Few Catholics today know much about Saint Dominic, who died eight hundred years ago in 1221. Unlike Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Ávila, or Ignatius of Loyola, Dominic did not leave a deposit of writings to be examined and built upon. Yet this medieval Spaniard still has much to teach us today, and we see this in the way of life he left to the Church.
Dominic offers a rich approach to Christian living, not just for members of the Order of Preachers, the religious order he founded, but for all Catholics. His dedication to prayer, penance, and the Word of God, and his love of neighbor, form the deep foundation of his project of being conformed to God. By following in Dominic’s footsteps, we too can discover how to live with a heart that is undivided, seeking God first in all things.
“The twenty-first century remains in need of the witness and ministry of Saint Dominic, the thirteenth-century priest who consecrated his life to the sharing of saving truth. Fortunately, Fathers Briscoe and Janczyk have produced a highly readable and inspiring book that enables the men and women of our own time to discover the graces that Dominic continues to bring to us as an instrument of God, the author of grace. In Saint Dominic, the contemplative preacher of grace, we can all find a spiritual father who will teach us to know and love the Lord Jesus, who is himself Saving Truth.”
— Father Sebastian White, OP, Editor-in-Chief, Magnificat
“This beautiful book allows us to get to know Saint Dominic better, who was so close to God and so full of compassion for all the sufferings of his time. He is a shining example of what we are called to do today: seek God with all our heart to pour out the balm of his merciful love on all the plagues of our world.”
— Father Jacques Philippe, best-selling author and retreat master
“With every chapter, I felt drawn deeper into the pure and passionate heart of St. Dominic, beating with love for Christ. This was a man burning with zeal and consumed with concern for souls caught up in heresy, error, and scandal. Truly a man for our times! The charism of his Order of Preachers is as necessary now as it was at its founding. Anyone who wants to know Dominic will experience herein an inspiring, delightful and profound sense of his personality, sentiments, and holiness.”
— Sister Bethany Madonna, SV
“In one sense, Aquinas and Dominic are like complete opposites. Italian and Spanish. Large and thin. Theoretical and practical. In another sense, it’s clear that they are brothers. Both loved the Lord and His Church. Both preached for the salvation of souls. And both provide excellent models of the Christian life for us today.”
— Matt Fradd, creator and host of Pints with Aquinas
“No more practical treatment exists to get to know and love and be friends with Saint Dominic than Saint Dominic’s Way of Life: A Path to Knowing and Loving God. He continues to minister to people in desperate need of Jesus Christ through the Dominican fathers who are responsible for this book. We need Saint Dominic. We need this book. Thanks be to God it exists.”
— Kathryn Jean Lopez, senior fellow, National Review Institute, editor-at-large, National Review, author, A Year with the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Father Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, and Father Jacob Bertrand Janczyk, OP, are cohosts of the lively Dominican friars’ podcast Godsplaining. Father Patrick serves as deputy senior editor of Aleteia.org and associate chaplain at Providence College. Father Jacob Bertrand is the director of vocations of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph.
