Questo articolo è disponibile anche in:
Italian 
English
Good morning Father,
I have other miscellaneous questions for you.
Let me tell you this. Regarding your response to a 21-year-old young man who was discerning his vocation and entrusted himself to Saint Dominic: when you reported this man’s experience, I too felt consoled because we acted in the same way: entrusting my vocation and my life to Saint Dominic.
When you reported Saint Catherine’s experience with Dominic, I too felt confirmation of it.
When I read Saint Dominic’s promise to Saint Catherine, I didn’t feel like I was just reading, I felt that the words that Saint Dominic addressed to her were also addressed to me, and I didn’t want to believe them at first, because I wanted to be prudent and careful. But now that you, father, confirm it with this young man, I too felt involved in this. Now I just have to wait and live with patience, because Domenico promised it.
Thank you Father for your service once again, for being the Blessed Raymond of our inner Catherines.
Let’s hope that in the future your brothers can help you too.
Priest’s answer
Dearly beloved friend from the Philippines,
1. I am happy for the two experiences that I have told you about, in which you found yourself perfectly.
For the benefit of our readers I will present them here again.
2. Here is the first one: a young man was undecided about joining our Order or whether to enter the diocesan seminary.
I asked him to recite for nine days the prayer of Blessed Giordano to the Holy Father Dominic with this precise intention: that if Saint Dominic wanted him to become his son he would let him feel it. Precisely on the last day, at the end of the novena, while praying in a Franciscan church, he felt a particular joy accompanied by a very strong desire to enter our Order.
Every doubt, as if by magic, had disappeared, and a certain inner restlessness had been replaced by great peace.
And so he did.
I think it is an experience worth repeating.
3. The second was about Saint Catherine of Siena.
She wanted to be a Dominican because the friars of this Order were totally dedicated to the salvation of souls through preaching. This is how the confirmation from Heaven happened, as it is narrated by Blessed Raymond of Capua, her confessor and first biographer.
4. “Catherine felt an increasing desire to accomplish a project which she had entertained indeed from her infancy; namely to be clothed with the habit of the order founded by the illustrious St. Dominic, hoping she could thus more easily accomplish her holy vow. She prayed continually to God through the intercession of the saint, who had displayed such an impassioned zeal for the salvation of souls. Our Lord, seeing this young and generous athlete combating in the arena, encouraged her by the following vision. during her sleep, she seemed to behold all the Founders of the various orders, and among them St. Dominic, whom she recognized by a lily of dazzling brightness which he bore in his hand, and which was burning without being consumed.
They each and all engaged her to select an order, so as to serve God in higher perfection; she turned towards St Dominic whom she saw advancing toward her and presenting her with a habit of the Sisters of Penance of St. Dominic, who are very numerous in Sienna. He addressed her in the following consoling words: «Daughter, be of good heart, fear no obstacle, excite your courage, for the happy day will come when you shall be clothed in the pious habit you desire».
This promise filled her heart with joy, she thanked the great St. Dominic with an effusion of tears, which awakened her, and restored her to her senses.” (Beato Raimondo da Capua, The Life of St. Catherine of Siena, Legenda maior, 53).
5. The narration goes on like this: “This vision so comforted and strengthened her, that on that very day she assembled her father and mother with her brothers, and with great assurance declared to them: “During a long time you have resolved that I should marry, and have endeavored to force me to do so; you are aware that I hold this project in horror; my conduct must have convinced you of this; I have not however explained myself, on account of the respect due to my parents, but duty obliges me to be silent no longer; I must speak candidly with you, and declare to you an engagement I have assumed, which is not novel, since I contracted it in my infancy. Know therefore, that I have taken a vow of virginity, not through levity, but deliberately and with full knowledge of what I was doing; now that I have a maturer age and a more perfect acquaintance with the nature of my actions, I persist with the grace of God in my resolution, and it will be easier to dissolve a rock than to induce me to change my will; renounce therefore these projects for an earthly union; it is quite impossible for me to satisfy you on this point, because it is better to obey God than man. If you desire to retain me as a domestic in the house, I will render you cheerfully all the services in my power, but if you desire to oblige me to leave it, know that I shall remain immoveable in my resolution; my spouse has all the riches of and earth, his power can protect me and provide abundantly for my every necessity”” (Ib., n. 54).
6. I’m glad you experienced this narrative first hand.
It is the most beautiful confirmation of your call from heaven to enter our holy Order.
If there was still a need for a sign from above, behold, you have received it.
7. Thank you for the compliment you paid me: to be for many visitors what Blessed Raimondo was for Saint Catherine.
Regarding the confreres who can help me to be more prompt in responding to the various visitors, I hope that you can be so for many as soon as possible, at least in the Philippines!
With the hope of your becoming a brother of the Holy Father Dominic, of Saint Thomas, of Saint Catherine of Siena and also of myself, I bless you and remember you in a very particular way in prayer.
Father Angelo