THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Her Doctrine and Morals

Saint Dominic

4 August 2024

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The Sunday

Sermon

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Dear Friends in Christ,

In the time of Saint Dominic, a terrible heresy was spreading — the Albigensian heresy. This heresy taught a kind of dualism or Manicheism — that there are basically two gods — good and evil. This heresy taught that the good God creates everything spiritual and an evil god creates everything material. Sadly, we see remnants of this heresy in our day. We often find a kind of false puritanism that implies that the human body is evil and physical pleasure is evil. According to this error, the only good Christian is miserable in this life.

There is no doubt that much of the world is inundated with hedonism and is constantly seeking pleasure in this world, even at the expense of eternal happiness in Heaven. This is evil and needs to be resisted, but the opposite extreme, false Puritanism, is just as evil.

Virtue is in the middle, providing us with a balanced path to follow. God is the Creator of all things — visible and invisible — material and spiritual. All things are good — material and spiritual. We find answers to this problem quite readily in Saint Paul, who encourages us to use the things of this world as if we did not use them. The material things are all good because they have all come to us from the loving hand of God Our Father in Heaven. It is the use that we make of them that is either evil or good for us. If we eat the blessings of food that God has given us, then we should do so for the love of God. If we fast from these same blessings, we should likewise do so for the love of God. It is not the eating or the fasting that is good or bad, but rather the reason or intention for doing these things that is good or evil.

The one who feasts for the love of God does a good thing. The one who fasts for the love of God does a good thing. The one who feasts in rebellion or disobedience to God does something evil. Likewise, the one who fasts in rebellion or disobedience to God does something evil.

God is the Creator and Giver of all things, both spiritual and material. All that God has made and given us is good. There is no "evil thing" in all of creation. The only true evil is sin, and sin is not God's work. Sin is the absence of virtue. When grace is rejected, the void that is left is sin.

Saint Dominic won many heretics from the Albigensian heresy by his austerity in not using the things of this earth. He was often more austere than the very leaders of the heresy. They abstained from the use of God's gifts because they thought they were evil. Yet, their abstentions were not as severe as Saint Dominic's, and he abstained out of love for God and neighbor. He showed by his words and actions that everything is good when used for good purposes. It is not the things God has given us that are bad or evil, but rather the use we make of them.

Saint Dominic and Saint Francis of Assisi were contemporaries who worked together for God's greater honor and glory and the salvation of souls. Each sought to practice and preach the evangelical virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The goal is identical, but the approach is different or varied. The Dominican and Franciscan Orders are different, but they are nonetheless brothers laboring in God's vineyard.

Our lives today need to be inspired by the grace of God, just as they were many years ago. We should strive to win over the many heresies with an even more pious or austere evangelical life. Mere condemnations are not very effective at winning over souls. The dogma or the condemnation is only helpful for those who recognize the right of the authority or the truth of the dogma or condemnation. If we can show the world through our lives and virtues that Catholic doctrine is valid and sound and leads to happiness in Heaven and on Earth, we are more likely to win souls for Jesus Christ.

To truly honor Saint Dominic today, we should resolve to live in greater conformity to the love of God. We should strive to avoid extremes because virtue is in the middle. We should strive to use the things of this world but never become attached to them. Above all, we should strive to sanctify everything we do or do not do by making it an offering for the love of God, thereby infusing our daily actions with a sense of purpose and devotion.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspire, guide, and protect us!