For various reasons the feast day of St Dominic in Valletta is kept on the Sunday on or before August 4th. This means that tomorrow is the day. This is the church in which I grew up, it really shaped and formed me. It is wonderful to be there and meet so many friends, trying to catch up with a year’s worth of news.
My thoughts take me to reflect on the life of the glorious St Dominic. He never fails to inspire! He spent his life in adverse circumstances combating the heresies of his time. For a period of time he was left on his own, facing an impossible task. He prayed and remained faithful. Eventually he was surrounded by a group of like minded people which he formed into the most wonderful yeast that transformed society. In our difficult circumstances, Dominic inspires us to pray, to speak the truth, to meditate on Scripture and like him to keep our gaze fixed upon the cross – God, in His time, will do the rest. However like Dominic we can not retreat, there is work to be done. Shortly after Dominic’s death his successor Jordan of Saxony described him as: “his words were always about God or to God.” What a model!
This evening the opening of the feast took the form of the Translation of his relic. This signifies the death of Dominic and his entry into heaven. The relic is taken from an Oratory to the Church. Here are some pics:
My thoughts take me to reflect on the life of the glorious St Dominic. He never fails to inspire! He spent his life in adverse circumstances combating the heresies of his time. For a period of time he was left on his own, facing an impossible task. He prayed and remained faithful. Eventually he was surrounded by a group of like minded people which he formed into the most wonderful yeast that transformed society. In our difficult circumstances, Dominic inspires us to pray, to speak the truth, to meditate on Scripture and like him to keep our gaze fixed upon the cross – God, in His time, will do the rest. However like Dominic we can not retreat, there is work to be done. Shortly after Dominic’s death his successor Jordan of Saxony described him as: “his words were always about God or to God.” What a model!
This evening the opening of the feast took the form of the Translation of his relic. This signifies the death of Dominic and his entry into heaven. The relic is taken from an Oratory to the Church. Here are some pics:
The oratory of the Sacred Doctrine from where the Translation of the relic begins.
The opening of the procession.
The celebrant holding the relic of St Dominic.
The church before the celebration.
This is not a red altar cloth, it is the dust cover of a side altar.
The sacristy and it's altar
2 comments:
I have found that on these as well as a number of the pics that follow, although I get the hand which signifies that theh photo will enlarge upon clicking, nothing actually happens. this is very unfotunate as these arelovely pictures.
Dear David,
So sorry about this. I will see what I can do, but please do bear with me.
Thanks.
Fr Ivan
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