According to Fr. Kees Waaijman, O.Carm.
The text you are beginning to read was created in the following way: Sister Petra from the Prague Discalced Carmel provided us with her notes from the lectures of Fr. Kees Waaijman, O.Carm., which were delivered as part of a formative week in Birkenwerder, Germany, from August 27 to September 7, 2002. It was editorially processed by Fr. Gorazd, O.Carm.
We refer all interested parties for a more detailed acquaintance with the thoughts of the Dutch author to the German edition of his book on the rule.1
The Rule of St. Albert of Jerusalem, which the Carmelites have followed since their inception, is, in a literary sense, actually a letter, not a rule. The word 'rule' does not appear at all in Albert's text; Bishop Albert refers to his letter to the brothers of Carmel as formula vitae, meaning "the arrangement of life," a rule for living. In a legal sense, the text could only become a rule with final approval from the Pope. The Carmelites indeed initially regarded their Rule as a letter; the original copy has not survived (which may indicate that it was not particularly archived?).
Salutatio (greeting or prologue)
Albert, called by the grace of God to be Patriarch of the Church of Jerusalem, to his beloved sons in Christ, B.2 and to the other hermits who dwell under his guidance by the spring on Mount Carmel: greetings in the Lord and blessings of the Holy Spirit.
Every proper letter began with an introduction consisting of three elements: the name of the sender, the name of the recipient, and a blessing. In a hierarchically organized society (which the medieval society was), care was taken to use precise titles. The order was also important: the name of the higher-ranking person was listed first (thus: "Albert..."). Even the blessing had to correspond to the status of the sender.
The position of Patriarch was one of the highest in the church and society, whereas the hermits to whom St. Albert writes, as laypeople, stood at the lowest rung of the hierarchical and social ladder. If these brothers had previously come from noble families, then becoming hermits was a significant social descent; they consciously chose to occupy the lowest position, that of the last. While Albert begins his letter with his own name, the recipients remain anonymous: "B. and the other hermits," not even their leader is mentioned by name. This is similarly reflected in the composition: Jerusalem versus the mountain Carmel. Jerusalem is the seat of the Patriarch and kings, a significant city, a center of religious life, while Carmel equals the periphery.
There exists a relationship of structure and antistructure between Albert and the hermits. These concepts were borrowed by K. Waaijman from Victor Turner. For those who belong to the element called structure in society, clearly defined roles and a share of power are characteristic; conversely, for those who represent antistructure, the signs are community and "intimacy" (mutual closeness, precisely in connection with the fact that they are nothing). V. Turner provides examples of structure and antistructure: the Old Testament kings and priests, in contrast to the prophets, or ancient Judaism and paganism against early Christianity.
While the 13th century was a period of great crisis in the church, the movement of renewal also began at that time. In contrast to the structure of official religious life, a movement called "the poor of Christ" – the Franciscans and mendicant orders – emerged at that time. These were the antistructure of that period. This movement culminated in "devotio moderna." At the same time, the significance of cities and universities was rising (a strong lay movement), and even in the field of culture, there was a deviation from ecclesiastical structures (lay opposition). The Minnesingers also represent an expression of antistructure.
Favorite places for those who withdrew into solitude were forests, islands, and mountains (this is also why the first Carmels arose on islands after the expulsion of the Carmelites from the Holy Land, e.g., in southern England).
Pilgrimage, wandering (peregrinatio) represented a sign of new spirituality. Another important expression encountered in the spirituality of the time is the phrase vita poenitentialis (penitential life), which expresses repentance (not in the sense of "I have done something," but "I have not yet lived truly, I relied on illusion") and an expression of spiritual poverty that seeks to dispense with all ostentation. Meanwhile, poverty and begging (minne) were regarded by the structures as socially destructive and dangerous.
(With a similar development, we see at this time in Jewish mysticism – the development of Kabbalah, the beginnings of Hasidism. This development does not only affect the church but is rather a cultural phenomenon.)
"Greetings in the Lord" is a formula expressing greetings from someone in a higher position; only the Pope could add the words: "and apostolic blessing." By writing: "greetings in the Lord and blessings of the Holy Spirit," Albert acts in place of papal authority.
