Quodlibet - [don't] ask us a question!

The following post was first published on 30th January 2007. Between then and 21st March 2009 we published fifteen 'quodlibets'. Then we had the year of St Paul, the year of the priest, and other things came along to fill the pages of Godzdogz. In the meantime a lot of questions came in and we want to turn now to answering those. Over the next few months we hope to publish a couple of quodlibets each week. Please don't send us any more questions for the moment - it may be that your question has already been tabled by someone else - we will let you know when we have cleared the backlog.

We would like to add a new feature to the 'study' section of Godzdogz: a virtual quodlibet. The quodlibet, roughly meaning whatever it pleases, was a form of teaching employed in the medieval university at which questions on any topic which pleased the audience were put to a teacher. These questions and answers were sometimes written up and published, most famously in the Quaestiones de quodlibet of Thomas Aquinas.

We hope that this will be a valuable, interactive element to add to our blog. We invite you therefore to propose questions which you feel we might be able to answer - whatever it pleases you to ask. From time to time we will research answers to your questions and post them here.

New Navigation Icons

'Godzdogz' has undergone a slight modification: four new 'Icons' have been placed in the Sidebar on the right. Clicking on them will take you to the relevant sections of this blog with archived content. Exciting new content to come will be posted regularly each week, tagged and placed in each of these four sections, so please do take the time to explore them, and check back regularly.

The Launch of Godzdogz

The Dominican Students
at Blackfriars (Priory of the Holy Spirit), Oxford present:

GODZDOGZ

Official Launch Date: Sunday 3rd December 2006
First Sunday of Advent

We begin this weekend with a series of daily meditations on the Scriptures presented in the Liturgy. We hope this will be one way for readers to take some time out of the rush of the pre-Christmas season and pause to reflect with us on the Mystery and Gift we celebrate.

We hope you won't want to miss out on these meditations prepared by us, so please do remember to either add this blog to your RSS Feed, or email us for a daily reminder, or click on the Advent 2006 icon to the right in the sidebar and add that page to your Bookmarks.

Please also help us to spread the news about Godzdogz by adding a link to your blog and telling your friends, family, loved ones, neighbours, everyone you meet (!) about this site.

We wish you a blessed Advent and thank you for journeying with us towards Christmas.

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!