Today’s Readings – Saint Dominic, Priest

Dominic Guzman was born in 1170 at Calaruega in Castile, Spain. He was the youngest of four children of the warden of the town. He was educated by his uncle, the archpriest of Gumiel d’Izan, and later at Palencia. He became an Augustinian canon of Osma Cathedral and led the normal life of a priest for seven years, marked by a devotion to prayer and penance.

In 1201, he was made prior of his community. In 1204, on his way to Denmark, Dominic first encountered Albigensian heretics at Toulouse, in the south of France. Albigensianism (also known as Catharism) was a form of gnosticism. It believed in two mutually exclusive powers—one purely spiritual and the other materialistic and evil. The reconciliation of the Albigensians with the Church would become the principal aim of Dominic’s … Continue

Yesterday’s Readings – Friday of Week 18 of Ordinary Time - First Reading

Commentary on Nahum 2:1,3; 3:1-3,6-7

Today we have a single reading from the very short Book of Nahum (just three chapters). Nahum is one of the so-called ‘minor’ prophets, as opposed to ‘major’ prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.

Nahum made his pro … Continue