(According to P. Keese Waaijman, O.Carm.)
The Six Parts of God's Armor
Albert independently lists the parts of God's armor. Unlike the letter to the Ephesians, he omits footwear (Eph 6:15). He specifically includes the protection of the chest with a tunic, probably because he places such emphasis on the purity of the heart in his text. In comparison to Cassian, he additionally mentions the belt and the tunic. Furthermore, he justifies the armor differently. It is striking that the Rule systematically follows the aforementioned transformation – each component of the armor has its basis in God and each is aimed at specific behavior. In summary, it applies to all that all commandments are presented in Latin in the form of gerundives (which are translated into Czech in various ways: “Gird your loins...; let your chest be armored..., it is necessary to put on the breastplate of righteousness..., it is necessary to take the shield of faith...). This creates a particular atmosphere that can be summarized in two elements: 1) by describing what needs to be done, it points to the tension between the present and the future and 2) it is evident that what the Rule currently urges us to do we must (i.e., there is no other choice). Unlike previous chapters, the requirements here are stated unconditionally, with relentless seriousness.
Belt of Purity
The belt was among the basic components of armor in ancient times. It consisted of one or more straps: on one hung the sheath for a dagger, on another for a sword, on another were strips of leather studded with metal plates, serving as protection for the lower part of the body. The straps reinforced each other and together formed the belt. The soldier wore the belt constantly; not only in battle but also at work, it was an essential part of his identity as a soldier. To gird oneself was synonymous with entering the army, just as to leave off the belt meant fleeing from the army or surrendering to the enemy.
St. Albert does not mention the belt merely in a general sense but adheres to the letter to the Ephesians, which speaks of girding oneself “around the loins (living according to) truth.” This opens up a threefold deeper perspective: the loins are, in Scripture, a sensitive and vulnerable part of the body, thus the belt is a protection. Furthermore, the loins represent the area of freely stored organs in the body that need to be bound by a girdle and thus reinforced. Not only for battle but also for traveling or exertion. And the loins are also related to what a person experiences within. Hence, the belt also serves to express pride, vanity, and beauty. Therefore, the belt is a fitting image for purity: the belt of purity.1
The purity that the Rule has in mind is the purity of God (as we have already mentioned about all this armor). We will best understand the belt of God's purity from two Old Testament texts. The first one is referenced in Eph 6:14 and by St. Paul, namely Isaiah 11:5, where the prophet says of the Lord: “Righteousness will be the belt of his loins and faithfulness the belt of his waist...” Unlike pagan deities with their wildness and arbitrariness, the divine power of the Lord binds itself, connecting with righteousness and eternal inner faithfulness. And this can be seen in Israel, as the second text speaks: “As a belt clings to a man's waist, so I clung to the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, declares the Lord, that they might be my people, for a name, for a praise, and for a glory...” (Jer 13:11 – ecumenical translation.) God adorns Israel like a belt, fundamentally binding Himself to it. In Israel, God’s inner essence is revealed. And God's purpose regarding all people.
This belt of His purity is given to us by God, just as it was once given to kings. From the spirituality of the royal psalms, it is evident: it is the Lord who gives the king his identity, every morning. In these psalms, the words “salvation” and “pure” often appear. During exile, this spirituality was “democratized” and transitioned into messianic spirituality. Every person has a share in the Lord’s purity: in how the Lord protects the fragile, fortifies the unbound, and cleanses to perfect purity.
Such a belt of God's purity is worn by Carmelites.
- Purity protects what is vulnerable within us; it creates an attitude in me that keeps me from committing violence against what is vulnerable (fragile, poor, unstable, manipulable, weak) both in myself and in others. It means modesty, fear, and restraint toward intimacy and vulnerability.
- Purity binds what is unbound (disorder and distraction, anger). It leads to concentration and order, to self-control and temperance. It helps prevent me from falling into myself, succumbing to my passions, getting lost in my activities, and becoming “confused” by every distraction.
- Purity cleanses from the unessential (under which can be included our confused feelings, superficial behavior, compulsive “needs,” our prejudices, adopted behaviors, self-alienation…). Through how I behave, my own essence should manifest itself, showing who I truly am within.
The belt of purity is a gift from God. This does not mean that it simply falls from heaven. Only when we train ourselves do we accept this gift, we gird ourselves. This requires gentleness and patience. (Even in them lies the attitude of purity!) It is no coincidence that the belt of purity is listed first in the enumeration of armor. Spiritual life begins with purity in the sense discussed above. A soldier begins his military career by girding himself. In Scripture, a person girds themselves to embark on a journey (1 Kings 18:46; 2 Kings 4:29; 9:1; Jer 1:17). And through purity, we enter on the path of training in virtues. Purity leads us out of confusion, instability, and lawlessness to what is essential and firm – within us, in other people, and in our life with God.
Tunic of Holy Thoughts
The tunic (an undergarment similar to a shirt) for men was (unlike the female tunic) shorter, reaching about the knee and worn girded. It had no sleeves or they were very short. It fitted closely to the body and over it a cloak and armor could potentially be worn. Thus, it protected the body not only from cold but also from the harshness of the armor. It represents the most intimate part of the garment and does not itself belong among armor. It covered the body even under the belt and the armor.
