Forma Vitae: An Essay on the Dominican Life

A “forma vitae” essay is meant to convey something about the “form of life” that we, as Dominican friars, live in virtue of our religious vows. Each “forma vitae” essay should provide accessible, insightful, and revealing commentary about the Dominican life and vocation. Other “forma vitae” essays can be found here.

At his simple profession in the Order of Preachers, a friar professes obedience not only to God, but also to blessed Mary. The Dominicans include the Blessed Mother of God in their vows formula because they recognized that without her example and her intercession, it would be impossible to preach effectively. For this same reason, we wear her rosary as part of our habit.

We look to our Blessed Mother because “the first and foremost duty of all religious is to be the contemplation of divine things and assiduous union with God in prayer,” (canon 663) and for 30 years, Mary cared for and contemplated the Incarnate Son of God in her own home. She led a perfect contemplative life, always “pondering in her heart” the mysteries of her Son, the mysteries that we now contemplate while praying the rosary.

The Blessed Mother of God, however, did not stop at contemplating her Son; she was an ardent preacher on behalf of him. A life of “preaching and teaching that delivers to others the fruits of contemplation is more perfect than the life that stops at contemplation … such was the life chosen by Christ.” (ST, III q. 40, a. 1, ad 2). And such was the life chosen by his mother. 

Her last recorded words in the Gospel are first to her Son, then to others concerning her Son. At the wedding feast of Cana, she turns to Jesus and tells him they have no wine, a prayer of supplication, interceding with her Son on the behalf of others. After a brief conversation with her Divine Son, she then turns to the servants and tells them to “do whatever he tells you” (John 2:3–5).

This was not the last time that she would lead others to Christ. Later we see her bringing others to Christ, knowing that “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matt 12:50). These brothers of Christ came to see (believe in) him on account of the preaching of his mother. When Mary spoke, she always spoke to God or of God; when she acted, she was always bringing Christ to others or bringing others to Christ. But in either case, it all started with her contemplating the mysteries of Christ in her heart. Mary was an effective preacher of Jesus Christ because of her constant and humble prayer in which she “treasured all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51). 

St. Paul directs us to “take up the whole armor of God … fasten the belt of truth around your waist … pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication” (Eph 6:14–18). Dominicans take St. Paul very literally. Part of our habit is a belt, and upon this belt we wear a rosary. We wear the rosary on our belt to remind us that, like Mary, we should be constantly contemplating and preaching the mysteries of the life of Christ. The Dominican wears the rosary because he is a Preacher of Grace and Truth, and “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

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Photo by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. (used with permission)