There is a story that Dominicans like to tell for today’s feast of the Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary (May 8). It goes something like this: St. Dominic, “caught up in the spirit” before God saw the Lord and Mary sitting on their thrones with the Father. All around, Dominic could see saints from many religious orders and congregations–but not one Dominican was anywhere to be seen. When he began to sob at this realization, Mary herself motioned him over. Then Jesus called Dominic, too. The Lord asked why he was weeping. Dominic replied:
“I am weeping because I see all other orders here but there is no sign of my own.” The Lord said to him, “Do you want to see your Order?” Dominic answered, “Yes, Lord.” Then Our Lord, putting his hand upon the shoulders of the Blessed Virgin, said to Dominic, “I have entrusted your Order to my Mother.” Then the Blessed Virgin opened the mantle that covered her and spread it out before Dominic. It seemed vast enough to cover the entire heaven and, under it, he saw a large multitude of his brethren. Then, prostrating himself, Dominic gave thanks to God and to Blessed Mary.
What does it mean for the Dominican family to be “under the mantle of” and under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary? We can think of this in two different ways. First, a patron is someone who makes a mission possible—someone who provides for a cause or community with practical support. Think of the Medici family funding the art of Michelangelo in the 16th century, or today a foundation sponsoring the construction of a new university building. In this sense, Mary is the generous benefactress of the Order, providing spiritual support and maternal care that enables the Dominicans to flourish. She who first brought the Word made flesh into the world helps us to continue to preach her Son today.
Second, we speak of a patron in the familiar Catholic sense: a heavenly intercessor who accompanies us in prayer. We ask St. Anthony for help when something is lost, St. Jude when we face a hopeless cause, or St. Joseph when seeking strength as fathers. Students ask for the intercession of St. Thomas Aquinas, while athletes turn to St. Sebastian. These saints pray with and for us in our need.
In both these senses, the Dominican family is given and calls Mary, our Mother, to be the patroness of the order. We trust that Mary will “provide” for us as a patroness, and that she will also pray for us unceasingly. Today we can place ourselves under the mantle of Mary, pondering in our hearts on the marvels that God has done in salvation history, for the Order of Preachers, and in our own lives. Praying with the prayer written for this feast at the 1974 general chapter, we can say:
Virgin Mother Mary, with trust we approach you. We, your preachers, fly to you who believed in the words sent from heaven and pondered them in your heart. We stand close around you, who are always present to the gathering of apostles.
In you the Word was made flesh, that same Word which we receive, contemplate, praise together and preach. Therefore, under your guidance we today devote ourselves anew to the ministry of the Word. Furthermore, we declare to you that, hearing with you the Word within ourselves and anointed by the Spirit, whose sacred vessel you preeminently are, we are consecrated in the name of Jesus Christ to the evangelization of the world.
With the eyes of your heart enlightened, you understood the mystery of the Word. Through you we, too, are able to perceive the presence of that same Word in the history of our time, so that we may finally contemplate him face to face.
Through you the Father sent his Son into the world that he might save it. Through you we will be powerful in the sight of your people, becoming witnesses of that truth which frees and of that love which unites.
To this place we have brought our needs and here we ponder them. Do you, Mother, give us strength and preserve the harmony of our family, so that what was begun by our profession may be brought to completion by our love for one another, for the salvation of the world and to the praise and glory of God. Amen.
Hope Zelmer
Hope Zelmer is a writer and a former theology teacher and campus minister at Fenwick High School, a Dominican Catholic preparatory school in Oak Park, Illinois. Hope has written for publications such as FaithND, Church Life Journal, and FemCatholic. She holds a BA and MA in Theology from the University of Notre Dame.
