Ave Maria Meditations
Saint Dominic (1170-1221) founder of the Order of Preachers (O.P.): the Dominicans
Dominic de Guzman was born 1170 in Castile, Spain. His holy mother, Blessed Jane, raised her son in the faith in an exemplary manner. At age 24 he was ordained a priest.
In 1208, he complained to Our Lady while in pious prayer about all the heresies that were abounding and his frustration to turn the hearts of those that were embracing them. She in turn answered him saying, “Wonder not that you have obtained so little fruit by your labors, you have spent them on barren soil, not yet watered with the dew of Divine Grace. When God willed to renew the face of the earth, He began by sending down on it the fertilizing rain of the Angelic Salutation. Therefore, preach my Psalter composed of 150 Angelic Salutations and 15 Our Fathers, and you will obtain an abundant harvest.” When he began to preach the Rosary, his success in conversions was astounding.
Although the Rosary had been known in some form before this time and later was particularly set in place by Bl. Alan de la Roche, this revelation of the origin of the Rosary to St. Dominic was affirmed by Pope Leo XIII, and the tradition that Mary first revealed the Rosary to St. Dominic is supported by 13 Popes. St. Dominic now found great success in this new devotion and brought about the conversion of the Albigensians. Our Blessed Lady made known to St. Dominic, a kind of preaching then unknown; which she said would be one of the most powerful weapons against future errors and in future difficulties.
St Dominic found the Order of Preachers, or Dominicans in 1216. Soon after, the friars were sent in all directions. Friaries were established in Spain, France, England, and Italy. St. Dominic was appointed master general of the order in 1220, by Pope Honorius III. St. Dominic died on August 6, 1221, in Bologna. His feast day is August 8.
Centuries later the Dominican Pope, St. Pius V, called for a rosary crusade to defeat the Muslims that were once again invading Christendom. On October 7, 1571, in response to this prayer of the rosary from many people, the Battle of Lepanto was won and the Turks were defeated and turned back. This great victory saved Europe from the Mohammedan peril. God revealed to the Holy Father the news of this great victory before human endeavors could reveal it. That date is now the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary and the Popes have worn this Dominican white as their special cassock ever since to commemorate this Dominican Pope and the power of praying the Rosary.
