The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
Carmelite Identity in the Rule of St.
by Elizabeth M.M. Korves OCDS
The Rule of St Albert is the first written
document of the Carmelite Order. In it we
learn about how those first hermits on Mt
Carmel lived and what they and St Albert, as
author of the Rule, saw as important to the
vocation they were living out. By examining
the Rule of St Albert, we find some of the
basic elements of the Carmelite charism and
vocation.
HISTORY OF THE RULE
Before looking at the Carmelite charism
outlined in the Rule, it may be helpful to
know a bit about the history of the hermits
and the Rule they lived by. It is not known
exactly when any of the hermits took up
residence on Mt Carmel, just south of Haifa
in modern day Israel. We do know that they
had been there long enough to form some
kind of community by the time they asked
Albert for a Rule.
The eremetical life was fairly common in the
Holy Land during this time period (late 12th,
early 13th century). The Saracens had
control of Jerusalem and the Church was
sponsoring the Crusades in an effort to
retake the places where Jesus had lived.
Albert was elected Patriarch of Jerusalem in
1205 and arrived in the Holy Land in 1206.
Unable to make his residence in Jerusalem,
Albert settled in Acre just to the north of Mt
Carmel and Haifa. In 1214, Albert was
murdered during a procession by the Master
of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit whom he
had removed from office due to corruption.
Thus we know that he would have written
the Rule sometime between 1206 and 1214
but don’t have a more specific date.
We know more about Albert than we do
about the hermits on Mt Carmel. It is
possible they came to the Holy Land as
34
St. Albert
crusaders and chose to stay, taking up the
eremitical lifestyle. Or they may have
arrived as pilgrims accompanying the
Crusades. We do know they had come from
Europe and may have had contact with
Orthodox hermits and monks in the area.
These hermits were laity, not clergy. Within
50 years of receiving the Rule from St Albert,
the hermits had begun relocating to Europe
due to movement of the Saracens into that
area of the Holy Land. As they adjusted to
their new life in Europe, they experienced
changes which lead away from the eremitical
life they had known to a more mendicant
way. In that process, local bishops wanted to
ordain Carmelites and have them take over
certain pastoral duties. Some among the
Carmelites protested this, wanting to cling to
their lay status as more in keeping with the
life of a hermit.
This relocation into Europe also brought
about some changes to the Rule itself. In
1247, Pope Innocent IV issued mitigations to
the Rule at the request of the Carmelites.
These mitigations were meant to more
closely reflect their changing way of life.
Mitigations over the next 200 years further
moved the Order from its eremitical origins
towards the life of mendicants.
Interestingly, when St Teresa of Avila
reformed the Carmelite Order and returned
it to the primitive rule, the version of the rule
which she thought of as the primitive rule
was the one with mitigations issued by
Innocent IV. It was the later mitigations
against which she was reforming.
For the purposes of this article, the original
version of the Rule prior to the mitigations of
Innocent IV will be used as will the
numbering used in the Edwards translation
of the Rule.
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
CARMELITE IDENTITY
Albert indicates in the Rule that he is writing
in response to a request from the hermits
themselves for a formula of life (#2). Many
groups of hermits in the Holy Land during
that time period adopted Rules already in
existence, i.e. Benedictine or Cistercian, but
the hermits on Mt Carmel asked for a new
one reflective of how they were already living
out their vocation[8]. Thus by looking at the
Rule of St Albert, we can ascertain the
hermits’ self-perception of their vocation.
The name “Carmelite” in reference to this
community came later but we learn from the
Rule just what it means to be a Carmelite.
Ecclessial
The mere act of asking Albert for a rule,
shows that the hermits wanted an official
connection to the universal Church. Mt
Carmel fell under Albert’s jurisdiction. The
hermits could easily have continued their
way of life without a rule or written one on
their own without seeking ecclesiastical
approval. Instead, they went to Albert and
purposefully asked for “a rule (that they)
may hold fast to henceforward” (#2). In so
doing, they firmly placed their eremetical
vocation within the structures of the Church.
They sought and received the sanction of the
Church for their way of life and this sanction
was later confirmed more than once by
various Popes. The hermits also
demonstrated their ecclessial loyalties by
participating in the liturgy of the Church,
both through the Liturgy of the Hours and
the Mass (#9, 11)
Christo-centric
The Rule begins and ends with Christ.
Albert addresses the hermits as his “beloved
sons in Christ” (#1). Immediately after the
greeting, he more strongly states this
grounding in Christ by saying the hermit
“should live a life of allegiance to Jesus
Christ” and “be unswerving in service of his
Master” (#2). At the end of the Rule, Albert
35
tells the brothers that they must keep their
minds not on the Prior “but on Christ who
has placed him over you”. By keeping
themselves Christ-minded, Albert reminds
the hermits that they will merit eternal
life(#19). He closes the Rule with an
exhortation to the hermits that “our Lord, at
his second coming, will reward anyone who
does more than he is obliged to do” (#20).
Living Solitude
Only once in the Rule does Albert refer to the
hermits as such. He does this at the
beginning in his greeting (#1). After that, he
addresses and refers to them simply as
brothers. However, this reference to the
brothers as hermits tells us that they lived a
life of solitude. Albert underscores this life
of solitude in three more places: “Each one of
you is to have a separate cell” (#5), “Each of
you is to say in his own cell or nearby”(#8),
and again, “As I have said, each of you is to
stay in his allotted cell” (#10). It is in the
solitude of their cells that they will be able to
devote themselves to a life of prayer and hear
that “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12) of God.
In their cells, the hermits will not be subject
to the distractions of the outside world. They
need only be distracted with God.
Being Community
It may seem a contradiction, but the Rule
reflects that these hermits trying to live a life
of solitude, formed a community never the
less. Throughout the Rule, Albert injects
that spirit of community and even gives it a
strong democratic element. The Prior “is to
be chosen for the office by common consent,
or that of the greater and maturer part” (#3).
Even the decision on who shall inhabit which
cell is made by “disposition of the Prior with
the agreement of the other brothers, or the
more mature among them” (#5).
The hermits are to gather on Sundays for the
good of the community. Here they are to
“discuss matters of discipline and your
spiritual welfare” (#12). Any individual
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
“indiscretions and failings of the brothers, if
any be found at fault” are to be “lovingly