Exordium (the beginning)
The exordium of a standard letter was intended to foreshadow the core of the message (it is often likened to the foundations of a house); it is the starting point for what will follow in the letter. The beginning outlines a certain general framework within which the individual matter to be discussed lies. Albert, by starting his letter with the opening words of the Letter to the Hebrews, gives the exordium of his letter a truly monumental character. (It is necessary to realize that a person of that time perceived strongly "intertextually," so that at this point the entire theology of the Letter to the Hebrews would arise for him.)
Many times and in many ways
the holy fathers have established
how one who will be in any state of life
or chooses any way of life surrendered to God
must live in obedience to Jesus Christ
and serve him faithfully
with a pure heart and a good conscience.
The exordium thus discusses what is general for the consecrated life in general, not typically Carmelite. All forms of consecrated life are characterized by the common "how" this life is arranged. This "how" is what everyone learns to live. It is also worth mentioning that in the Latin original, we find in the place translated into Czech as "state of life," the word ordo, which denotes a social group, state, but also an order, arrangement. This was mentioned earlier (Carmel 2/2002, p. 11). That "how" means a ordered whole of means, fundamentally focused on a single goal. This "how" was taught by the church fathers in many ways. It manifests in its many forms.
The holy fathers distinguished three basic forms of spiritual ways of life:
- Cenobitic way: cenobites live together in community, being under the guidance and discernment of the superior, the elder. Thus, John Cassian characterizes it. Here two moments are essential: the will of the superior, which frees the monk from the bondage of his own self-centeredness, and the mutual care for sustenance. "They renounce the possibility of disposing of themselves and that which they have earned by their own sweat" (John Cassian).
- Anchoritic way: hermits have chosen the hiddenness of solitude. In solitude, they fight against the devil: "They long to engage the demons in open, manifest combat and do not fear to enter the inhospitable hiding places of the desert" (John Cassian).
- Care for the poor: welcoming strangers in hospitals, caring for the sick, teaching, distributing alms, and defending the unfortunate and oppressed. Here the essential aspect is the encounter with the Lord in the poor.
By the words: "Many times and in many ways the holy fathers have established..." Albert reminds (besides the teaching of the Letter to the Hebrews and St. Paul, to whom the Letter to the Hebrews was generally attributed) of the entire diversity of consecrated life. However, Albert's interest focuses on the very foundation of religious life: "to live in following Jesus Christ and to serve him faithfully with a pure heart and a good conscience."
Albert here states two goals valid for all forms of life dedicated to God: purity of heart and contemplation. Each way of consecrated life has, firstly, its programmatic plan. John Cassian calls it "skopos." It is connected with everything we can set our efforts on, in which we can practice: fasting, vigil, reading of Scripture, meditation, work, dwelling in solitude, and abstinence. All these have a working goal, which is the purity of heart. All the individual means serve this goal. And the purpose of the purity of heart is to make us receptive to God or, more literally, capable of receiving God. Schematically, we can say: skopos = asceticism. John Cassian compares this to the preparation of the soil for planting. Just as a farmer removes stones and weeds from the field, we must cleanse the soil of our heart from vices and passions, so that we can receive the sowing of divine virtues and contemplation.
"An impure soul cannot receive spiritual knowledge. No one pours precious ointment or selected honey or precious liquid into an unclean or broken vessel. The same applies to the vessel of our inner being: if it is not first cleansed of all the dirty stains of vices, it does not deserve to receive the ointment of blessing." 3
The core of purity of heart is a good conscience. Everything that blocks the heart – even to the deepest depths of conscience – must be cleared away (Cassian says: even to the memory of sin). Therefore, Albert quotes a verse from the First Letter to Timothy, where purity of heart and good conscience are mentioned together.