St. Albert prescribes: “Let your chest be armored2 by holy thoughts, for it is written: A holy thought will keep you safe.”
The chest here symbolizes a person's emotions, mind, their very self. Thoughts dwell there. What are thoughts, actually? In Scripture, thoughts relate to two activities: evaluating and planning. Both belong together: whoever intends something considers the circumstances and possibilities at the same time. They are characterized by certain restlessness and constant movement, swirling.3
God’s thoughts also “swirl” – around us. They aim for our benefit. Even through the evil plans of men, God intends our good (Gen 50:20). And because nothing is hidden from God and He evaluates everything without error, His thoughts are different from ours (Isa 55:8–9; cf. Mic 4:12).
Moreover, God's thoughts are holy. They cannot be manipulated by any corruption. They penetrate the world and time like fire, which purifies what is good and consumes what is evil. The expression of all this movement is God’s name: “I am (here)!” God’s name urges us to action: it opens our eyes to what is essential, shows the way. Whoever receives this name into their heart and actions is sanctified by it. If we allow our thoughts to be permeated by it, then they will take on God's holy thoughts.
And that means complete transformation. The restlessness and movement of our thoughts occur deep within our hearts, in our needs and desires, and motives. Thoughts are the inner side of our behavior, determining our attitudes and our activities. Their influence thus extends from our innermost being to our outermost behavior. And as wide as their influence is, so the firmness of their structures is not great. They can succumb to excitement, be fleeting and ephemeral, and can be led into selfishness or evil... It is therefore very important that our thoughts be transformed within us into God’s thoughts. God is the only one who penetrates our thoughts deeply, can strengthen them from within, and influence them with the holy fire of His thoughts without destroying their spontaneity and motion. This transformation of thoughts is the first concern of a monk. And it also means our salvation. In this transformation, we have protection from our fickleness, selfishness, self-centeredness, and illusions, from unreliable plans and false hopes for the future. The Rule quotes the biblical saying: “A holy thought will keep you safe.” (Combines Prov 2:11 and 2 Macc 12:45.) To keep is used in Scripture, among other things, in connection with the harvest (Gen 41:35), in the preservation of children (Ex 1:18), and for the protection of body and soul, simply in the sense of preserving life.
“A holy thought will keep you safe” means: it will preserve you for life, keep you alive.
Breastplate of Righteousness
The breastplate was originally made of leather, which was covered with metal plates. Later, it became entirely metal, whether made from metal straps (on a strong lining) or in the form of chainmail, mesh, or wire. Its purpose was not only to protect the soldier's chest and back as best as possible but also to allow free movement (it had to be as light and fitted to the body as possible). Thus, St. Albert encourages: “It is necessary to put on the breastplate of righteousness...”
Righteousness in biblical spirituality contains threefold:
- it preserves: like a favorable climate centered on all that is true, valuable, and good, enabling it to materialize at that specific moment;
- it directs, gives order,
- it performs justice.
The Lord alone is righteous, able to lead the entire flock and let none of the sheep perish.
God's righteousness became visible in Christ. He saved the lost; in Him, we understand what it means to let everyone arrive at their rights. Thus, God is clad first in the breastplate of righteousness: “He put on righteousness like a breastplate...” (Isa 59:17; cf. Wisdom 5:18).
The Rule – absolutely biblically – connects righteousness with love. “It is necessary to put on the breastplate of righteousness so that you may love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might and your neighbor as yourself.” It is about love for God, for one's neighbor, and for oneself. Righteousness means letting each person arrive at the truth of their being, thus preserving and guarding the other. And this tripartite love is interconnected: who cannot accept oneself cannot “preserve” the neighbor either. Who does not see the neighbor does not see God either. God is an infinitely loving Abba, and from the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5–7), it is evident that we, Jesus’ disciples, must strive for “a righteousness that surpasses that of the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees” (5:20) and accept the challenge: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (5:48). Love is righteousness in abundance, love is the heart of righteousness.
All the mentioned threefold dimension of love – for God, for neighbor, for self – must be implemented. An interesting reflection on this is found in the “Book of the First Monks”: “You must love God for Himself alone; however, you must love yourself not for your own sake but for the sake of God. And since you must love your neighbor as yourself, you must not love him for his sake or for your own sake, but for the sake of God.”
God's love teaches me in the realm of love for neighbor that love loves unconditionally, does not compel, is creative, does not bind, and is merciful. Neighborly love teaches me in the realm of love for God that love is mutual, reciprocal, concrete, and tangible. Love for self teaches me in the realm of love for God that love preserves each person's uniqueness, that self-acceptance is not a one-time event but continuously deepens. And in the realm of love for neighbor, love for self teaches me that the other also undergoes, just like me, a process of self-acceptance, that he is mortal, ambiguous, sometimes hindered, mysterious and open. In this triangle of dimensions of love, the process of transformation occurs for each of us, and this threefold order of love is the supreme justice, its fulfillment.
According to the notes of Sister Petra of the Risen One, OCD,
processed by P. Gorazd, O.Carm.
Drawings by Lída and Honzík Švarc.
