“…a man of the Gospel”
Many people may know of the Dominicans, but few know of the life of the saint. This Catholic Spaniard help form the Dominican order, fight heresy, form preachers, and is attributed with the formation of the rosary.
Upbringing
Dominic was born in 1170 in Calaruega, Spain. His parents were noble people and had vast connections to the wealthy. It was known early on in his childhood that he was destined to become a priest and serve the Church. His charity and insatiable hunger for the faith made Dominic stand out even at an early stage in life.
At the age of twenty-five, he was ordained to the priesthood. He lived under the rule of St. Augustine. These strict rules helped form the young priest in the practice of discipline. His desire to preach and teach the truth came two years later. While on his way for a diplomatic affair with the Bishop, they passed through a city in southern France. During this time, there was a heresy spreading called Albigensianism. The host at the hotel where they stayed for the night was an Albigensian. Dominic found out about this and spent the whole night with the man, and by morning, had converted the man to the Church. This is where we see that Dominic knew his vocation, as a priest was to teach to the world.
What is Albigensianism? Albigensianism is a belief of dualism. In other words, anything that is the creator is the only good, while anything that is material is evil, and the creator of the material world was the devil. An Albigensian would have denied the Incarnation and many other beliefs in Jesus Christ, God, and the Catholic faith. They said to be “pure” was to refrain from sexual relations and to eat and drink as little as possible. Suicide by starvation was considered a noble act. This movement not only threatened their spiritual life, but also the whole human race. This movement was particularly popular in southern France. People would see their way of life as more noble compared to their counter-parts; the priest who lived a life of luxury and wealth as compared to the Albigensians. Dominic, realizing this error, advised the clergy to give up what was excessive and to begin peacefully preaching to the people. Through his preaching, Dominic had many successes in converting the people. It was during this time frame that he began the framework for his order of preachers.
Along with educating non-believers, Dominic had a strong belief in educating those who were in the Church. His mission was to revive a true apostolic spirit in the ministers of the altar (renew the mission of the priests from their pleasures). The order would not be like the Augustinians or Benedictines who were typically cloisters who remained brothers, but of men who would be priests of preachers and have theology as their backbone. They would also practice giving up meat and living the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Dominic looked to equip the Church with zealous preachers to spread the light of Christ. He prepared his brothers through intense prayer, self-denial, and obedience. Dominic was quoted as saying “A man who governs his passions is master of the world. We must either rule them, or be ruled by them. It is better to be the hammer than the anvil.” He instructed them not only in what words to say, but how to say them with charity. After a beautiful sermon, a woman asked what book he got it from. “In none,” he responded, “but that of love.”
He set up headquarters at Prouille, in southern France. In 1214, he was given permission by the Bishop and later recognized by Pope Innocent III. The pope also issued a decree to all clergy reminding them of their priestly duties of preaching and selecting pastors of churches who had a strong work ethic and were good with words. We too must pray for our priests and pastors at our parish to be great preachers, and to fight ignorance, heresy, and sin with their words. Two years later, Pope Honorius III formally confirmed the order and their rule.
While in Rome, Dominic asked Honorius if there could be a master of sacred studies for all the clergy who resided in Rome. Many of them would not leave the courts and were not attending lectures or studies beyond the walls of the Vatican. Pope Honorius III decided to make a new position of the office of Master of the Sacred Palace. This position serves as the Pope’s personal canonist and theologian. Honorius appointed Dominic to this position. Ever since then, a Dominican friar has held that position. St. Dominic’s first lectures were on St. Paul’s Epistles.
At this same time, another famous saint was working on the Church; St. Francis of Assisi. St. Dominic formed a friendship with Francis while in Rome. One night, Dominic had a dream of the world being threatened by God’s just anger, but was kept from harm by the intercession of the Virgin, who pointed out to her Son two figures; one was Dominic and the other was a stranger. The following morning in the church, Dominic saw the other person in his dream; a poor raggedly dressed man, Francis of Assisi. Overcome with joy, he ran over, embraced him, and said, “You are my companion and must walk with me. For if we hold together no earthly power can withstand us.” The two orders still carry a brotherly bond between each other. To this day, on each other’s feast days, the brothers of both orders sing Mass together and then eat together. While the two saints’ character and approach were different, they both stood united in the same truth of faith and charity.
Their orders are the last of the orders. Dominicans are under the rule of Augustine because Dominic needed to pick an existing rule. He picked the Augustinian rule because it was the shortest. Both Saint Dominic and Saint Francis brought to the Church humility in imitation of Christ. They called themselves friars or brothers. The “friar” was seen spirituality as substandard and unworthy of holy life. Benedictine was the approved and constant choice for religious life at the time. Leaving the monastery, as Dominic and Francis did to go into the world, was unacceptable to many, especially the wealthy. Both Dominic and Francis were from wealthy families and both had courage breaking out of the mold that was expected and into the mold of what Christ expected.
Upon returning to Prouille, Dominic began training and instructing his brothers. The primary focus for them was their own sanctification. He preached humility and putting their whole trust in God alone to provide for them. 48 hours later, he broke up his men and sent them off to various places; Spain, France, Toulouse, and for Dominic himself, back to Rome. There he remained with the Pope to preach and teach the clergy of Rome. The Pope in return gave Dominic a church to work out of; St. Sixtus.
Dominic also performed miracles. A chronicle reported that a woman named Gutadona went to hear Dominic preach one day. When she came back home, she found her young child dead. Completely distraught, she carried her child to St. Sixtus and laid him at the feet of Dominic. Dominic said a few words of intense prayer under his breath, made the sign of the cross, and the child was brought back to life.
In 1221, Dominic fell ill and knew his time was almost done on earth. His last testament to his brothers was “These, my much loved ones, are the bequests which I leave to you as my sons; have charity among yourselves; hold fast to humility; keep a willing poverty.” He then asked to be carried back to his home in Bologna to be buried there, and in early August, he died at the age of fifty-six.
Saint Dominic was a tiny man, a little over five foot, but his impact on the world and the Church was great. He only carried the Gospel of Matthew and the letters of Saint Paul, but in every way carried the Gospel in his life and became known as a man of the Gospel. His gift was joy and he was nicknamed the joyful friar. This gift of joy he passed on to his community. If any of the brethren were not happy campers, he told them that they were not where God wanted them.
His simple mandate was that the friars preach from contemplation. He himself was either talking to God or about God. We too are called to preach and teach about Jesus, but how can we preach and teach if we don’t know Christ? We must first contemplate Christ and tell those in our lives about the one we have contemplated. When Saint Dominic was dying with his crying brethren about him, he said that he would be more helpful to them after his death than while he lived. That statement is at the center of the Dominican prayer for vocations.
Source: "Lives of Saints", Published by John J. Crawley