The 4 Pillars

There are four pillars to the Dominican life.

Prayer – we must first love God above all else, and we begin by speaking with and listening to our Lord in prayer. Lay Dominicans live a life of prayer that is centered on the Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary and personal prayer. We take time to order our lives so that they revolve around our relationship with the Lord as opposed to trying to “fit prayer in” when it is convenient.

Study – we follow the words of Saint Peter who said “Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence” (1 Pet 3:15). Lay Dominicans engage in study – a continuous process of learning more about our Lord and our faith.  Centered around the Holy Scriptures and other spiritual works, we form ourselves in the truth of Jesus Christ to be more effective witnesses of the Gospel.

Community – a Christian in isolation does not remain a Christian for long. Lay Dominicans realize the inestimable value of community and seek community in their family life – both their personal families and their Dominican family. We value our time together as a Dominican community in monthly formal meetings for prayer, business, and formation; we also come together to engage in works of charity and justice.

Sharing our faith – Regarding the understanding of Scripture, the Ethiopian eunuch said “How can I, unless some one guides me?” (Acts 8:31) Lay Dominicans exercise a ministry of preaching to the world.  This ministry is not necessarily a formal, liturgical preaching, but rather a ministry of preaching and evangelizing the world in our ordinary, everyday lives. We preach the Gospel and the cross of Jesus Christ in our words, actions, and relationships with family, friends, co-workers, and all those with whom we come in contact.

Additional Marks:

In addition to these four pillars, there are several distinctive marks of the Lay Dominicans:

1. Our origin as “The Order of Penance.”  Traditionally, Lay Dominicans dedicate themselves to routine penances on behalf of the Church including fasting, abstinence from meat four days a week, and additional prayer.
2. A dedication to praying for the dead.  Lay Dominicans (and all Dominicans) have a secondary charism dedicated to praying for the dead a multiple points during the year.  The Carmel Lay Dominican Fraternity devotes an extra meeting each November to meeting at a local cemetery and praying the Office for the Dead.
3. We wear a modified Dominican Habit during our lives–the white scapular characteristic of the Dominican Order, but we may elect to be buried in a full Dominican habit if we chose.

Consider coming to one of our monthly Chapter meetings!