corrected” (#12). Thus it appears that
decisions of concern to the larger group rest
in that group rather than in the hands of one
person such as the Prior.
Even the duties of the Prior support the well
being of the larger group. His cell is to be
near the entrance in order to greet visitors
and respond to “whatever has to be done in
consequence” (#7). In so doing, the Prior
assures that the other hermits will not be
disturbed by visitors and may continue their
own prayer and work. The Prior is also
responsible for handing out “such things as
the Lord may have given you”(#10) to each
hermit in accord with “whatever befits his
age and needs” (#10).
To this already existing life of community,
Albert also added the requirement that the
hermits were to “gather each morning to
hear Mass” (#11). (It is not known whether
there was a priest among the hermits or if
someone from outside their circle came to
preside over these daily Masses).
Liturgical
Albert’s instruction to gather for daily Mass
also highlights the community’s
participation in the liturgical life of the
Church. This particular call to daily Mass
was apparently unusual for religious orders
of that time.
The hermits were already praying the psalms
either in a manner similar to the Liturgy of
the Hours or the actual Hours themselves.
Albert writes that they “should for each of
the hours, say those our holy forefathers laid
down and the approved custom of the
Church appoints for that hour” (#9). There
were a number of versions of the Liturgy of
the Hours in use throughout the Church in
that time period. It is unknown whether
they followed a version local to the Church in
the Holy Land or the version set forth by
36
Benedict in his Rule which became popular
wherever the Benedictine Order spread.
The hermits apparently also followed a
common custom of substituting multiple
recitations of the Our Father for those in
their midst who “do not know their letters”
(#9).
Scripture Loving
The liturgical life of the community
incorporates Scripture through the Mass
readings and the psalms of the Hours. The
Rule goes even further towards having the
hermits ground their lives in Scripture.
When reading the Rule of St Albert, it is
impossible not to notice the number of times
Scripture is quoted to make a point. Forty
one passages of Scripture make up close to a
third of the Rule. St Paul’s writings are used
to support the need to work (#16), as well as
listing the “weapons” the hermits will need
for spiritual warfare (#15). Several Old
Testament passages support the call to a life
of silence (#17).
Albert writes that “the sword of the spirit,
the word of God, must abound in your
mouths and hearts. Let all you do have the
Lord’s word for accompaniment” (#15). This
is a further reflection on what is usually
considered the heart of the Rule and of the
Carmelite charism - “pondering the Lord’s
law day and night and keeping watch at ...
prayers unless attending to some other duty”
(#8).
Work
Those other duties consisted of some type of
work though the Rule and history do not tell
us just what that work entailed. In a lengthy
quote, Albert repeats St Paul’s teaching that
those who “are not willing to work should
not be allowed to eat either” (#16). Albert
cites a commonly held concern that idleness
may “give him (the devil) a chance to pierce
the defenses of your souls” (#16). Albert also
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
views work as a way of holiness and
goodness (#16).
Silence
Another way of holiness according to the
Rule is silence. Lack of silence would not
only be disruptive to the community but also
could bring “harm to the speaker’s
soul”(#17). Both at the beginning and end of
the chapter on silence, Isaiah 32 is
referenced. According to a study by the
Dutch Carmelite Province, the quoted
passages of Isaiah referring to silence also
speak of justice. This portion of Isaiah
speaks of a community in which quiet is
found in the cultivation of justice (where
people are safe together, sensitive to each
other, call things by their name, and support
each other).
Clothed for Spiritual Warfare
Since they lived in the time of the Crusades,
it is not surprising that the Rule borrows
from St Paul and tells the hermits to don
God’s armor to protect themselves. The
weapons they are to use are chastity, holy
meditations, holiness, faith, salvation, and
the word of God. With these weapons they
will be able to withstand the enemy’s
ambush, love the Lord, quench the flaming
missiles of the wicked one, and be set free
from their sins (#15). Other ascetical
practices which the hermits are to practice
include obedience to the Prior (#4,19),
poverty (#10), fasting (#13), and abstinence
from meat (#14).
Common Sense
Finally, Albert and the hermits know that
even these simple guidelines put forth must
not be followed in a legalistic manner but
governed by pastoral concern. The Rule
allows for exceptions in some sections.
Albert frankly tells the brothers that
“necessity overrides every law” (#13). The
hermits are to gather for Mass each morning
“if it can be done without difficulty” (#11).
37
Since the oratory is “to be built as
conveniently as possible among the cells”
(#11), one wonders what such a difficulty
might have been. However it is possible to
imagine that given the lie of the land, heavy
rain may have made getting from cell to
oratory dangerous and under such
circumstances the hermit could exercise
common sense at the behest of the Rule. The
fast may be dispensed with in cases of
“bodily sickness or feebleness, or some other
good reason” (#13) and meat may be eaten
also “as a remedy for sickness or great
feebleness”(#14). Even the silence may be
broken for “some necessary or good
reason”(#17). And lest they forget the
importance of it, Albert makes the final
sentence of the Rule an injunction to exercise
common sense. “See that the bounds of
common sense are not exceeded, however,
for common sense is the guide of the virtues”
(#20).
In the Rule of St Albert, we find the
beginnings of the Carmelite charism. That
charism grew and changed some over the
course of centuries but the basic elements of
it that were present at the beginning, are still
present today. Through this Rule, the voice
of St Albert and the first hermits on Mt
Carmel still speak to Carmelites about who
they are, how they are to live their vocation.
Carmelites then and now are ecclessial,
Christo-centric, living solitude, being
community, liturgical, Scripture loving,
engaged in work, maintaining silence,
clothed for spiritual warfare, and exercising
common sense. These cornerstones from the
hermits have survived the test of 800 years
and will continue to inspire Carmelites for
years to come.
© Elizabeth M Korves, January 2003
.
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
The Carmelite Rule
The rule of life given to the Carmelites by St.
Albert Avogadro between the years 1206 -
1214, was finally approved as the true and
proper Rule of Carmel by Innocenzo in 1247
and later underwent mitigations which were
not in the original text.
The Carmelite Rule states that is basic for a
Carmelite to "live a life in allegiance to Jesus
Christ - how, pure in heart and stout in
conscience, he must be unswerving in the
service of the Master" (no.2). To live a life of
allegiance to Jesus Christ, the Carmelites
bind themselves especially to:

