Focus on the Saints - Saint Dominic

During the month of August, there are quite a number of feast days in the liturgical calendar. Since the canonization of Mary MacKillop on 17 October 2010, making her the first Australian saint, her feast day was chosen as 8 August.  This caused a dilemma for the liturgical calendar as there are so many more saints than days of the year!  Would someone have to move over for St Mary MacKillop? What feast day was on the 8 August prior to it becoming the feast of the first Australian Saint?

In the universal liturgical calendar, apart from in Australia,  8 August is the commemoration of St Dominic, the 13th century priest and founder of  the Order of Preachers, commonly known as the Dominicans. He is also known for spreading devotion to the rosary. In our local area, we have a community of Dominicans, located on Riversdale Road, East Camberwell who take care of the Parish of St Dominic.
 
St Dominic is often depicted alongside a dog carrying a torch in its mouth. According to one legend, his mother made a pilgrimage to an abbey in Silos, Spain, where she received many signs of the great child she would bear. One of the most common legends says that during the pilgrimage, his mother had a dream of a dog leaping from her womb with a torch in its mouth. The animal "seemed to set the earth on fire."  His parents named him Dominic, a play on the Latin words Domini and canis, meaning the Lord's dog. Indeed, St Dominic and his community have set the world on fire with unceasing preaching of the Gospel.

At a personal level, my baptism name is Dominic. Trac is not a saint’s name. Culturally, celebrating the baptism name in Vietnam is equally as important as celebrating the birthday. Unfortunately, since coming to Australia, I have not had the opportunity of celebrating the feast of St Dominic on 8 August; instead it is often celebrated in advance on the 3 August in Australia.  This gives me a week of double celebrations.  I get to celebrate my baptism name earlier than usual and I get to celebrate the first saint of my new home, Australia.   I feel that I am in good company with Dominic and Mary sharing my baptism week.  It is nice to know too that Mary also loved animals and had her own affection for Bobs, who was one of her pets while growing up.  Through the example of St Dominic and St Mary MacKillop, I am strengthened and inspired to live a good and faithful life.

Do you have a saint after whom you are named? 
Do you celebrate your baptism day?
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St Dominic: PRAY FOR US

Image: Hound of St Dominic by Eric Gill
Source: National Galleries of Scotland
https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/16043/hound-st-dominic-p-225