Dominic died at the age of 51, in the year 1221. When we know his story, this simple fact points to some of the important messages of his life. At 51, he died prematurely. He was not martyred but was a Confessor saint, like so many others. Martyrdom means bearing witness to Jesus, and in that sense all of us are called to be martyrs. But for most of us, as for St Dominic and many other well-known saints, the way of martyrdom is not through death but through a dedicated life. Dominic died at the comparatively early age of 51 because of his life-style - he laboured hard for the sake of the truth of the Gospel, and he backed up his work with austerity and self-denial.

The work he began by founding the Order of Preachers - the religious community that commonly bears his name, the Dominicans - continues today after more than seven hundred years. These long years are a sign of God's acceptance of the work of Dominic and his companions in preaching the truth of the Gospel. There is inspiration for all of us in the lives of the Confessor saints, if only we could be more open to the Spirit.