Meditation for August 4, Saint Dominic

After having prayed at the shrine of Rocamadour, St. Dominic set out with Brother Bernard for Orleans and Paris. On the way, they passed some German pilgrims whose language they did not know. These pilgrims were so edified at the psalms and litanies the monks chanted alternately that they asked to accompany them.

St. Dominic would have liked to preach the word of God to them, but how was he to make himself understood? "Brother Bernard, what a pity not to be able to sow spiritual seed in all these pilgrims. Let us kneel down, please, and beg the Lord to give us the grace of understanding and speaking their language."

The miracle was accomplished and for four days, St. Dominic conversed with the pilgrims about the mysteries of faith.

How difficult it is, now more than ever, to make oneself under­stood in certain surroundings. Sometimes deep abysses separate two minds.

An old legend tells of a saintly monk who had the marvelous gift of understanding everybody. "He who wishes to become per­fect in charity," he used to say to his disciples, "must learn to discover what is behind the face of human beings."

Putting oneself in the place of others, picturing the sufferings they have endured, the present circumstances of their lives will often make us more friendly, more understanding and less narrowly closed against their thoughts and their language.

"O Lord, grant me the grace to understand others well and to make myself understood, above all if I am charged with the care of others. Understanding others better, I can love them better. I will pray that I may always know how to speak the language of those with whom I deal."

_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)