develop the contemplative dimension of
their life, in an open dialogue with God

live as brothers, full of charity

meditate day and night on the Word of
the Lord

pray together or alone several times a day

celebrate the Eucharist every day

do manual work, as Paul the Apostle did

purify themselves of every trace of evil

live in poverty, placing in common what
little they may have

love the Church and all people

conform their will to that of God, seeking
the will of God in faith, in dialogue and
through discernment.
The Carmelite Rule is the shortest of all
known Rules, almost exclusively made up of
biblical precepts. To this day it is a rich
source of inspiration for life.
38
The Rule of Saint Albert
Paragraph numbers are in square brackets to indicate
that they are not part of the original Rule. They were
agreed by the General Councils of both Carmelite
Orders and published in 1999. Those in italics are
from the Edward’s translation of the Rule in reference
for the previous article “Carmelite Identity in the Rule
of Saint Albert”
[1] / 1
Albert, called by God’s favour to be Patriarch
of the Church of Jerusalem, bids health in
the Lord and the blessing of the Holy Spirit
to his beloved sons in Christ, B. and the
other hermits under obedience to him, who
live near the spring on Mount Carmel.
[2] / 2
Many and varied are the ways in which our
saintly forefathers laid down how everyone,
whatever his station or the kind of religious
observance he has chosen, should live a life
in allegiance to Jesus Christ - how, pure in
heart and stout in conscience, he must be
unswerving in the service of the Master.
[3]
It is to me, however, that you have come for
a rule of life in keeping with your avowed
purpose, a rule you may hold fast to
henceforward; and therefore:
[4] / 3
The first thing I require is for you to have a
Prior, one of yourselves, who is to be chosen
for the office by common consent, or that of
the greater and maturer part of you.
4
Each of the others must promise him
obedience - of which, once promised, he
must try to make his deed the true reflection
- and also chastity and the renunciation of
ownership.
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
[5]
If the Prior and the brothers see fit, you may
have foundations in solitary places, or where
you are given a site suitable and convenient
for the observance proper to your Order.
[6] / 5
Next, each one of you is to have a separate
cell, situated as the lie of the land you
propose to occupy may dictate, and allotted
by disposition of the Prior with the
agreement of the other brothers, or the more
mature among them.
[7]
However, you are to eat whatever may have
been given you in a common refectory,
listening together meanwhile to a reading
from Holy Scripture where that can be done
without difficulty.
[8] / 6
None of the brothers is to occupy a cell other
than that allotted to him, or to exchange cells
with another, without leave of whoever is
Prior at the time.
[9] / 7
The Prior’s cell should stand near the
entrance to your property, so that he may be
the first to meet those who approach, and
whatever has to be done in consequence may
all be carried out as he may decide and
order.
[10] / 8
Each one of you is to stay in his own cell or
nearby, pondering the Lord’s law day and
night and keeping watch at his prayers
unless attending to some other duty.
[11] / 9
Those who know how to say the canonical
hours with those in orders should do so, in
the way those holy forefathers of ours laid
down, and according to the Church’s
approved custom. Those who do not know
the hours must say twenty-five ‘Our Fathers’
for the night office, except on Sundays and
solemnities when that number is to be
39
doubled so that the ‘Our Father’ is said fifty
times; the same prayer must be said seven
times in the morning in place of Lauds, and
seven times too for each of the other hours,
except for Vespers when it must be said
fifteen times.
[12] / 10
None of the brothers must lay claim to
anything as his own, but you are to possess
everything in common; and each is to receive
from the Prior - that is from the brother he
appoints for the purpose - whatever befits his
age and needs.
[13]
You may have as many asses and mules as
you need, however, and may keep a certain
amount of livestock or poultry.
[14] / 11
An oratory should be built as conveniently as
possible among the cells, where, if it can be
done without difficulty, you are to gather
each morning to hear Mass.
[15] / 12
On Sundays too, or other days if necessary,
you should discuss matters of discipline and
your spiritual welfare; and on this occasion
the indiscretions and failings of the brothers,
if any be found at fault, should be lovingly
corrected.
[16] / 13
You are to fast every day, except Sundays,
from the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy
Cross until Easter Day, unless bodily
sickness or feebleness, or some other good
reason, demand a dispensation from the fast;
for necessity overrides every law.
[17]
You are to abstain from meat, except as a
remedy for sickness or feebleness. But as,
when you are on a journey, you more often
than not have to beg your way, outside your
own houses you may eat foodstuffs that have
been cooked with meat, so as to avoid giving
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
trouble to your hosts. At sea, however, meat
may be eaten.
[18] / 15
Since man’s life on earth is a time of trial,
and all who would live devotedly in Christ
must undergo persecution, and the devil
your foe is on the prowl like a roaring lion
looking for prey to devour, you must use
every care to clothe yourselves in God’s
armour so that you may be ready to
withstand the enemy’s ambush.
[19]
Your loins are to be girt with chastity, your
breast fortified by holy meditations, for as
Scripture has it, holy meditation will save
you. Put on holiness as your breastplate, and
it will enable you to love the Lord your God
with all your heart and soul and strength,
and your neighbour as yourself. Faith must
be your shield on all occasions, and with it
you will be able to quench all the flaming
missiles of the wicked one: there can be no
pleasing God without faith; and the victory
lies in this - your faith. On your head set the
helmet of salvation, and so be sure of
deliverance by our only Saviour, who sets his
own free from their sins. The sword of the
spirit, the word of God, must abound in your
mouths and hearts. Let all you do have the
Lord’s word for accompaniment.
[20] / 16
You must give yourselves to work of some
kind, so that the devil may always find you
busy; no idleness on your part must give him
a chance to pierce the defences of your souls.
In this respect you have both the teaching
and the example of Saint Paul the Apostle,
into whose mouth Christ put his own words.
God made him preacher and teacher of faith
and truth to the nations: with him as your
teacher you cannot go astray. We lived
among you, he said, labouring and weary,
toiling night and day so as not to be a burden
to any of you; not because we had no power
to do otherwise but so as to give you, in your
own selves, as an example you might imitate.
For the charge we gave you when we were
40
with you was this: that whoever is not willing
to work should not be allowed to eat either.
For we have heard that there are certain
restless idlers among you. We charge people
of this kind, and implore them in the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that they earn their
own bread by silent toil. This is the way of
holiness and goodness: see that you follow it.
[21] / 17
The Apostle would have us keep silence, for
in silence he tells us to work. As the Prophet
also makes known to us: Silence is the way to
foster holiness. Elsewhere he says: Your
strength will lie in silence and hope. For this
reason I lay down that you are to keep
silence from after Compline until after Prime
the next day. At other times, although you
need not keep silence so strictly, be careful
not to indulge in a great deal of talk, for as
Scripture has it - and experience teaches us
no less - Sin will not be wanting where there
is much talk, and He who is careless in
speech will come to harm; and elsewhere:
The use of many words brings harm to the
speaker’s soul. And our Lord says in the
Gospel: Every rash word uttered will have to
be accounted for on judgment day. Make a
balance then, each of you, to weigh his words
in; keep a tight rein on your mouths, lest you
should stumble and fall in speech, and your
fall be irreparable and prove mortal. Like the
Prophet, watch your step lest your tongue
give offence, and employ every care in
keeping silent, which is the way to foster
holiness.
[22] / 18
Your brother B., and whoever may succeed
you as Prior, must always keep in mind and
put into practice what our Lord said in the
Gospel: Whoever has a mind to become a
leader among you must make yourself
servant to the rest, and whichever of you
would be first must become your bondsman.
[23] / 19
You other brothers too, hold your Prior in
humble reverence, your minds not on him
but on Christ who has placed him over you,
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5

