In obsequio Iesu Christi vivere: to live in allegiance to Jesus Christ. That phrase is the foundation of the Rule of StAlbert. Christ Jesus must be at the centre of our lives, all that we do or say seeks to bring us closer to him. That is the fundamental aim and purpose of the Rule. The focus is always Christ Jesus who is mentioned directly or indirectly some twenty times.
Here we look at the beginning of the Rule which provides the setting for all that follows. The first paragraph is the address, the second states a general principle while the third proposes a particular way of achieving that.
The address begins with Albert, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1205 to 1214. The Rule is thus tied to a particular person who lived at a particular time and place, it is anchored in a historical setting. What follows is similar to the style of the address of St Paul in his letters, a first sign of how the Rule that follows will be heavily influenced by Scripture. The hermits are addressed as Beloved in Christ and already living in obedience to their leader.
The second paragraph then states the general principle that everyone is called to live in allegiance to Jesus Christ, “everyone” being key. Sometimes I get the impression that this call to live in allegiance is only for Carmelites. StAlbert though begins by stating what applies to all Christians whatever their form of religious observance.1 This is best seen as fulfilling our baptismal commitment. Baptism is the beginning of our following of Christ and that must be a life lived in committed and in allegiance to him, whatever form that may take. The paragraph begins “In many and various ways”, an allusion to the opening words of the letter to the Hebrews, reminding us how in these last days God has spoken to us through a Son.
“Allegiance” is generally regarded as the best rendering of obsequio. It is a feudal expression for the bond between the liege Lord and vassal. The vassal is committed to the Lord’s service and in exchange receives his protection. That is the life of a Christian, a call to serve which echoes through the New Testament. It is a service with a “pure heart” and “stout in conscience”, another illusion to St Paul (1 Tim 1,5). A Pure heart is one dedicated to God2: “Blessed are thepure in heart for they shall see God” as the Beatitude says (Mt 5,8). “Stout in conscience” is the making of wise choices, the gift of discernment, the last words of the Rule. Together, the two orientate the whole person towards God.
The third paragraph then states that the hermits have asked Albert for a “way of life”. This would be a simple document given so that the hermits could be recognised by the Church. Albert drew on ancient traditions for his letter to the hermits, especially the Desert Fathers. Given the military background of the Crusades, we could say these traditions were defensive and offensive. This would be well expressed in the paragraph about spiritual armour. Here the sword is the offensive weapon for a life of allegiance: The sword of the Spirit, too, which is the word of God, is to dwell abundantly in your mouth and in your hearts … (see Heb 4,12) The traditional centre of the Rule has been the need to remain in the cell meditating day and night on the Law of the Lord. (see Ps 1,2). Eight times in the Rule, thehermits are encouraged to read or share the Word of the Lord. It was absolutely central to their lives. The Rule itself islargely composed of quotations or allusions to Scripture.
The hermits therefore lived their lives of allegiance to Jesus by lives steeped, saturated, in the Word, the Word which is Jesus himself present amongst us. That makes the Rule valuable for us today with the Church’s emphasis on the Word as sacrament.
The biblical roots of allegiance come from St Paul using the language of battle to describe a total submission to Christ, “take every thought captive in obedience to Christ”, 2 Cor 10,5. While it is better to keep the formal word “allegiance”, some commentators use “footsteps” to reflect these biblical origins.“Footsteps” in turn recalls that the hermits were pilgrims to Jerusalem. They had abandoned their secure lives in thewest to lead lives of penance and conversion. For the Holy Land that included the vow to remain there, combatting the devil rather than the infidel. This allegiance to Christ is then developed in the Rule for the particular needs of the hermits who had approached Albert.
Finally, most of my sources are from a recent generation of European Carmelites, a number of whom have nowcompleted their pilgrimage to the heavenly Jerusalem. It would be great to read a thorough reflection on the Rule from an African or Asian point of view.
Fr. Patrick Lombard O.Carm
