The book spends almost its entire life on a shelf. Thus, it lives a life that is mostly closed off, preserving its contents for when it might be needed at another time. Far more will spend time looking at the book’s spine than exploring the words contained within. 

This side view is like that of the profile view of the Dominican friar in his choir stall, glimpsed at by the faithful peering through the rood screen. Like the book on the shelf, the friar bears another’s word for safekeeping.  The friar preserves the Word within and, remaining in its presence, is nourished by its saving power and then moved to contemplate its truth.

Just like the friar, the book sits in silence, mutually supported in its place by those around it. Take them away, and some will fall. This mutual support maintains the book, preserves its contents, and makes it easily accessible when needed. Occasionally, this book is pulled off the shelf to share its contents with the curious, or even with the dutiful. 

Likewise, the friar goes forth from his choir stall to share the contemplated truth that has been written on his heart. He does so in his own proper way, according to the designs of the Author, to use his unique gifts and abilities for the good of others. He gracefully moves from silence to boldly proclaim the teaching of Jesus Christ. This preaching, this Jesus Christ, is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This truth endures in the heart of the Friar Preacher and is nourished by his prayer, study, and contemplation.

Just as the purpose of the book is to bear the unique words contained therein, so too the Divine Word is bestowed on the Dominican friar. Just as a library is structured to maintain, preserve, and inform what lines its shelves, so too the Dominican priory does the same for the friars that line its halls. It provides the silence that allows the work of the Word to take place and thus be effective in the mission to populate the halls of heaven with those who are formed by this same overflowing Word. For this reason, the priory itself is called “the holy preaching.” The work of preaching is not just what takes place in the pulpit. Rather, the work of preaching is the cultivation of the Word in the pages of the heart of the friar who has been consecrated to contemplate this Word.

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Image: Tadeusz Gorecki, detail of Study of a Monk (CC0 1.0)