Herbert McCabe (1926 – 2001) was a very eminent Irish Theologian and Philosopher.
He was also a Dominican Priest.
The Dominicans are a religious order founded by St Dominic in 1216. They've been going ever since.
Their official name is the Order of Preachers (OP) and that's their job - preaching and teaching.
Their nickname is 'God's Dogs' (Latin Domini Canes).
It's a medieval play on words derived from the Latin Dominicanus (Dominicans) and it stems from a legend about St. Dominic's mother, who, while pregnant, dreamt she gave birth to a dog holding a flaming torch in its mouth that set the world on fire.
In medieval symbolism, this represented the friars' role as loyal "guard dogs" who barked to defend the Church's teachings against heresy and spread the light of the Gospel.
I wouldn't mind being one of God's Dogs! In fact I think I'd rather like it. Dogs are loyal and courageous and that strikes me as being a couple of good things to be.
It reminds me of the wonderful woman, who didn't mind being a dog either, in Matthew 15:21-28:
Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.’ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’ The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said. He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’ ‘Yes it is, Lord,’ she said. ‘Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed at that moment.
In the video clip below a student of Herbert McCabe's, and a fellow Dominican, relays one of his favourite quotes from the great man.
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