and who, to those who rule the Churches,

addressed these words: Whoever pays you
heed pays heed to me, and whoever treats
you with dishonour dishonours me; if you
remain so minded you will not be found
guilty of contempt, but will merit life eternal
as fit reward for your obedience.

[24] / 20
Here then are a few points I have written
down to provide you with a standard of
conduct to live up to; but our Lord, at his
second coming, will reward anyone who does
more than he is obliged to do. See that the
bounds of common sense are not exceeded,
however, for common sense is the guide of
the virtues.

41
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
The Rule of Carmel
by Teresa Martinez, OCDS
To explain what the general theme of this
talk is, an excerpt from Psalm 24 will be used
as a preface.: "Who shall climb the mountain
of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy
place? Those with clean hands and pure
heart, who desire not worthless things"
Why was this topic chosen? The topic of the
Rule of St. Albert was chosen because the
Constitutions of all three branches of the
Order are based on Albert's Rule. Plus,
because the Rule is an evangelical text, the
practices of the entire Rule teach allegiance
to Jesus Christ, the means of our salvation.
St. Paul tells us "God has entrusted the
message of reconciliation to us. This makes
us ambassadors of Christ" (2 Cor.5) To
become ambassadors of Christ we have to
understand what our Christian and
Carmelite obligations are. We must also to be
able to differentiate between vocation and
spirituality, to understand our obligations.
Being able to pray well does not make us
Carmelites, however, to be a good Carmelite
one must make every effort to pray well.
Just as it is logical, and an obligation, for us
to learn about our faith to be able to practice
it properly. So too it is logical and is an
obligation for us to learn what the Rule of
Carmel is, to be able to practice it correctly,
through familiarity with the responsibilities
of the vocation. When we do so, two things
happen, our Carmelite identity develops,
along with the desire and the experience of
an evangelizing prophetic commitment. By
this we are enabled to live the mission of
Carmel in the Church and the world.
When we understand what the inherent
responsibilities of a Carmelite vocation are,
we become convinced about five things:
1. The necessity for good formation.
2. That personal on-going formation is a
necessary life long process and commitment.
42
OCDS
3. That formation is not just a personal
thing, the future survival of the Order
depends on how well the vocation is
understood, genuinely lived, and passed on.
4. That by our active commitment to the
vocation, we contribute to the formation of
our brothers and sisters in the community
and in the Order.
5. Our commitment then takes on an
evangelical thrust for the conversion of
others.
To live a Carmelite identity, we must first
know and understand who we are, what we
are called to do, how we do what we do, and
why we do it. It is only with this
understanding that a genuine Carmelite
charism can be passed on to others. How do
we do this?
Fr. Aloysius Deeney said in his talk at the
New Orleans OCDS Congress. "There is an
academic aspect to the formation of a
Teresian Carmelite…A Carmelite that does
not have the interest in studying or
deepening the roots of his/her identity
through prayer and study loses identity and
can no longer represent the Order."
Carrying out the mission Carmel, of
witnessing to the Presence of God in the
world, obliges us to an active participation in
on-going formation. We study our Rule and
live it faithfully daily. We also prayerful
explore the lives and doctrines of our Saints,
and study the roots and history of the Order.
This academic aspect of formation guides
and teaches us how to become what God is
calling us to be.
The obligation and responsibility of on-going
formation is twofold.
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
1. The Order is obliged to provide the best
formation possible, and
2. If by omission, we the members are
culpable of not taking formation seriously,
we rob ourselves the Order and the Church,
by not living an authentic Carmelite vocation
or Carmelite mission.
We would set a bad example, or project a
false image of Carmel, and worse of all, this
behavior would be contrary to what God is
asking of us.
The whole purpose, value and exercise of this
Congress is to return to the original
inspiration of our Order, through the
examination of our Holy Rule, to be able to
live the vocation and its mission responsibly,
and are what we claim to be.
This examination of our Rule of will be
threefold:
1. We will look very briefly at the Rule from a
literary perspective.
2. While looking at Albert's Rule as the
cornerstone and foundation on which our
present Rule and the future OCDS
Constitutions lie, we will examine Albert's
Rule on the two levels of asceticism that he
recommends in order to reach our
contemplative goal.
At the first level of asceticism, Albert gives a
practical formula, which entails
mortification, or the purgation of the senses
for ease and comfort. This first stage starts
when we enter Carmel. It entails a whole new
lifestyle of self-discipline as we learn to the
practice the Rule faithfully on a daily basis:
Daily Eucharist, Liturgy of the Hours,
Mental prayer etc. This first stage can only
be resolved when we realize that we must let
go of being in charge of our spiritual agenda
of practices, and let God be in charge,
through obedience to what He is calling us
to. This is the first tiny step in the right
direction of becoming Nothing to gain All.
43
At the second and more difficult level of
asceticism, we learn how to live Jesus'
teaching of "Blessed are the pure of heart,
they shall see God." Mt.5,8, the ascetic
norms that Albert recommends are the
means for the interior purgation, needed to
acquire the contemplative spirit of purity of
heart. This is learned through daily practice,
done in obedience to God's will, and by living
the evangelical counsels.
3. The third aspect of our examination of the
Rule, will look at a brief chronology of the
historical, political, social and ecclesial
conditions in the Middle Ages that caused or
warranted the mitigations to the Rule. This
will provide us with some idea of why
mitigations to the Rule were made. And it
will also emphasize the magnitude of the
reform that St. Teresa was able to
