96. Christ's Public Life and Way of Living

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

Christ’s Way of Life (Conversatio) in the Incarnation #

• The question of whether Christ ought to have led a solitary life or engaged in public ministry
• Conversatio means one’s manner of living and association with others, not merely conversation
• Christ’s public life serves the purposes of the Incarnation: revealing divine truth, healing sin, and building familial confidence with humanity

The Three Purposes of the Incarnation #

1. To make truth known: Christ came to bear witness to truth through preaching and miracles (John 18:37)
2. To liberate men from sin: Christ came as physician and shepherd seeking the lost (1 Timothy 1:15)
3. To give confidence (fiducia) to approach God: Christ’s familiar, accessible way of living gave sinners and publicans confidence in his mercy and salvation

The Contemplative vs. Active Life in Christ #

• Objection: The contemplative life is most perfect; Christ should have withdrawn from the world
• Resolution: The active life of preaching and teaching, which overflows from contemplation, is more perfect than mere contemplation
• This is exemplified in the Dominican motto: contemplata aliis tradere—to hand on to others the fruits of one’s contemplation
• Such a life presupposes an abundance of contemplation that flows outward to others

Christ’s Strategic Withdrawals #

• Although Christ lived publicly, he sometimes withdrew from crowds for specific purposes:
  • Bodily rest: The disciples needed to eat and rest (Mark 6:31)
  • Prayer and communion with the Father: Christ prayed throughout the night (Luke 6:12)
  • Instruction in avoiding human favor: To teach his followers not to seek external recognition but to withdraw from tumult and show-offishness
• These withdrawals were exemplary and instructive, not a contradiction of his public ministry

Key Arguments #

Against a Solitary Life (Objections) #

1. God does not converse with men (Daniel 2:10); Christ should have demonstrated divinity through separation
2. The most perfect life is contemplative, which requires solitude (cited from prophet Osee)
3. Christ sometimes withdrew to deserts and mountains; he should have remained consistently solitary

Thomas’s Resolution #

• Christ’s conversatio was suited to the end of the Incarnation
• Through his human nature, Christ made known his divinity via preaching, miracles, and innocent, just living among men
• Christ’s humanity was the instrument through which his divinity was manifested
• The active life of preaching is more perfect than pure contemplation because it combines contemplative wisdom with the gift of teaching others
• This principle is central to the Dominican vocation

The Structure of Christ’s Life as Instructive #

• Christ’s actions serve dual purposes: accomplishing redemption and providing example
• His withdrawals teach the importance of bodily rest, prayer, and humility
• His public engagement teaches the necessity of bringing truth and healing to the world
• Ambrose notes that Christ “informed us by his own example” in matters of virtue

Important Definitions #

Conversatio #

• Not merely conversation but one’s entire manner of living and association with others
• Encompasses choices regarding food, clothing, wealth, solitude, and engagement with society
• For Christ, it means living familiarly with men while remaining fully divine

Fiducia (Confidence/Trust) #

• The confidence that sinners and publicans gained from Christ’s accessible, familiar way of living
• Related to but distinct from faith (fides); more closely aligned with hope
• Enabled approach to God through personal encounter rather than distance or fear
• The publican Zacchaeus illustrates this: Christ’s willingness to dine at his house gave him confidence to repent

Contemplata Aliis Tradere #

• Latin phrase: “to hand on to others the things contemplated”
• Describes the active life that flows from and depends upon contemplation
• Considered more perfect than purely contemplative life because it unites both wisdom and apostolic generosity
• The Dominican order exemplifies this ideal: abundance of study and prayer that overflows in preaching and teaching

Examples & Illustrations #

The Publican Zacchaeus (Matthew 9:9-13) #

• Climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Christ, not expecting such personal familiarity
• Christ’s offer to dine at his house transformed shame into confidence and repentance
• Demonstrates how Christ’s accessible way of life drew sinners to conversion and removed despair from salvation

Christ’s Withdrawals (Mark 6:31, Luke 6:12) #

• Mark 6:31: “Let us go into a deserted place and rest a little,” because disciples had no space even to eat
• Luke 6:12: Christ withdrew to the mountain and prayed throughout the night before choosing the apostles
• Matthew 5: Jesus saw the crowds, went up the mountain, sat in solitude to teach avoidance of ostentation

John the Baptist vs. Christ #

• John fasted and drank no wine, demonstrating the perfection of austere life
• Christ ate and drank with publicans and sinners, demonstrating the perfection of the active life
• Both exemplified perfection in different modes suited to their respective missions

Father Dalzon (Emmanuel d’Alzon) #

• Founder of the Assumptionists (Augustinians of the Assumption) in 19th-century France
• Combined active ministry with rigorous study (studying many hours at night despite full days of ministry)
• Example of how an active religious superior must maintain an abundance of contemplation to sustain apostolic work
• Studied in Paris and Rome; was peritus at Vatican I

Notable Quotes #

“After this, he was seen on the earth, and he conversed with men.” (Baruch 3:38)

“For this was I born, and for this I came into the world, that I might give testimony unto the truth.” (John 18:37)

“It is necessary for me to evangelize the kingdom of God to other cities, because for that reason I am sent.” (Luke 4:43)

“Contemplata aliis tradere” (Dominican motto exemplifying the active life that flows from contemplation)

Questions Addressed #

Question 40, Article 1: Should Christ Have Led a Solitary Life? #

• Objections: God does not converse with men; the contemplative life is most perfect; Christ withdrew to deserts
• Resolution: Christ’s public ministry was necessary to accomplish the threefold purpose of the Incarnation. The active life of preaching that flows from contemplation is more perfect than mere contemplation. Christ’s withdrawals were for specific instructive purposes, not a rejection of public ministry.

The Role of Christ’s Life as Example #

• Christ’s life demonstrates both the necessity of public engagement in serving truth and healing, and the necessity of withdrawal for prayer and rest
• Preachers must give themselves to public ministry, but also withdraw strategically (not constantly public, not always withdrawn)
• Human teachers require time to study and contemplate before they can teach others effectively

Connections to Scholastic Method #

• The lecture demonstrates how Thomas structures his treatment: raising objections grounded in Aristotelian principles and Scripture, then showing the deeper harmony through the lens of the Incarnation
• Multiple patristic sources (Jerome, Chrysostom, Gregory, Ambrose) support the Thomistic resolution
• The principle that Christ’s life is both redemptive and exemplary appears throughout the argument
• The relationship between contemplation and action is foundational to understanding religious vocations (Dominican vs. Franciscan, active vs. monastic)