Learning from Don Dolindo's Interior Life

The Hidden Symphony of Prayer

In the quiet moments of everyday life, there exists a profound opportunity for sanctification that Don Dolindo Ruotolo, the humble priest of Naples, understood deeply. His spiritual legacy teaches us how to transform ordinary actions into extraordinary prayers, weaving the divine into the fabric of our daily existence.

Two beautiful stories from Don Dolindo's life illuminate this truth with particular clarity. In 1921, while serving at the church of St. Francis of Assisi in Sant'Anastasia, he wrote about his experience ringing the church bell: “My soul lived by faith in that solitude, and I even found joy in ringing the large bell to call the faithful, because I did it while blessing God and calling the hearts of the faithful with my ardent prayer.” He continues, saying: “With what fervor I remember ringing the bell, with what reverence, thinking that it was consecrated, and how my heart felt like bursting with the desire to call all sinners back to God and placed itself, so to speak, entirely upon those sound waves to reach every heart, every household, every lost hut in those vast countryside!”

This same spirit of transforming simple actions into powerful prayers manifested years later in a touching moment shared by his niece, Grazia Ruotolo: “On the eve of my departure for Rome around 1955, my uncle Don Dolindo came to visit and gave me a Rosary, which I have kept with me ever since. 'I made it myself with my own hands,' he told me. At one point, looking me straight in the eyes, he added, 'I said a special prayer for you on each bead. You'll need it.' It's only over the years that I've understood that in this Rosary is my entire life with the trials meant for me, and that he wanted to be with me, invoking Jesus and Mary's protection on each of the tough moments.”

These stories reveal a profound truth: every action, no matter how simple, can become a vessel for God's grace when infused with prayer and intention. As Don Dolindo teaches us in his famous Surrender Novena: "A thousand prayers are not worth a single act of surrender." This surrender isn't just about the big moments of our lives—it's about the small, daily acts of faith that build our relationship with God.

In our modern world, we can learn from Don Dolindo's example and find creative ways to sanctify our daily activities. Consider these contemporary applications of his spiritual wisdom:

Picture a mother preparing her child's lunch for school. As she assembles the sandwich, she can silently offer a Hail Mary, transforming this routine task into a powerful spiritual act. With each ingredient she adds, she's not just providing physical nourishment but also wrapping her child in Mary's protective mantle. As the Lord Jesus inspired Don Dolindo to say in the Surrender Novena, “You receive few graces when you stress yourself trying to produce them, but you receive many graces when prayer is a complete surrender to me.” This mother's simple prayer while making lunch becomes a channel of grace for her child's day.

Think of a father about to call his son. Before dialing, he pauses to pray to his son's guardian angel, creating a spiritual bridge across the physical distance. This mirrors Don Dolindo's approach with the church bells, using sound waves not just for communication but as carriers of prayer and blessing. As he wrote, “My heart felt like bursting with the desire to reach” every heart, and so too can this father's call become more than just a conversation—it becomes a moment of spiritual connection.

Consider a physician or a nurse examining a patient. As she listens to her patient's lungs during deep breaths, she silently prays for the Holy Spirit's healing presence. This parallels the Surrender Novena “I work miracles in proportion to your complete surrender to me.” The doctor's silent prayer combines with her medical expertise, recognizing that true healing encompasses both body and soul.

Moreover, Don Dolindo's wisdom opens up countless possibilities for integrating prayer into daily life. A teacher marking papers might pause briefly before each one, asking the Holy Spirit to guide her comments to serve not just the student's academic growth but his personal development. A bus driver starting his route could pray silently for blessing for each passenger who boards, much as Don Dolindo blessed each bead of his niece's rosary. A gardener planting seeds might whisper "Thy will be done" with each one, recognizing that growth, like grace, comes from God's hand.

As Don Dolindo’s Surrender Novena reminds us: “Surrendering means to placidly close the eyes of the soul, turn your thoughts away from the tribulation, and entrust yourself to me.” This surrender isn't about grand gestures but about infusing our ordinary moments with extraordinary faith.

In our fast-paced world, we might worry that such practices would slow us down or distract us from our tasks. But the Surrender Novena addresses this concern directly: “What upsets you and causes you immense harm is your reasoning, your thought, your worrying, and wanting at all costs to provide for what afflicts you.” Instead, these small acts of faith actually bring greater peace and efficiency to our work, allowing us to rest in God's presence while fulfilling our daily duties.

Just as Don Dolindo's niece carried her uncle's prayers in each bead of her rosary, and just as his bell-ringing carried blessings across the countryside, we too can transform our daily actions into vehicles of grace. Each moment becomes an opportunity to echo his profound truth: “Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything.”

Let us learn from Don Dolindo's example and make our lives a continuous prayer, not through grand gestures but through small, faithful actions infused with love and trust. For as he assured us from beyond the grave: “When I am dead, come to my tomb, knock, I will answer you: TRUST IN GOD!”

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Author’s Note: If you would like to read more about Don Dolindo’s spirituality, check out those books: Don Dolindo’s Books.

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References:

Ruotolo, G. (2020). Gesù, pensaci tu: Vita, opere, scritti & eredità spirituale di don Dolindo Ruotolo nel ricordo della nipote. Ares.

Ruotolo, D. (2020). Fui chiamato dolindo che significa dolore. Pagine di autobiografia. Casa Mariana Editrice. Apostolato Stampa.

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