CELEBRATING 58 YEARS OF THE FOUNDING OF THE CORPUS CHRISTI CHAPTER OF DOMINICAN LAITY, 1965 - 2023
The Dominican Order (officially named the Order of Preachers) was founded by St. Dominic de Guzman in 1216. It is a world-wide community of men and women (priests, religious and laity) who participate in the spirit , practices and apostolic works of the Order, according to their state in life.
The Dominican Laity (sometimes known as Third Order Dominicans) follows the spirit of the Dominican Order and is reflected in its mottos:
LAUDARE, BENEDICERE, PRAEDICARE
To Praise, To Bless, To Preach, is a way of living life that is aware that all of creation is a gift from God, thus we give glory to God in praise. All of life is a moment when God wants to infuse us with grace, and so we bless those around us and ask God's blessing on the world. All of life is a Word from God, so our urge is to preach it.
(Taken from Dominican Life USA)
VERITAS
Consider the motto Veritas—Truth. At first glance, this motto locates the heart of our life in a quest for that which is in accord with reality. This is no small endeavor, but “Truth” takes us even further: it takes us to the person of Jesus Christ who is Truth Himself (John 14:6). To claim truth as a goal immediately places the Dominican in dialogue with skeptics and philosophers and those who, like Pilate, are uncertain about their own place in the world. The message of salvation, of the Incarnation and the Redemption, answers these deep questions and offers us the truth that sets one free (cf. John 8:32).
(Taken from Nashville Dominicans)
CONTEMPLATA ALIIS TRADERE
The liberating power of truth and the embodiment of truth in the person of Jesus give us deep cause for contemplation and lead us naturally to consider our second motto: contemplare et contemplata aliis tradere. St. Thomas Aquinas is usually given credit for this phrase. If he did not coin it, he certainly became the exemplar for living it out. The translation is “to contemplate and to give to others the fruits of contemplation.” Although the Dominican Order is officially named the Order of Preachers, from the earliest days, St. Dominic made it clear that without study, prayer, and meditation, the preacher has nothing to offer.