During his office as Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1206 to 1214, Albert Avogadro wrote a Rule for the hermits living on Mount Carmel. The Rule of Saint Albert is still in use as the Rule for Carmelites. Returning to what she called "the primitive Rule," meaning the unmitigated Rule, became for Saint Teresa of Avila a priority for her reform of the Order in the 1500s. For her at that time, keeping the primitive Rule meant that the nuns should have no possessions of their own, that they should live on alms and not on an income, and that they should not eat meat. Also, the spirit of enclosure was embodied in the primitive Rule with the stipulation that the hermits, when not engaged in necessary work for the community, should remain alone in their cells "pondering the law of the Lord." The eremitic spirituality was the basis of their contemplative ideal of solitude and silence, which the reforming Saint sought to imitate and revive. Saint Albert was murdered at Acre while processing with Christians. Excerpt from The Rule of Saint Albert: You may have foundations in deserts, or wherever they shall be given to you, suitable and adaptable to the observance of your rule, as the prior and the other religious shall judge proper. Moreover, each one shall have a separate cell, in the place wherein you propose to live, which shall be assigned to him by the order of the Prior, and with the consent of the other religious, or the more capable part of them. But you shall all assemble in the refectory to take in common the food which shall be given to you, while hearing some part of Holy Scripture read, when this can be conveniently done. No religious shall leave the cell assigned to him or exchange it with another without leave from the Prior. The cell of the Prior shall be at the entrance of the monastery, in order that he may be the first to meet those who come there and everything shall be done according to his will and direction. Each one shall remain in his cell or near it, meditating day and night on the Law of the Lord and watching in prayer, unless otherwise justly occupied. Comments are closed.
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