Posted on April 14, 2023
Blog by Sr. Barbara Kane, OP
During the Easter season, we hear in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus’ command to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” A daunting task and a core scripture for the Order of Preachers. Pope Honorius III, as he approved the Order, wrote “[God] who never ceases to make the Church fruitful through new offspring… wishes to make these modern times [the thirteenth century] the equal of former days [the first Christian centuries] and to spread the Catholic faith. So, he inspired you [Dominicans] with a holy desire to embrace poverty, profess the regular life and commit yourselves to the proclamation of the word of God, preaching everywhere the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”1 Here we are 800 years later. How do we make these modern times the equal of former days as we to proclaim the Gospel to every creature?
In some ways, preaching is like Dominic’s time – men go up to a pulpit and share their words of wisdom with their congregations during Mass. This is the traditional understanding of preaching. But it’s so much more today. In some religious orders and in their motherhouse chapels, sisters proclaim the Gospel message from a woman’s perspective. There is online audio and video preaching by men and women – lay, professed, and ordained. Blogs and podcasts proliferate providing yet more insights into the scriptures. I wonder if sometime in the future, we won’t have AI Chatbot sermons. (A chatbot is software that simulates human-like conversations with users via chat. AI means artificial intelligence.) Will computer software provide better insights than humans into God’s good news?
The word ‘preach’ comes from the Latin praedicare meaning, “To proclaim publicly.” Words can be powerful, but the most powerful form of preaching is with our lives. What better way to proclaim publicly than to witness to the Gospel truth of Jesus than by demonstrating how we welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, forgive the hurtful, comfort the afflicted, respect all life – human and nature. Not many of us will ever preach from a pulpit but each day, we can give true witness to the love of Jesus Christ for each creature.
Do you feel called to preach the Gospel with your life as a Dominican Sister? Why not contact us to begin a conversation or consider attending our 5-day Mission for Peace prayer and service immersion program at our Motherhouse in Akron, Ohio, from June 2 to June 6, 2023.
Check out word.op.org for daily preaching by Dominican women and men.
1Quote about Honorius comes from Romanus Cessario, OP “The Grace St. Dominic Brings to the World: A Fresh Look at Dominican Spirituality. Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture 15(2):84-100.