Students of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (1170-1221), the founder of the “Order of Preachers“, the Dominicans, observed that he had nine distinct ways of praying. In a booklet published after his death they described nine bodily postures accompanying different forms of prayer: inclination, prostration, penance, genuflection, contemplation, earnest intercession, supplication, studying, and walking.
Nine ways of prayer
In the posture of inclination, Saint Dominic would bow before God, while prostration, mentioned in Sacred Scripture quite often and the position priestly candidates take when they receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders, means to lie face down on the ground.
“And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him. And the disciples hearing, fell upon their face, and were very much afraid. And Jesus came and touched them: and said to them, Arise, and fear not. And they lifting up their eyes saw no one but only Jesus.“
Matthew 17: 5-8
“After this I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands: And they cried with a loud voice, saying: Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and the ancients, and the four living creatures; and they fell down before the throne upon their faces, and adored God, saying: Amen. Benediction, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honour, and power, and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.“
Revelation 7: 9-12
In penance, Saint Dominic would whip his back until it bled.
“And if they see that the offender be worthy of stripes: they shall lay him down, and shall cause him to be beaten before them. According to the measure of the sin shall the measure also of the stripes be: Yet so, that they exceed not the number of forty: lest thy brother depart shamefully torn before thy eyes.“
Deuteronomy 25: 2-3
“A whip for a horse, and a snaffle for an ass (i.e. a donkey), and a rod for the back of fools.“
Proverbs 26: 3
“Then therefore, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platting a crown of thorns, put it upon his head; and they put on him a purple garment. And they came to him, and said: Hail, king of the Jews; and they gave him blows.“
John 19: 1-3
Genuflecting means bending your knees before God.
“For Solomon had made a brazen scaffold, and had set it in the midst of the temple, which was five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high: and he stood upon it: then kneeling down in the presence of all the multitude of Israel, and lifting up his hands towards heaven, he said: O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven nor in earth: who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts (…).“
2 Chronicles 6: 13-14
“Now when Daniel knew this, that is to say, that the law was made, he went into his house: and opening the windows in his upper chamber towards Jerusalem, he knelt down three times a day, and adored, and gave thanks before his God, as he had been accustomed to do before.“
Daniel 6: 10
“Be converted to me, and you shall be saved, all ye ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by myself, the word of justice shall go out of my mouth, and shall not return: For every knee shall be bowed to me, and every tongue shall swear.“
Isaiah 45: 22-24
“For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names: That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.“
Philippians 2: 9-11
Saint Dominic‘s prayers of contemplation could take different forms involving the posture of his hands, for example hands stretched out in front of the body with the palms up, as if he would read in a book, or hands firmly clasped together.
Earnest intercession was done by praying with openly outstreched arms – like Moses in the wilderness, when Israel had to fight with the Amalekites, or like Jesus on the cross.
“And Moses said to Josue: Choose out men: and go out and fight against Amalec: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill having the rod of God in my hand. Josue did as Moses had spoken, and he fought against Amalec; but Moses, and Aaron, and Hur went up upon the top of the hill. And when Moses lifted up his hands, Israel overcame: but if he let them down a little, Amalec overcame. And Moses’ hands were heavy: so they took a stone, and put under him, and he sat on it: and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands on both sides. And it came to pass that his hands were not weary until sunset. And Josue put Amalec and his people to flight, by the edge of the sword.“
Exodus 17: 9-13
“And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, they crucified him there; and the robbers, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. And Jesus said: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.“
Luke 23: 33-34
In supplication, Saint Dominic would almost pierce the heavens with his hands as if shooting an arrow, thus pleading with God.
Sitting, studying and meditating on the word of God in Sacred Scripture was another way of praying his students observed him doing frequently.
“Let not the book of this law depart from thy mouth: but thou shalt meditate on it day and night, that thou mayst observe and do all things that are written in it: then shalt thou direct thy way, and understand it.“
Joshua 1: 8
“For the word of God is living and effectual, and more piercing than any two edged sword; and reaching unto the division of the soul and the spirit, of the joints also and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.“
Hebrews 4: 12
“All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice, that the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work.“
2 Timothy 3: 16
Finally, walking, traveling, journeying became a way of prayer for Saint Dominic de Guzmán, as he zealously walked all across Europe, only in sandals and often even barefooted, to preach the good news, imitating Christ and the apostles who walked all across the land of Israel and beyond to “preach deliverance to the captives, and sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of reward“ (Luke 4: 19). And thus, also missionary journeys, and pilgrimages seeking the Lord, as well as all one‘s daily little trips to fulfill one‘s calling between morning and evening are a form of prayer.
“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart: And thou shalt tell them to thy children, and thou shalt meditate upon them sitting in thy house, and walking on thy journey, sleeping and rising.“
Deuteronomy 6: 4-7
“I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord. Our feet were standing in thy courts, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem, which is built as a city, which is compact together. For thither did the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord: the testimony of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord.“
Psalm 121 (Vulgate): 1-4
“And his parents went every year to Jerusalem, at the solemn day of the pasch, and when he was twelve years old, they going up into Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast, and having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not. And thinking that he was in the company, they came a day’s journey, and sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance. And not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him.“
Luke 2: 41-45
“And behold, two of them went, the same day, to a town which was sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, named Emmaus. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that while they talked and reasoned with themselves, Jesus himself also drawing near, went with them.“
Luke 24: 13-15
Saint Dominic de Guzmán, pray for us!