Br. Luke Mary Neitzke, O.P., on the Tree of Prayer

"One day at lunch, one of the priests with whom I live asked me a question I never expected near the end of my formation at the Dominican House of Studies: 'Which tree are you most proud of?'

"Now, it was reasonable that he did ask, seeing as I have planted about 50 trees around the House over the past four years. I planted most for shade, privacy, beauty, or fruit, so it took me a second to think which one I could say I was most 'proud' of. But quickly I realized there was no real question about it. There was one tree that was not planted for any of these reasons, but simply because it was outgrowing its pot and needed to go somewhere."

In a recent commentary, Brother Luke Mary Neitzke, O.P., reflected on how his care for this tree was like the story of a Christian at prayer.

To access Br. Luke Mary's complete post, please visit:

Dominicana: The Tree of Prayer (9 MAY 23)