The 15 Tuesdays in Honor of St. Dominic

 

This year, the traditional devotion of 15 Tuesdays in honor of St. Dominic begins tomorrow on Tuesday, April 26th. As a postulant in Order of Preachers, this devotion is especially dear to me. Next month I will be received as a tertiary into the Dominican 3rd Order.

The tradition of dedicating Tuesdays to Our Holy Father St. Dominic takes its origins right from the beginnings of the Order. The first translations of the relics of our holy Patriarch took place on Whit-Tuesday (May 24) in the year 1233 at Bologna. Successive Chapters from 1239 to 1282 introduced various liturgical practices into the rubrics of the Mass and Office of the Order, as a means of fostering devotion to him. This process culminated in the act of the Chapter of 1362, which introduced the practice of dedicating the 3rd day of the week (Tuesday) to the holy Patriarch. From this point forward, on every Tuesday outside of Lent, the Mass of the day was to be his Mass, with a commemoration of him in the Office.

The specific practice of the Devotion of the 15 Tuesdays was instituted in Florence in the year 1631. During an occurrence of the plague that year, a Fr. Michael Bruni, of the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria Novella, exhorted the faithful to pray to St. Dominic, and promise to receive on Communion on 15 consecutive Tuesdays, presumably in honor of the 15 decades of the Rosary. The success of this effort led to a rapid spread of the 15 Tuesdays devotion. Pope Pius VII granted an indulgence for those who availed themselves of the pious practice in honor of St. Dominic.

Source: Breviarum SOP

Of this devotion, the Raccolta states: The faithful who on Tuesday of each week spend some time in devout meditation or prayers in honor of St. Dominic or perform some other act of piety, with the intention of repeating this act of homage for fifteen continuous Tuesdays, may obtain: A plenary Indulgence on the usual circumstances

Thus, to aid us in honoring St. Dominic for the next 15 Tuesdays, here are some prayers that we may say on those days.  Also of note, we should read meditations on the life of St. Dominic and better strive to follow his example of spreading the Faith to those souls who are presently outside of the Church and thus currently outside of the only means of salvation.

Prayers to Saint Dominic

The faithful who on Tuesday of each week spend some time in devout meditation or prayers in honor of St. Dominic or perform some other act of piety, with the intention of repeating this act of homage for fifteen continuous Tuesdays, may obtain: A plenary Indulgence on the usual circumstances

I. O glorious Saint Dominic, thou who was a model of mortification and purity, by punishing thy innocent body with scourges, with fastings and with watchings, and by keeping inviolate the lily of thy virginity, obtain for us the grace to practice penance with a generous heart and to keep unspotted the purity of our bodies and our hearts.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

II. O great Saint, who, inflamed with divine love, did find thy delight in prayer and intimate union with God; obtain for us to be faithful in our daily prayers, to love Our Lord ardently, and to observe His commandments with ever increasing fidelity.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

III. O glorious Saint Dominic, who being filled with zeal for the salvation of souls, did preach the Gospel in season and out of season and did establish the Order of Friars Preachers to labor for the conversion of heretics and poor sinners, pray thou to God for us, that He may grant us to love all our brethren sincerely and to cooperate always, by our prayers and good works, in their sanctification and eternal salvation.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

V. Pray for us, Saint Dominic,

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ

Let us Pray.

Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we who are weighed down by the burden of our sins may be raised up by the patronage of blessed Dominic Thy confessor. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

An Indulgence of 300 days, plenary when these prayers together with vesicle and prayer have been recited for a month

Prayer to Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine

O holy priest of God and glorious Patriarch, Saint Dominic , you who was the friend, the well– beloved son and the confidant of the Queen of Heaven, and did work so many miracles by the power of the holy Rosary; and thou, Saint Catherine of Siena, first daughters of this Order of the Rosary, and powerful mediator at Mary’s throne with the Heart of Jesus, with whom Thou did exchange Thine Heart; do you, my beloved saints, have regard to my necessities and pity the sad condition in which I now find myself. On earth you opened your hearts to the miseries of your fellow-man and your hands were strong to help them; now in heaven your charity has not grown less nor has your power waned. Pray, ah, pray for me to the mother of the Rosary and to her Divine Son, for I have great confidence that through  assistance I shall obtain the favor I so much desire. Amen.

Glory Be , etc., three times.

In honor of Saint Vincent Ferror, Glory Be, etc.

In Honor of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Glory Be, etc.

Prayer to Saint Dominic

Wonderful Saintly Founder of the eloquent Order of Preachers and friend of Saint Francis of Assisi, you were a fiery defender of the Faith and a fighter against the darkness of heresy. You resembled a great star that shone close to the world and pointed to the Light which was Christ. Help astronomers to study the stars and admire their wonderful Maker, proclaiming: "Give glory to God in the highest." Amen.

Prayer to Saint Dominic

God of Truth you gave your church a new light in the life and preaching of our Father Dominic. Give us the help we need to support our preaching by holy and simple lives. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Ghost, God, forever and ever. Amen.