The Rule of St Albert was written sometime between 1206 and 1214 for the group of hermits dwelling on Mt Carmel. In 1238 these hermits began to migrate into Europe where their eremitcal way of life underwent some changes. Among those was a mitigation of the Rule by Pope Innocent IV in 1247. In 1562, St Teresa of Avila founded St Joseph's in an effort to return to the life of the original Rule. Her efforts at reform led to the eventual split of the Carmelite Order into two branches - the Order of Carmel, Ancient Observance and the Order of Carmel Discalced (the reform branch).
1. Albert, called by God's favour to be Patriarch of the Church
of Jerusalem, bid 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 Mt Carmel.
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 of allegiance to Jesus Christ - how, pure in
heart and stout in conscience, he must be unswerving in service
of his Master.
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:
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 deeds the true reflection -
[Inn] and also chastity and the renunciation of ownership.
4a. If the Prior and brothers see fit, you may have foundations
in solitary places, or where you are given a site that is suitable
and convenient for the observance proper to your Order.
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.
5a. [Inn] 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.
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.
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 decided and order.
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.
| [Alb] Those who know their letters, and how to read the psalms, should for each of the hours, say those our holy forefathers laid down and the approved custom of the Church appoints for that hour. Those who do not know their letters |
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must say twenty-five 'Our Fathers' for the night office, except
on Sundays and solemnities when that number is to be 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.
10.
| [Alb] None of the brothers must lay claim to anything as his own, but your property is to be held in common; and of such things as the Lord may have given you each is to receive from the Prior - that is from the man he appoints for the purpose - whatever befits his age and needs. However, as I have said, each of you is to be stay in his allotted cell, and live, by himself, on what is given out to him. |
[Inn] 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. 10a. You may have as many asses and mules as you need, however, and may keep a certain amount of livestock or poultry. |
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.
12. On Sunday 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.
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.
14.
| [Alb] You are always to abstain from meat, unless it has to be eaten as a remedy for sickness or great feebleness. |
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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. 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.
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 defenses 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 leader 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, an example you might imitate. For the charge we gave
you when we were 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 our 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.
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.
| [Alb] For this reason I lay down that you are to keep silence from Vespers until Terce the next day, unless some necessary or good reason, or the Prior's permission, should break the silence. |
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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 weight 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 offense, and employ every care in keeping
silent, which is the way to foster holiness.
18. You, 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 himself servant to the rest, and whichever of you
would be first must become your bondsman.
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, and who, to those who rule the Churches, addressed
the 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.
20. Here then are the 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.
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Last update 9/17/97