“Arm yourself with prayer, not with the sword; clothe yourself with humility, not with fine clothes” (St. Dominic of Guzman).
Undoubtedly, St. Dominic’s advice is still valid today, although in his time he was probably referring to a material sword and not to the sword of the Spirit recommended to us by St. Paul in the Letter to the Ephesians: “Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph 6:17). This sword is directly related to prayer, as the following verse makes clear: “Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (v. 18).
Therefore, we can interpret St. Dominic of Guzman’s allusion to the sword as a symbol of any kind of violence to which we want to resort to resolve a situation by our own means. Instead, he advises us to turn to prayer, which can overcome any obstacle. Moreover, prayer gives us the certainty that it is not we who have the situation in our own hands, but that we place all our trust in our Father’s guidance.
St. Dominic’s second piece of advice is also essential for our spiritual life. What ornament could please our Father the most? What dress will please Him? The answer is not difficult. St. Paul suggests it to us in the Letter to Timothy:
“Women should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire but by good deeds, as befits women who profess religion.” (1 Tim. 2:9–10).
This applies not only to women, but any physical display of splendor is vain, draws attention away from God and draws attention to oneself. The remedy is humility. She receives our Father with an open heart. She is not bound to herself or the reputation of others. She needs no external splendor because she is beautiful in herself. As the mother of virtues, she is dear to God’s heart, for He is able to give to the humble and is gratefully received by them.