During the life of Saint Dominic, Europe was in a state of constant warfare. If the kingdoms of Europe were not at war with one another, they were fighting wars against other powers. Muslim kingdoms in North Africa had conquered parts of Spain, and so Spanish kings were preoccupied with regaining their lost territory. Other European kings raised armies to fight in the Crusades, wars that were aimed at reconquering the Holy Land from non-Christian control.
Pope Innocent III called a Lateran Council in Rome to make clear the teaching of the Catholic Church. Many religious orders of priests and nuns were founded to help carry out the pronouncements of the council.
Literature at this time focused primarily on issues of courtly manners, or chivalry. Knights and their adventures in love and war were popular subjects.
Who he was
Dominic was the son of the nobleman Felix de Guzman and his wife, Jane of Aza. Dominic's mother was a holy woman. She had the responsibility of caring for her children and running the household. But she always made time to help others. Her faith in God affected every aspect of her life. Her example made a lasting impression on Dominic.
Dominic's parents made sure that he was well educated in all subjects, especially his faith. He was taught by his uncle for seven years. He then attended university. Dominic enjoyed learning about all subjects, especially music. He was a good singer! However, he understood that his faith was not just another subject to study, but also a way of life. When a famine struck the country, he sold his valuable collection of books and gave the money to those who were suffering.
Dominic lived during a time when the teachings of the Catholic Church were often misunderstood. The Catholic beliefs were not always clearly and carefully taught. This was such a problem that the pope called upon priests and monks to take a more active role in teaching the people about their faith. Dominic was asked by his bishop to help explain some of these misunderstandings. Once, Dominic stayed up all night with an innkeeper to discuss different issues of the faith with him. By morning, the innkeeper was convinced by the truth of Dominic's arguments and asked to be reconciled with the Church.
Dominic lived an austere life. He slept very little, usually on the bare ground, and ate simple meals. He spent many hours praying and studying. He wanted to be prepared to tell others about the teachings of Jesus. When someone asked Dominic why he lived this way, he explained that more people were won over by example than by words.
Dominic observed the importance of women in this work of spreading the faith. His own mother had been very influential in his own life and in their town. During prayer, he was inspired to found a community of nuns. Their convent became a center for education and instruction for people in the area. It was the first of many communities that Dominic founded.
St. Dominic also started a religious order of priests called the Order of Preachers, now known as the Dominicans. When Dominic began preaching and instructing people about the teachings of Jesus, he was not yet a priest himself. Once he was ordained, he made preaching his most important work. He walked from town to town, often barefoot to make his shoes last longer! Many young men were inspired by his example of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Along with Dominic, they dedicated their lives to the work of preaching the Gospel. Dominic sent them out to many different parts of Europe to continue this work of preaching.
Dominic lived at the same time as another famous saint, St. Francis of Assisi. It is believed that they met each other. The two men were both witnesses to the faith at a difficult time. They took different paths in achieving their goal, but they saw this as proof that there are many ways to live out the teachings of Christ.
Many important people asked Dominic to help them -- kings, bishops, and popes. He was well known for his interesting style of preaching, his generosity, and his knowledge. Dominic did not want to be famous. When he was near the end of his life, he asked to be taken back to be among his community of brothers. Before he died, he encouraged his brothers and promised to pray for them.
What he means for us
Saint Dominic showed the world what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. He recognized that a disciple is called to spread the teachings of Jesus through his or her actions and words.
All of us are called to be disciples through our Baptism. We need to learn all that we can about our faith so that we are able to explain it to others. We should show the love and compassion of Jesus by the way we treat people we meet each day.
