Dominican Spirituality with Fr. Brian Pierce, op : « Give us this day our daily bread »

Publié le : 6 août 2015

Fr. Brian Pierce is a Dominican from the United States who belongs to the Southern Province (St. Martin de Porres). He has previously lived in Honduras, Peru, and in Rome as the Order’s promoter for the nuns. He is now based in Texas in the U.S.

Here is an extract from Fr. Brian’s first conference :
In Luke 11, the disciples ask Jesus how they are to pray.
« ...one of his disciples said, ’Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ »
Jesus answers by giving them the Our Father.
« When you pray, this is what to say : Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come ; give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us. And do not put us to the test. »
The words that connect most especially to the Dominican charism are these : « Give us each day our daily bread » They are par excellence the prayer of mendicants, par excellence the prayer of Dominicans.
We cannot, in fact, live without bread, without God, without this gratuity of God’s. When we ask, God gives freely, gratuitously. Gratuity is thus at the heart of our Dominican life. Our Dominican life is a response to this gratuity. One might even say that it frees us.
We live in a world where begging is viewed as unseemly, perhaps even as a weakness. Still, I believe that knowing how to ask is a way to freedom.
To experience gratuity is to live life as gift.