accomplish by God's help.
While what is being presented here will be
familiar to most, it is essential to go back to
our roots from time to time to study them, so
as to deepen our fervor and authenticity, so
that we become deeply appreciative of what
we have. Appreciation and gratitude expand
the heart, and enhances the way the vocation
is lived.
This brings us to the first point of this
amateur analysis of the Rule,
1. THE RULE FROM A LITERARY PERSPECTIVE.
Letter writing in the twelfth century was an
art with strict rules of protocol, following the
standard form of Opening Words, Starting
Point, Exposition, Request and Conclusion.
Read THE RULE OF CARMEL (New
Horizons. Editrice "il Calamo" s.n.c. Roma.
An OCD Publication. 1st. Article - Historical
Approach To The Rule Of Carmel by Keese
Waaijman, O.Carm). Albert's Rule, written in
strict conformance to the correct code of
letter writing, encompasses all of these
criteria. We see IN THE OPENING WORDS
of the Rule that Albert identifies himself and
his social status, as protocol dictated.
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
IN THE SALUTATION - he bids health in the
Lord and blessings in the Holy Spirit. He
identifies to whom he is speaking,
maintaining strict social status by greeting B,
the Prior first, then he greets the hermits
under him. He also specifies where they live.
IN THE INTRODUCTION - Albert tells
them: "everyone, whatever his station or the
kind of religious observance he has chosen,
should live a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ
- how pure in heart and steadfast in
conscience he must be unswerving in the
service of this Master." This core advice and
general principal is the foundation of the
Rule. It is the driving force of all our
observances.
THE EXPOSITION - which has been
introduced in the Introduction, is now
explained. Albert reminds them that it is
they who have asked him for a Rule of Life in
keeping with their avowed purpose of
reaching the purity of heart required for
living in the spirit of the prophets. Fr. Camilo
Maccise, OCD said in his talk in San Antonio
last June that "A Prophet is a person of God.
A prophet and person of the Word. A
prophet is a person who provokes crisis. A
prophet is a person who fulfills his mission
in weakness." A prophet is "Jesus, the
Prophet and evangelist of the kingdom of
God." As we grow in the vocation, these
prophetic traits become visible and part in
the way we live.
IN THE REQUEST - he lays out for them two
formulas or specific practices that are the
means to their goal. They are practical laws
of asceticism that each us how to live the
eremetic spirit of the prophets, to learn how
to become pure in heart.
THE CONCLUSION - clearly states that the
law of the Rule must be practiced in a spirit
of generosity "Our Lord at His Second
Coming, will reward anyone who does more
than he is obliged to." On this topic of
reciprocal generosity in the ascetic practices,
our Holy Mother teaches in Ch.6 of the WAY,
44
that God always repays those who love Him,
and again in Ch.29, that when we give
ourselves wholeheartedly, God repays us
wholeheartedly in return.
In point two of the Conclusion, Albert
counseling prudence and charity says: "See
that the bounds of common sense are not
exceeded, however, for common sense is the
guide of the virtues."
This concludes looking at the Rule from a
literary perspective, and brings us to the
second point of analysis - finding some of the
parallels between Albert's Rule and our Rule
and or Constitutions.
Why Do We need A Rule?
We all need guidelines, or a road map to
show us the way to reach a particular
destination. For us Carmelites we have our
Catholic Faith, the obligations of our Rule,
and the lives and doctrines of our Carmelite
Saints.
We start this process during the initial
period of Aspirancy. This requires major
personal adjustment when we must let go of
our personal spiritual agenda, while allowing
God to take over through our obedience to
the norms of the vocation. This requires
courage, trust and a determined
commitment. It is the important first stage of
our personal ascent of Mount Carmel. What
we learn at this stage is the cornerstone on
which the second level of spiritual growth
lies. This first phase may also be likened to
the hard work of the first living waters of
prayer we drink. Daily perseverance and
fidelity are the key practices needed on the
journey.
Here then are eight practical parallels
between Albert's rule and our Rule or
Constitutions. There are many more, but
time permits examination of only a few.
1. An Elected Prior is to Govern. - He must
be the first to greet people coming to the site.
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
He protects the site from disturbing
intrusions. The President, as the elected
head and representative of the community, is
the public relations contact for the
community and also protects the community
from disturbing intrusion.
2. All must have separate cells; allocated by
the Prior and with the agreement of the other
brothers -We see that the responsibilities of
leadership are shared. The authority of the
community's council to govern is based on
this.
3. He gives precautionary Advice on the
spirit of leadership: "Whoever has a mind to
become leader among you must make
himself servant to the rest." This is the same
advice Christ gave to the apostles after he
had washed their feet. Leaders must serve in
humility. Then Albert tells the hermits: "You
other brothers too, hold your Prior in
humble reverence, your minds not on him
but on Christ who has placed him over
you…" On this point, Holy Mother advises us
to pay great attention to obedience, for our
Superior represents the will of God for us.
She says that we make more spiritual
progress through obedience than without it,
and that obedience demands the virtues of
humility and mortification. (Way Ch.40, Vs
8)
4. All must do their fair share of work.
Charity demands an active involvement in
the welfare of one's community and the
Order, through personal commitment to the
vocation, by participation and collaboration
in the work and mission of the Order. We
share with or give to our community our
individual talent. The community in turn
accepts it and uses it for the good of all, in
this way our gift is communized and the
community does not become individualized
by any one gifted member.
5. "Observe silence with all diligence and
care. That he may not slip by his tongue and
fall…" Silence is the soul of the spirit of
