Prayer to St. Dominic Guzman

 Although the feast of St. Dominic Guzman is celebrated on August 4 (August 8 on the new calendar), October, the month of the Holy Rosary, is a fitting month to ask this saint for his intercession. St. Dominic, born in Spain and well-know for his love of learning, charity, and our Lady, was ordained a priest at age twenty-five and lived according to the rule of St. Augustine. However, during a journey through France, Dominic saw the lack of Faith among the common people, with the Albigensian heresy gaining popularity, and the great need to convert them to the Truth. From that moment St. Dominic understood God's will for him was preaching in the world, thus he founded the Order of Preachers, or Dominicans.

St. Dominic worked tirelessly to combat the spread of heresy, imploring heaven in this task. Tradition holds that Mary appeared to St. Dominic, telling him that he would only conquer the enemies of the Church with her Rosary. She encouraged him to pray the Rosary and spread its use throughout the world. It was by following our Lady's command that St. Dominic was able to overcome the Albigensians, and the use of the Holy Rosary continued to increase among the faithful.

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As the month of the Holy Rosary comes to a close, may we remember to pray our Lady's psalter, her Rosary, imploring heaven, as did St. Dominic, for grace and virtue for ourselves and the entire world. Through Mary's Rosary as our “weapon” we may also transform souls and bring them to the Truth, following the holy St. Dominic Guzman. Through the following prayer to St. Dominic, we seek his intercession in obtaining an increase of virtues, to aid us in living a holy life, filled with love of God, prayer, and kindness toward all.

A Prayer to Saint Dominic

O glorious Saint Dominic, thou who wast a model of mortification and purity, by punishing thy innocent body with scourges, with fastings, and with watchings, and by keeping inviolate the lily of thy virginity, obtain for us the grace to practice penance with a generous heart and to keep unspotted the purity of our bodies and our hearts. *** Recite 1 Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.

O great Saint, who, inflamed with divine love, didst find thy delight in prayer and intimate union with God, obtain for us to be faithful in our daily prayers, to love Our Lord ardently, and to observe His commandments with ever-increasing fidelity. ***Recite 1 Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.

O glorious Saint Dominic, who, being filled with zeal for the salvation of souls, didst preach the Gospel in season and out of season and didst establish the Order of Friars Preachers to labor for the conversion of heretics and poor sinners, pray thou to God for us, that He may grant us to love all our brethren sincerely and to cooperate always, by our prayers and good works, in their sanctification and eternal salvation. *** Recite 1 Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.

V. Pray for us, Saint Dominic; R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we who are weighed down by the burden of our sins may be raised up by the patronage of blessed Dominic Thy Confessor. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+