Prayer:Prayer of St. Dominic
Stored: Prayer of St. Dominic
| Prayer of St. Dominic | |
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| Author | Unknown |
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| Language | English |
| Approval | None |
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| Added on | 2026-08-14 |
The Prayer of St. Dominic is one of the most treasured blessings associated with St. Dominic de Guzmán (c. 1170–1221), the Spanish-born priest and theologian who founded the Order of Preachers, commonly known as the Dominicans. This prayer reflects the deeply Trinitarian spirituality that was central to Dominic's life and mission, invoking the distinct persons of the Holy Trinity in a form that is at once liturgical in tone and pastoral in purpose.
Dominic is renowned not only for his intellectual rigor and zeal for orthodox doctrine but also for his profound life of prayer. He was known to pray through the night, often weeping before the altar in intercession for sinners. The prayer attributed to him encapsulates his twin concerns: the sanctification of the individual soul and the apostolic proclamation of the Gospel to all peoples. It stands as a fitting expression of the Dominican charism—contemplata aliis tradere, "to hand on to others the fruits of contemplation."
The prayer has been used for centuries within the Dominican family and has found a broad audience among Catholics of many traditions who seek a short, theologically rich blessing that invokes the full Blessed Trinity, the ministry of angels, and the hope of eternal life.
The Prayer
Prayer of St. Dominic
May God the Father who made us bless us.
May God the Son send his healing amongst us.
May God the Holy Spirit move within us
and give us eyes to see with, ears to hear with,
and hands that your work might be done.
May we walk and preach the word of God to all.
May the angel of peace watch over us
and lead us at last by God's grace to the Kingdom.
Amen.
History and Background
St. Dominic de Guzmán was born around 1170 in Caleruega, in the Kingdom of Castile, to Blessed Jane of Aza. From his earliest years he was marked by a spirit of sacrifice and charity; as a student at Palencia he is said to have sold his precious annotated manuscripts to feed the poor during a famine. After becoming a canon regular at Osma, he accompanied his bishop, Diego of Acebo, on a diplomatic mission through southern France, where he encountered the devastation wrought by the Albigensian heresy. This encounter gave definitive shape to his vocation: he would combat error not by force but by preaching, poverty, and prayer.
In 1215 Dominic founded a community of preachers in Toulouse, which was formally recognized by Pope Honorius III in 1216 as the Order of Preachers. The order's constitutions placed at its center the divine office, study, and itinerant preaching—a synthesis that the prayer attributed to Dominic beautifully captures. The invocation of the Father as Creator, the Son as Healer, and the Holy Spirit as the interior mover of souls reflects the systematic Trinitarian theology that Dominican friars were trained to preach and defend.
The prayer's reference to "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" echoes the Gospel imperative found repeatedly in the Synoptic Gospels (cf. Matthew 13:16; Mark 8:18), connecting the apostolic mission to the prophetic tradition of Scripture. The concluding petition—that the angel of peace might lead the faithful to the Kingdom—recalls the ancient liturgical and angelological tradition of the Church, in which angels serve as guardians and guides of the pilgrim people of God.
Dominic died on August 6, 1221, in Bologna, and was canonized by Pope Gregory IX on July 3, 1234. His feast day is celebrated on August 8 in the universal Roman Calendar. He is venerated as the patron saint of astronomers, the Dominican Republic, and all those engaged in preaching and theological study.
How to Pray / Devotional Use
The Prayer of St. Dominic is well suited to a variety of devotional contexts within both personal and communal prayer:
- At the start of apostolic work: Because the prayer explicitly asks for grace to "walk and preach the word of God to all," it is traditionally prayed by preachers, teachers, catechists, and missionaries before undertaking their ministry.
- As a Trinitarian morning blessing: The sequential invocation of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit makes the prayer an excellent morning offering, consecrating the day's work to each person of the Trinity in turn.
- Before lectio divina or study: The petition for "eyes to see with" and "ears to hear with" makes this prayer appropriate before reading Scripture or engaging in theological study, asking the Holy Spirit to illumine the mind and heart.
- As a communal blessing: Dominican communities traditionally use this prayer as a closing blessing at chapter meetings, study sessions, or apostolic gatherings, sending members forth with Dominic's own words.
- During the Feast of St. Dominic (August 8): Parishes, schools, and institutions affiliated with the Dominican order incorporate this prayer into their liturgical celebrations and novena prayers honoring the founder.
When praying individually, it is fitting to pause after each Trinitarian invocation—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—to allow a moment of silent recollection before continuing. The prayer may be concluded with the Sign of the Cross as a living affirmation of the Trinitarian faith it proclaims.