Decem Libri - De Institutione Primorum Monacharum / The Book of the First Monks

The Book of the First Monks[1] is a medieval Christian work in the contemplative and eremetic tradition of the Carmelites. Origin and early history Carmelites (in Latin Ordo fratrum Beatæ Virginis Mariæ de monte Carmelo) is the name of a Roman Catholic order founded in the 12th century by a certain Berthold (d. ...

Most often quoted is the following passage in which the prophet Elijah is held up as spiritual father of the Order. Tradition holds that it was Elijah who inspired the early Carmelite hermits who settled near the spring on Mount Carmel. Elijah in the wilderness, by Washington Allston Elijah (Hebrew: אליהו, ) was a prophet in Israel in the 9th century BCE. He appears in the Hebrew Bible, Talmud, Mishnah, Christian Bible, and the Quran. ... Onuphrius lived as a hermit in the desert of Upper Egypt in the late 4th century A hermit (from the Greek erēmos, signifying desert, uninhabited, hence desert-dweller) is a person who lives to some greater or lesser degree in seclusion and/or isolation from society. ... A view of Mount Carmel in 1894 Mount Carmel is a coastal mountain range in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. ...

The goal of this life is twofold. One part we acquire, with the help of divine grace, through our efforts and virtuous works. This is to offer God a pure heart, free from all stain of actual sin. We do this when we are perfect and in Cherith, that is, hidden in that charity of which the Wise Man says: "Charity covers all sins " [Prov. 10:12]. God desired Elijah to advance thus far when he said to him: "Hide yourself by the brook Cherith " [1 Kgs. 17:3-4].

The other part of the goal of this life is granted us as the free gift of God: namely, to taste somewhat in the heart and to experience in the soul, not only after death but even in this mortal life, the intensity of the divine presence and the sweetness of the glory of heaven. This is to drink of the torrent of the love of God. God promised it to Elijah in the words: "You shall drink from the brook. " It is in view of this double end that the monk ought to give himself to the eremitic and prophetic life. - Felip Ribot, O.Carm., 13th. century. [From the "Collected works of St. John of the Cross" translation by: Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD, rev. ed. Copyright 1991 ICS Publications. Permission is hereby granted for any non-commercial use, if this copyright notice is included.] Elijah in the wilderness, by Washington Allston Elijah (Hebrew: אליהו, ) was a prophet in Israel in the 9th century BCE. He appears in the Hebrew Bible, Talmud, Mishnah, Christian Bible, and the Quran. ...

Exemplars of the contemplative and mystical spirituality refered to in the "De Institutione..." include Teresa of Avila, Thérèse of Lisieux, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross ( Edith Stein ), and John of the Cross. Teresa of Avila by Peter Paul Rubens Saint Teresa of Avila (known in religion as Teresa de Jesús, baptised as Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada) was a Spanish Roman Catholic mystic and monastic reformer; born at Avila (53 miles north-west of Madrid), Old Castile, March 28, 1515; died... For other people known as Saint Therese, see Teresa Saint Thérèse de Lisieux (January 2, 1873 – September 30, 1897), or more properly Sainte Thérèse de lEnfant-Jésus et de la Sainte Face (Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy... Edith Stein (October 12, 1891 – August 9, 1942) was a philosopher, a Carmelite nun, martyr, and saint of the Catholic Church, who died at Auschwitz. ... For the personification of the average Filipino, see Juan de la Cruz, and for another Saint who lived around the same time and area, see John of Avila Saint John of the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz) (June 24, 1542 – December 14, 1591) was a major figure in the...

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Carmelite Vocation

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Carmelites The Order of Our Lady of Mt. ...

Byzantine Discalced Carmelites The Byzantine Discalced Carmelites are a community of cloistered nuns of the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church living committed to a life of prayer, according to the tradition and lifestyle of the Discalced Carmelites. ...

Carmelite Rule of St. Albert The Rule of St. ...

Constitutions of the Carmelite Order The Constitutions of the Carmelite Order stand as an expression of the ideals and spirit of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. ...

Carmelite Rite Catholic Order Rites are liturgical rites, in the sense of variations on the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, specific to a number of regular orders. ...

Hermits A hermit, also known as an anchorite or anchoress, is a person living in voluntary seclusion, often for religious reasons. ...