interior solitude, a prerequisite for living in
45
the Presence of God. Silence is a guard
against rash-judgment, calumny and
detraction. Silence breeds charity and guards
against sinning. St. Paul tells us: "Let no evil
talk come out of your mouths, but only what
is useful for building up." (Eph.4,29)
6. Some animals may be kept for sustenance
or traveling. Here Albert gives consideration
to practical matters of life-support and
financial needs. Contemporary translation
for us would mean that we must see to the
support of our community and our Order,
offering prayers for the living and dead of the
Order, by donating our services and work for
the good of the Order. Sharing our talents or
giving financial assistance, as God has
enabled us according to His gifts to us.
7. There is to be a common refectory in
which meals are eaten together… There is to
be a common chapel to come together for the
celebration of the Eucharist. This means that
both community and solitary prayer times
are necessary. As a Carmelite community we
pray together at the monthly meeting. We
have our larger faith community prayer in
our daily Eucharist. We have our solitary
time alone with God alone in our half-hour
of mental prayer, and as we sanctify the
hours of the day by the recitation of the
Liturgy of the Hours. These practices train us
to live in God's Presence.
8. Those who do not know the hours must
say extra prayers. In other words, those who
can't read are not exempt from their duty to
prayer. His flexibility, compassion and
charity show the spirit of the Rule, yet it also
reflects St. Paul's teaching in Romans 15,1.
LET US NOW LOOK AT THE SECOND LEVEL OF
ASCETICISM.
The interior purgation that leads to purity of
heart and purity of intentions.
This is a much more difficult stage than the
first stage of self-discipline and sensory
purgation. This stage introduces us to the
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
practice of the interior virtues of humility,
detachment and love of neighbour that can
bring us to a more mature spirituality if we
allow it to by our faithfulness to our
obligations. It can be compared to the second
book of the Ascent of Mount Carmel, The
Dark Night of the Soul. The soul's interior
purgation. This second purgation involves
acknowledging and getting rid of character
flaws that are deep rooted and habitual, that
we may not be aware that we have. The
suffering and painfulness of this stage is
twofold:
1. We must first become aware of and
acknowledge our faults, which pain the ego,
because it involves letting go of all that the
ego holds sacred. My pride. My self-
centeredness. My opinion. My rights, My
honour. My gain. My prestige. My lusts. My
envy, My jealousy. My spite. My bragging.
My ingratitude. Etc.
2. This second level of suffering entails an
arduous tenacity to persevere daily, as we
strive for the conversion from our character
flaws. Without God's help this conversion
would be impossible.
Here are some of Albert's guidelines to reach
the interior goal of purity of heart. His first
advice on how to accomplish this is that they
make their foundations in solitary places
which simply means, that it would be
impossible to reach our goal of purity of
heart, while submerged in or preoccupied by
excessive worldly pursuits and demands, and
pre-occupation with self. Our first goal then
is learning to free ourselves from all that
enslaves us, by letting go of all that the world
tells us matters. So that our self-worth and
happiness are not grounded in what others
think of me. Gaining freedom from bondage
to self and dependence on worldly opinions
for our happiness, breeds in us the spiritual
wisdom, that urges us to practice the
detachment necessary for a contemplative
spirit of interior silence and solitude.
Through which, and only through which, the
Divine Indwelling can be found.
46
At this stage, tried, true and faithful practices
of the Rule bring us to a more spiritually
authentic and mature level. Because in the
process, we have learned that if the vocation
is not lived realistically, or if it becomes
separated from normal daily life it becomes
an illusion or fantasy. As we become more
aflame with a purified and compelling love
for the Beloved, the journey seems somewhat
more bearable. The yoke of self-discipline
seems a bit easier and the ascetic burden
lighter, even if in fact they may not be
lighter.
This stage can be compared to the second
living waters of prayer. While we must still
work hard, our efforts are greatly assisted by
God, who loves and rewards our faithful and
loving efforts.
Growth in spiritual maturity also imparts the
wisdom that helps us to understand the
value of the interior purgation. When this
happens, we can make great strides, because
we begin to understand the meaning of joy in
the cross.
Fr. Anastatius points out in the little book
The Spirit of the Rule of Carmel, that this
death-to-self abandonment and detachment
we practice, on the one hand is the soul's
immolation, but it is the necessary purgation
that disposes the soul to Divine
consummation and Divine transformation.
Holy Mother warns us about obstacles to
growth. She says that few of us are willing to
dispose ourselves to receive all that God
wants to give us (See Interior Castle, Ch.5)
and that Jesus wants to give us every good,
and, if we love Him generously He will
reward us generously. (IBID) Her remarks
mean that the generous gift of self is an
absolute pre-requisite for spiritual growth.
And sacrifice is necessary. When we
understand the value of our Holy Rule as a
gift from God to assist in our transformation,
we live it in the more enlightened way of zeal
and gratitude, eager to please so loving a
God and Father.
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
Other practices recommended by Albert as
necessary for the acquisition of the hermetic
spirit are:
1. Ponder the word of God day and Night -
We do this through daily Scripture reading
and Lectio Divina. In the correct attitude of
an open mind, we read, reflect, resolve and
react to the Word of God, making it a part of
our daily way of life. Scripture reading
cannot be separated from ordinary life if
conversion is to take place, neither can it be
separated from the reality of our situations
or our times calling us to action. St. James
says: "…I, by my works will show you my
faith" (James 2, 14-18).
2. Chastity - We use Jesus, Mary and St.
Joseph as our models.
