O spem miram...

UPDATED: 8 November evening with a photo of our visit to the graves of our brethren in Cambridge.

Having celebrated yesterday the glorious festivity of those brothers and sisters of the Order who now rejoice to be fully united with Christ in glory, today makes a commemoration of those in our Dominican Family who, having completed their earthly life, have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. It is customary to visit the graves of our deceased brethren on this day (photo below).

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.

The beautiful responsory sung at Matins today reminds us of St Dominic's promise that he will be "more useful and fruitful to [us] after death than [he] was in life" and expresses the poignancy and hope of this day:

"O spem miram quam dedisti mortis hora te flentibus,
dum post mortem promisisti te profuturum fratribus:
Imple Pater quod dixisti, nos tuis iuvans precibus.
Qui tot signis claruisti in aegrorum corporibus,
nobis opem ferens Christi, aegris medere moribus.
Imple Pater quod dixisti, nos tuis iuvans precibus."

'O wonderful hope which you gave to those who wept for you at the hour of your death,
promising that after your decease you would be helpful to your brethren.
Fulfill, Father what you have said, and help us by your prayers.
You enlightened the bodies of the sick with so many miracles:
bring us the help of Christ, to heal our sick souls.
Fulfill, Father what you have said, and help us by your prayers.'

The photo above right is of St Dominic's cypress-wood-casket which dates to after 1267. It contains his sacred relics. It was taken out of the tomb at Bologna in 1943 and taken to a safe place during World War II, when this photo was taken.