Advent Daily Meditations

During Advent there will be a meditation each day by one of the students on the scripture readings for that day.

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'Oct.06' in Birmingham

'Oct.06' was billed as the "biggest gathering of young Catholics in England and Wales" for over a quarter of a century, so how could we not be there? This national event was organized by Catholic Youth Services, an agency of the Bishop's Conference and it was held at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham on 14th and 15th October.

Although we could not stay for the entire weekend, Brothers Bruno, David, Lawrence and Paul spent most of Saturday afternoon at the NIA, together with an estimated 1000 young people and other priests and religious. The keynote speaker for the day was Fr J Glenn Murray, an American Jesuit who regaled the crowd with his vigorous and participatory talk on why the Mass is exciting. "It's about an attitude of gratitude", he said.

We are certainly grateful that the bishops and CYS put together this event which also provided a range of workshops and talks, Catholic speed dating (!) and moments of prayer and adoration. The weekend offered a wonderful opportunity for us to meet other young Catholics, to share the Dominican vision and charism with them and to bear witness together to the people of Birmingham of our love for Christ and the Gospel and the vibrancy of His Church in our land.

Dominican study

The Dominican constitutions speak as follows about the place of study in our form of life:

St Dominic in founding the Order was truly innovative: he intimately linked study to the ministry of salvation. He himself always carried around with him St Matthew's gospel and St Paul's letters. He directed the brothers to the schools, and sent them to 'study, preach and establish convents' in the larger cities.


It follows that our study should principally and zealously be directed to this, that we may be of help to the souls of our neighbours. Study enables the brothers to ponder in their hearts the manifold wisdom of God, and equips them for the doctrinal service of the Church and of all people.They ought to be all the more committed to study because in the Order's tradition they are called to stimulate people's desire to know the truth(§§76-77).

On not enjoying prayer

Bede Jarrett OP writes about 'unattractive prayer':

There is some incompatibility in the inner life between sensible devotion and the depth of love. It is suggested to us that only when the sensible devotion has died down, gone out, will the real spiritual life come into its proper relationship to the whole man. Man, therefore, needs the fusing into one of his whole being. So long as he retains his devotional fervour in its physical sense, he has little chance of being able to hold to the Spirit. His upper surfaces are too engaging for him to be able to realize his lack. All goes so well with him that he does not see how ill it all is. There is the danger of mere externalism, the child's spirit of prayer that cannot hold out against the pressure of life and its stings ...

We accept it, then, as a principle of the life of the soul that it is expedient when the merely emotional side of religion gives way to something deeper, because only with the dying down of the emotional side can the other be liberated - the advent of the Holy Spirit. That this should be so in the world of the spirit is natural enough, for here above all we need to guard against the intrusion of self and of self-complacency. Now, it is abundantly clear that, if we did enjoy prayer always, we should be with difficulty persuaded from praying always, and yet our motive in so doing might very easily be not supernatural or unselfish but human and selfish. We might easily give ourselves to prayer because we enjoyed it. That would be a poor motive, for we would be seeking not God but self.

What is 'Godzdogz' ?

'Godzdogz' is an internet-based project of the student-brothers of the English Dominican Province. On this site you will find four main sections which are based upon the main features of Dominican life:

1) Preaching: As brothers (friars) of the Order of Preachers, this is why we exist! From the earliest days of the Order, we preached the truth of Jesus Christ to the world, bringing the light of faith in Him, to all who seek truth and long for God.

This section will contain preaching by the students and other Dominican friars in written and audio-visual media.

2) Prayer & Liturgy: The Dominican life considers preaching as handing on the fruit of our contemplation. Prayer and contemplation, particularly in the solemn celebration of the Liturgy, is a focal point in the day of a Dominican friar.

This section will offer prayerful reflections and writings on Dominican spirituality.

3) Study: Assiduous attention to the Word of God, by which we are enabled to preach Christ and through which we contemplate Him, is a vital part of the Dominican life.

This section will have articles related to our study, as well as give you a chance to ask questions of our friars, in a virtual 'Quodlibeta'!

4) Community Life: We live in priories - there are seven such houses of Dominican friars in Britain. Community life is the rich soil in which all the above take place; it helps to keep our feet on the ground and inspires us to be brothers to one another. Together, we praise, bless and preach Jesus Christ.

This section will share with you events, news and photos of the Studentate.

Through this site, we hope to share with you the vitality of the Dominican life and the joys of the Gospel. Welcome!

Perhaps you're still wondering: "Why Godzdogz"?

The name 'Dominican', although derived from the name of our holy father and Founder, St Dominic, is also a pun on the Latin phrase "Domini canes" which means 'Dogs of the Lord.'

This was itself based on a dream which St Dominic's mother, Blessed Juana de Aza, had in 1170 when she was pregnant: she saw a black and white dog with a torch in its mouth setting the world ablaze. This was interpreted to refer to St Dominic and his spiritual children, the Dominican Order - in their black and white habits - whose preaching brings the light of Gospel truth to shine upon and inflame the world with divine love.

And so, this site represents the 'barks' of this pack of 'God's dogs', hopefully gathering all into the flock of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd!