My Favorite Dominican Saints

           I was able to get beautiful miniature images of my favorite Dominican saints. Their sizes are around 1x1x3 inches. They are beautifully crafted, I ordered them from TangingArt Studio from Shopee online, they are priced around at Php329.00, almost $6. Quite pricey for a miniature image but they are beautifully designed and crafted, 3d images. 

For now, I ordered 3 Dominican miniature statues, St. Dominic de Guzman, St. Catherine of Siena and St. Martin de Porres. I am familiar with the Dominican saints because I used to watch the canozzas that were lined up at the church in Sto. Domingo also known sa Our Lady of Holy Rosary La Naval de Manila, during their fiesta month which is in October. 

A bit of information about these saints. St. Dominic de Guzman is of Spanish nobility. I read that he is a good-looking fine gentleman. His mother is Blessed Joan of Aza. He is the father/founder of the Order of Preachers. He is known for battling the Albigensian heresy and it was he whom  Our Lady gave and taught how to pray the Holy Rosary. As a Marian devotee, the Holy Rosary is really important for me. That is why the Dominican order is very close to my heart. Their habit is composed of a white tunic with a black cappa or cloak. They wear this cloak over their white habit, and they have a rosary hanging on their belt. The Dominicans are also called as "Hounds of the Lord," in Latin Dominicans is rendered as Dominicanus, which is quite similar to Domini Canis or Hounds of the Lord. Also, this refers to the mother of St. Dominic in her dream she was shown a dog carrying a torch in its mouth. Thus, St. Dominic was indeed God's torch bearer, giving light to this world by preaching God'a truth and battling heresy. St. Dominic de Guzman is often depicted holding a lily and a bible and/or rules of their order, also with a dog and torch by his side.

Next is St. Catherine of Siena. I am familiar with her because I read her life once in the Lives of Saints when I was a young girl. She is an Italian virgin and saint and a lay Dominican and is considered as a Doctor of the church.  She also received the Stigmata. She is often depicted holding a lily, a symbol of purity and a heart. I read that Jesus gave her His heart in one of her visions. Her writing can be found in the Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena.

She also urged the Pope Gregory XI  to return the papacy to Rome. She is a a defender of faith and of the papacy.

Last but not the least is a lay Dominican brother St. Martin de Porres. He is a popular Dominican saint also and in easily recognizable because his color. He is often depicted holding a bread and holding a wooden stick, sometimes with a stray dog by his side. He is known for his kindness and his charity especially to the needed. His birth date is same as mine, 9th of December. I am also familiar with him because I also read his story in The Lives of Saints book. He is also known for his many miracles. He can bilocate or be seen in two places at the same time, levitate and he can communicate with animals. He is the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman and a black, indigenous freed slave. He is the patron saint of mixed race people, barbers, innkeepers, 

public health workers and those seeking social justice.

We as Roman Catholics are very blessed to have saints whom we can follow and look up to and better yet to idolize especially during these times where vanity and riches are given importance to. Only few young people now look up to God's holy servants. Let us pray for priestly and religious vocations all around the world! 

All Dominican Saints and Blessed! pray for us! 🌹

Spiritual Direction

          I have long wanted to have someone guide me spiritually. I have heard of priests as spiritual directors. I know that priests play a very vital role in the spiritual growth of a religious or a lay person. I am reminded of St. Faustina and her spiritual director, Blessed Michael Sopocko. 

I have had a few spiritual directors. Actually, I am the one who asked these priests to help me. As a lay Carmelite, I wanted to have a Carmelite spiritual director/guide so that he could understand me. I do not know what happened, but the priest who agreed to help me lacks enthusiasm; I am the only one who is proactive. The same goes for the other priests. I even asked a priest from the Discalced Carmelites, but they were all unsuccessful. My experience in the Third Order Carmelite is not very favorable. 

Fast forward to now. I want to wear the Dominican cross that I bought at Sto. Domingo Church. It was by chance that came across Bishop Napoleon "Jun" Sipalay, Jr. online. I am asking for his blessing and permission to wear a Dominican cross, even though I am not a member of any Dominican Laity family. He told me I can wear the Dominican cross. Actually, one Dominican priest told me that only the members of bonafide Dominican institutes can wear it. To be honest I cannot accept it so I looked for another opinion of a Dominican priest. Fr. Edmund Nantes. He said I can wear it and be faithful to what it symbolizes. 

 It also crossed my mind that I need a Dominican spiritual director even if I am not a member of the Dominican family. I know God sent Fr. Quirico to me through Bishop Jun. I know there's a reason why its Fr. Quirico. I read a lot of good comments about Fr. Quirico and I have seen his academic achievements that was posted online. We've had few conversations online and I really learned a lot from him.

One take away that I got from our conversation yesterday is that everything takes time. He even mentioned my favorite saint, St. Therese of Lisieux, we all know her story wherein she asked the Pope to let her enter the convent despite her age. 

I thank God for finally sending me a good spiritual director. Even if I am still not part officially of any Dominican associations. I will wait with great hope. May God's will be done.

The Dominican Way

           It has been a long time since I last posted in this blog of mine. A lot has happened. I already left the Third Order Carmelites last February of this month. I wrote them a letter saying I will not continue my formation and that I will not apply to the Postulancy. To be honest my heart is not 100% pure in joining the Carmelites, a part of me just thinks how lovely it would be if I am a part of a religious order. I also experienced stress in the Carmelite community because one of the head is insisting that I attend physically even if I already explained I cannot due to several factors. Plus, my husband does not approve me of joining because he said I should focus more on our family and with our toddler. I admit I already felt relieved when the The Third Order Carmelites sent me my letter of release from the order. 

Now, I am free. I am still restless. That's when started seeking other religious orders and I came back to the Franciscans, I emailed a few religious orders and only one replied, Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA), I was accepted a few weeks ago even if I am outside the USA, and I emailed a lot of Dominican religious order that has an associate but I only got 1 reply and that is from the Adrian Dominicana. I submitted a letter of withdrawal to the FSPA today. I feel a bit bad because the director there, Michael Krueger was so kind to welcome me and accept even if I am from the overseas. This is my second time in joining the Franciscans, I don't but I just don't feel at home with them. 

While my application to the Adrian Dominican is not very clear. I was referred to a Dominican Sisters here in Pampanga whom the work closely. I have not heard any news from one of the Sisters whom I spoke with regarding my joining the associates. 

This month my husband accompanied me to the Sto. Domingo church in Quezon City, the same city where our office is located. It has been a long time since my last visit there. Such fond memories because eversince I was young we would hear mass here every fiesta and I would look at the different Dominican Saints and blessed on the canozzas at the church's hallways. The most saint that I am struck with or that has caught my attention is Bl. Margaret of Castello, now she is a saint. I want to add that I am familiar with Saint Martin de Porres. The number and month of St. Martin de Porres is similar to mine. 

I don't know what the future holds for me. I now entrust it to God and I pray for St. Dominic de Guzman to help me be a part of the Dominican order. I also thank the Holy Spirit for sending Bishop Napoleon Sipalay, Jr., O.P to help me and that Fr. Quirico Pedregosa, O.P will be my spiritual counsel if its God's will. 

Another interesting  event is that I was born at the University of Santo Tomas hospital. Firstly, I thank God for my late aunt who is an alumni of UST because of her my mom was sent to UST hospital and I also thank God for sending skilled doctor because I was a premature baby and according to the story that I heard I died already but I was just resuscitated. There are no accidents in life. Everything happened this or that way because it was meant to be. If God wants me to walk the Dominican way so be it!