The Basilica of San Domenico in Bologna, Italy, is where the remains of Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), are buried inside the exquisite shrine Arca. Dominic Guzman arrived in Bologna in January 1218, was impressed by the vitality of the university town, and decided to settle there, which was well suited to his evangelizing mission. A convent was initially established at the Mascarella church, but it soon became too small for the increasing number of members of the Order of Preachers. Then they moved to the small church of San Nicolò of the Vineyards at the outskirts of Bologna. St. Dominic settled in this church and died in this church on 6 August 1221. He was buried behind the altar of San Nicolò. After the death of Saint Dominic, the church of San Nicolò was expanded and grew into the Basilica of Saint Dominic. Today, Saint Dominic’s chapel is the main chapel of the church. It has a square plan and a semi-circular apse, where the remains of Saint Dominic rest in the splendid Arca di San Domenico under the cupola, which contains three Michelangelo sculptures: Angel, St. Proclus, and St. Petronius.
St. Thomas Aquinas is one of the greatest sons of St. Dominic. While St. Thomas Aquinas is mostly known for his famous theological treatise, the Summa Theologiae, his biblical commentaries are quite superb works. In his commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew, as we read in the Gospel today, he offers interesting insight into the dialogue between Jesus and the crowd that brought a lunatic boy to Jesus’ disciples, who could not cure him. Jesus then answers, “O faithless and perverse generation.” St. Thomas Aquinas argues that with this response, Jesus does two things: first, he reproaches vice; and second, he grants a benefit. Jesus knew the crowd wanted to defame Jesus and His disciples by saying that they did not have the power to cure the boy. So in his reply, Jesus rebukes and accuses them of disbelief; the boy was not cured because of the disciples’ lack of power, but rather because of their own disbelief. Moreover, He accuses them of perversity because they laid their own fault on Jesus’ disciples. The biblical interpretation of St. Thomas Aquinas implies that members of the Church are also called to defend the kingdom of God against the power of darkness, as Jesus did. Nonetheless, the calling to defend the Kingdom of God is not only for the Dominicans or the followers of St. Dominic, but for all of us who are members of the Church founded by Jesus Christ.