“Clothe me, O Lord”

With hundreds of different religious orders, there are many different habits. Habits are special attire one wears to show they are consecrated to a specific religious order. For example, Franciscans typically wear brown or grey, Jesuits are known for wearing black, and the Dominicans are known for wearing white.
 
The tradition of the white and black habit for the Dominicans is from when Our Lady appeared to Blessed Reginald of Orleans in 1218, cured him of a sickness, and showed him the habit in which to wear for their order. This was then brought to Dominic and thus became their habit. [1]
 
Why do Dominican's wear white? The habit of a Dominican is white and black. The white stands for purity and the light of Christ to the world, while the black symbolizes penance and mortification. It represents their mission to be pure of mind, body, and soul. White also became the staple for the Pope due to Pope Pius V, who being a Dominican himself opted to wear his white habit rather than all red as previous popes had. His successor carried on the tradition and it is still done to this day.
 
Why is St. Dominic attributed with the forming of the rosary? It is in our tradition that St. Dominic helped produce the rosary as we know it today. The rosary is an important tool, weapon, and symbol for all Dominicans. It is typically worn on the left side of their body and Dominicans wear a twenty-decade rosary for all twenty mysteries of the rosary. They wear the rosary on their left side because it symbolizes their weapon. During the Middle Ages, a knight would wear his sword on the left side of his body. So too, Dominic wore his weapon against Satan on his left side.
 
Under the title Our Lady of the Rosary, Mary appeared to Dominic in 1208. Prayer beads had been used for hundreds of years before Dominic’s time and while scholars argue that Dominic had a hand in the actual formation of the physical format of the rosary as we know it today, we do know he preached about using the rosary during his time, especially against the Albigensians and against the Devil. [2] Pope Pius XI said, “The Rosary of Mary is the principle and foundation on which the very Order of Saint Dominic rests for making perfect the life of its member and obtaining the salvation of others.” [3]
 
What is special about their habit? A Dominican does not just throw on his or her habit like we do when we put on our clothes in the morning without a second thought. When a Dominican puts on their habit in the morning, there are prayers he or she recites. Here is the list of the pieces of clothing they put on and the prayers they pray:
 
Tunic- The tunic is a white woolen one-piece, shoe-top length gown with long sleeves and cuffs.
 
Clothe me, O Lord, with the garments of salvation.
By your grace may I keep them pure and spotless,
so that clothed in white,
I may be worthy to walk with you in the kingdom of God.
Amen.
 
Cincture- The cincture is a black leather belt with a simple buckle. It represents their vow of chastity and of justice.
 
Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of justice and the cord of purity
that I may unite the many affections of my heart in the love of you alone.
Amen.
 
Rosary- In addition to what was mentioned earlier, the rosary of a Dominican is typically made of black beads.
 
O God, whose only-begotten Son,
by his life, death, and resurrection,
has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life,
grant, we beseech Thee,
that meditating upon the mysteries of the
Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise,
through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
 
Scapular- Their Scapular is not like that of a lay scapular that is just a two little square cloths, but one long white strip of cloth that is shoulder length and that reaches to their feet front and back. The Scapular was given by Mary and is traditionally the most important article of the habit.
 
Show yourself a mother,
He will hear your pleading
Whom your womb has sheltered
And whose hand brings healing.
 
White Capuce- A Capuce is a short rounded should cape that has a white hood attached to it. The covering of one’s head is to be used only by Dominicans liturgically. This piece goes over the scapular.
 
Lord,
You have set your sign upon my head
that I should admit no lover but you.
Amen.
 
Cappa- This is a long black cloak that is equal length to the tunic and scapular. This symbolizes the overlaying of purity of life of them struggling with the blackness of sin. The Cappa represents the need for penance.
 
We fly to your patronage, O Holy Mother of God,
do not despise our prayers in our necessity,
but free us from all peril, O Blessed Virgin.
Amen.
 
Black Capuce- This is the final piece put on. It is a black hood and serves as a black shoulder cape and covering for the hood.
 
Heavenly Father,
Who were with your great servants Moses and Joshua
and used them to bring your children out of bondage,
fill us with that same grace
that we may preach your word boldly and with authority
for the deliverance of those under the bondages of sin.
 
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen. 

[1] http://contemplare.blogspot.com/2006/02/dominican-habit.html
[2] The Arlington Catholic Herald. 1994, Fr. Saunders
[3] Robert Feeney, The Rosary: “The Little Summa”