Homily for the Memorial of St. Dominic

Jesus often spoke in paradoxes, and one of the most striking is when he said, "Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." In essence, this means that if we focus solely on ourselves, our needs, and our desires, we will lose our true selves. However, if we look beyond ourselves to the Lord and to the needs of those around us, we will discover our true identity.

Jesus also conveyed this fundamental paradox in a different way when he said, "Give, and gifts will be given to you." This implies that it is through giving that we actually receive.

Our own experiences may have shown us that when we turn our attention to others and recognize the Lord present in them, we encounter the joy and life of the Lord. This, in turn, reflects the joy and life of the kingdom of heaven.