3. Silence - our strength lies is silence to
foster holiness, to find the Divine Indwelling,
to practice the Presence of God, and to
practice charity.
4. Daily Eucharist - is the life and food of the
soul, and "summit of Catholic life and
identity"
5. The Divine Office - Is the prayer of the
people of God to sanctify the hours of the day
making the day holy by offering praises to
God, united with Mother Church.
6. Fast and Abstinence are recommended -
this discipline fortifies, strengthens and
purifies us from our lusts, including spiritual
lusts, and thereby assists in emptying us of
self, making room for the Spirit of God the
fill us. Without the help of God's Holy Spirit,
spiritual progress is impossible. Precaution
in the Epilogue: "See that the bounds of
common sense are not exceeded." In our zeal
we must not over do things which may harm
us. We are warned also that when we start
dwelling on the extraordinary that "this
isolates him [(us)], makes him [(us)] proud
or depressed, the victim of willful spurts of
self-centered imagination." (A Commentary
47
On the Rule of Life Page 34, by M.Griffin,
OCD.)
7. Love of Our Lady - From the inception of
the Order this has been evident by the chapel
built in the centre of the hermit's location.
Their name, as Brothers of St. Mary of
Mount Carmel, is derived from their
devotion to Mary. Which in the feudal sense,
also means that because the Order is Mary's
property, it is her obligation as its owner to
give the Order special protection. Wearing of
the Scapular is a sign of our commitment to
the obligations we have as children of the
Queen and Mother and Owner of the
Carmelite Order. We imitate Mary's
contemplative obedience. She is the model of
contemplative prayer. We imitate her
sensitivity to the needs of others, and
forgetfulness of self. Like Her, we too must
be Christ bearers on earth, making His
Mission our mission.
This concludes part two, and brings us to the
third part of the talk:
A Short Chronology of Our History and
Some Of the Contributing Factors Leading
To The Mitigations To Albert's Rule.
The source of the following historical data
was read in the book, JOURNEY TO
CARITH, by Peter Thomas Rohrback, OCD.
Published by ICS Publications. I will not be
quoting verbatim, but just presenting some
pertinent information.
How and when was the Order started?
1. The Order started as a lay movement.
Historical documents show that our Order
was founded from 1150 AD. When towards
the late part of the Twelfth Century after the
Holy Land had been re-opened by the
Crusaders, many pilgrims and crusaders
went to live as hermits on Mount Carmel, in
imitation of the prophet Elijah. They
considered Elijah a true witness of God; he
was Israel's conscience. By his life he
proclaimed his faith in the One True God
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5
and brought the Israelites back to the
practice of their faith. Of which is our own
mission in the marketplace.
2. Official Ecclesial Recognition of the Order.
Between 1209 and 1212, at the request of the
hermits, Albert Patriarch of Jerusalem,
composed a Rule for them. In 1226 Pope
Honorius III gave official confirmation for
the Rule. This is when the Order came into
being as an Order.
3. Why did the hermits leave Mt. Carmel and
Migrate to the West? Three things prompted
migration from the Holy Land to the West:
a) The natural growth of the Order.
b) Because of the political unrest and danger
in the Holy Land.
c) Plus, many of the hermits were European,
so contact in Europe was easy. It was the
logical destination to migrate to for either
expansion or safety reasons.
4. European foundation. The first
documented European foundation was made
in 1235 in Valenciennes, France. There is no
historical documentation to prove that
earlier foundations were made in Cologne,
Cyprus and Sicily.
5. How were the foundations made? The
foundations were not made by big groups,
but were usually made by two hermits at a
time. The hermits were usually sponsored by
a wealthy patron, who was acquainted with
them on Mt.Carmel. When they arrived in
Europe they lived the same monastic way as
they did in the Holy Land. Their foundations
were in rural areas. Their chapels were
private; the public did not use them, because
they were guests on the lands of their
sponsors which meant that the hermits had
no independent means of support. Neither
did they have any legal ecclesial status in
Europe, being the guests of their sponsors.
6. The Church in Europe. The Church with
ecclesial status in Europe received financial
support this way:
48
a) The monks supported themselves by all
that was produced in the monastery
b) Parish priests were supported by the
financial collection from their parishes.
c) The mendicants were supported by the
people they served.
Poverty then, caused many to leave the
Carmelite Order to go to Orders that were
better off financially. And at this sad stage
the hermits could not return to the Holy
Land due to the Moslem invasion to re-
capture the territory they had lost to the
Crusades.
7. The change from being called hermits. In
order to survive financially in Europe, the
hermits had to become identified with the
mendicant movement. At this point in time
they were called Friars instead of hermits.
Fr. P.T. Rohrback, OCD says in his book that
the medieval papal decrees given to the
Carmelites at that time do not definitively
categorize them as mendicants. Apparently,
by doing it this way, it was the Pope's
intention to afford the hermits the
opportunity of fitting into the European
ecclesial scene and also to enable them to get
the financial support they desperately
needed for the Order to survive on.
8. Other contributing events. Other social
and historical events that precipitated
changes in the Rule were: In 1347 there was
the bubonic plague; it killed a great segment
of the population, which cut the labour force
in half, resulting in food shortages, which
resulted in stealing and moral decline. The
Church and our Order were not exempt from
this turbulence. Their financial position was
seriously weakened, and also many priests
and our Friars died from plague, depleting
both Church and our Order. With few Friars
and very little money, the Rule was not lived,
as it had been, which resulted in poor
intellectual and spiritual formation.
9. Then there was the 100 years war between
England and France. Monasteries were
destroyed, records were destroyed. Some
 The Rule of Saint Albert
Module 1 - Lesson
Lesson 5

