Here St. Dominic stands in the posture of Jesus-Crucified. It is a gesture of surrender before God. Can-do people might not like this posture. Lots of folks have a tremendous need to call the shots; they micro-manage, we say. We even call them control freaks, which means we're distorted with all this controlling of others.
There are some who might even refuse this prayer disposition - afraid of how they might look in the gesture of giving up the controls.
Standing in this posture of Jesus crucified leaves me open, vulnerable and un-defended. My hands are open: no fists, no weapons. My arms are apart: not folded angrily across the chest.
I was recently speaking with someone who correctly assumed I was annoyed with her for some reason. She said plainly: "Tell me what's the matter. I'm a big girl. I want to know, I can take it." So I did, telling her what she does that is so off-putting. And she acknowledged it all. But we laughed in the follow-up as her urge to get defensive leaked out.
Let's try-out the saint's prayer gesture of Jesus in his deepest vulnerability. See what comes up personally.
