaiming their faith in His name.