Friars even left their monasteries to fight in
the war. The war and all the lifestyle changes
that resulted from the war, brought about
great demoralization of religious life.
10. Then came the emergence of the new
humanism and the Renaissance. The new
philosophy of paganism had its influence.
Faith was replaced by reason.
11. The decline in morality at the papal court
had its influence throughout the Church. We
remember the Borgias.
12. The great Western Schism caused
division in the Church and also in Religious
Orders depending on which Pope one's
personal loyalty was given to. Our Order was
divided then, some for the Roman Pope and
some for the French Pope. When the Papacy
was restored to order, Fr John Grossi
reunited the Order in 1411.
13. Another result of all the turmoil of the
time was that the practice of the vow of
poverty became lax.
14. After the deaths caused by the plague, the
Order was greatly depleted. To counteract
the loss of members, the custom of bringing
young boys into the monastery to be trained
as Friars wrought havoc. These young boys
became professed without having a vocation
and having received very poor formation,
they became friars without any commitment
to the vocation or love of the vocation. This
resulted in a breakdown of monastic
discipline, and fidelity to the initial prophetic
spirit of the original hermits was absent.
Silence, abstinence and solitude were not
lived, as they should have been.
easier to live. But sadly mitigations did not
resolve the problem neither did they help,
they only caused tensions. Because those
who were not keeping the Rule kept to what
they were doing, and those who were
following the Rule felt that the new
mitigations were far removed from the
prophetic spirit of the original hermits.
16. Finally, in 1435 Pope Eugene IV granted
the mitigations. He said in his decree that
the mitigations were granted because some
members of the Order were unable to keep
the Rule because of its severity and rigor,
and also because of bodily weaknesses and
human frailty.
17. The last but not least of the unfortunate
influencing events that adversely effected the
Church and our Order, was that seventy-five
years after the Protestant Reformation half
of Europe was lost to the Catholic faith. Over
the years there were others in the Order who
sought to reform the Order, but were not
successful. While St. Teresa of Jesus was not
the first to seek reform, she initiated the
reform in obedience to God's will. Guided by
the Holy Spirit she was the only one to
succeed in the reform of Carmel.

15. Reform. The Provincial heads concerned

about the state of degeneration of the Order
held a Chapter in Nantes to try to remedy the
situation. They chose to mitigate the Rule to
make it easier to practice, hoping that this
would foster reform; they reasoned that
there would be no excuse now for not living
the Rule in its entirety, as it had been made

49