The final goal, télos, to which Albert's words aim, is contemplation (union with God, experiencing God's kingdom). In the text of the Rule, there is no direct mention of it, yet Albert leads us towards it unambiguously. He relies on quotes from St. Paul and from the Letter to the Hebrews. Here, three biblical references and their significance in the New Testament are important. If we recall the background of the cited verses (in Kees's words: if we read them intertextually), three invitations to contemplation resonate here: In addition to the first goal, John Cassian distinguishes a second, final goal: télos. This is eternal life, grace, union with the invisible and incomprehensible God, the kingdom of God. This is something we can only accept, not achieve. Thus, télos = mysticism. The early Carmelite tradition knew this teaching of the dual goal, which we meet in the writing Book of the First Monks, authored by Carmelite Philip Ribot at the end of the 14th century:
The goal of this (i.e., religious) life is twofold. That is, one that we achieve through our efforts and training in virtues with the help of God's grace. This means: to offer to God a heart that is holy and pure from all stains of sin. We achieve this goal if we are perfect and hidden in Caritas, that is, hidden in that love (caritas), of which the wise man said: Love covers all faults. God, wishing that Elijah reach this goal, said: "Hide yourself by the brook Cherith." The second goal of religious life is given to us as an undeserved gift from God. That is, not only after death, but even in this mortal life to somehow taste in the heart and experience in the mind the power of divine presence and the sweetness of heavenly glory. This then means to drink from the brook of God's delight. This goal God promised to Elijah when he said: "You shall drink from the brook." Through the first goal, namely through the purity of heart and through the perfection of love, we come to the second goal, namely to the experience and knowledge of God's power and heavenly glory.
The final goal, télos, to which Albert's words aim, is contemplation (union with God, experiencing God's kingdom). In the text of the Rule, there is no direct mention of it, yet Albert leads us towards it unambiguously. He relies on quotes from St. Paul and from the Letter to the Hebrews. Here, three biblical references and their significance in the New Testament are important. If we recall the background of the cited verses (in Kees's words: if we read them intertextually), three invitations to contemplation resonate here:
- Verse Heb 1:1 shows the immense difference between the many ways of God's revelation in the Old Testament and the revelation through the Messiah. This is the final goal: God completely gives Himself to all.
- The citation from 1 Tim 1:5 about purity of heart and good conscience also points towards contemplation. Paul writes: "The goal (télos!) of this command is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith."
Love is not a working goal! Based on a pure heart and a good conscience (= skopos), we receive it. This is the goal of a life dedicated to God: to receive the love that God works in us, to receive it and contemplate it. Thus, love (télos) becomes a process of our transformation. - Albert formulated the final goal in yet another way: "to live in obedience to Jesus Christ and serve Him faithfully." These words also have a biblical background, primarily the words of St. Paul in 2 Cor 10:4-6:
"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds: casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (that is revealed), bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."
Already here there is a mention of spiritual combat. At this moment, however, let us focus only on the fact that we do not fight with our own weapons.
The mindset against which we fight could be called: "the logic of the world." It is an attitude where we ourselves determine the direction, we build ourselves, expand, and elevate ourselves, we shield ourselves... How can I be transformed to another mindset, how can it happen that the one who moves me is Christ? My own self-building stands against "the knowledge of God"; that is, for God to "know" me, as is implied in the term télos. My own "logic" does not want me to forget it. It is anti-silence. I am my own kingdom, the growth of this kingdom and its king... All this must be abandoned, to be disarmed, so that I may be known to the final goal, namely the knowledge of God; to be free from myself. All this is contained in the concept of télos.
The means to the final goal is to become capable of receiving God's love. "In obedience to Jesus Christ." Obedience here means: to submit entirely to another. This breaks the aforementioned self-building and self-protection, self-centeredness, and expansion of one's own self. The other addresses me; I hear (the verb to hear contains the same root as obedience); thus, I submit.
This obedience is amplified by Albert's words "and serve Him (Christ) faithfully." The verb servire is intensified by the prefix: deservire. It is about becoming a slave and becoming one faithfully. Faithfulness makes this "slavery" irrevocable. All these words – obedience, faithfulness, to serve – point to one thing, namely: if our life is primarily about the knowledge of God, then the center of all events must be shifted beyond human activity, beyond its boundaries.
This opens the perspective of mysticism.
