A Pattern for Life
By Patrick McMahon, O.Carm.
Edizioni Carmelitane, 279 Pages
Reviewed by Richard Hoyle, T.O.C.
Lay Carmelites of Divine Mercy, Spring, Texas
Father Patrick wrote this book so that Lay Carmelites would understand that the Rule of Saint Albert is the foundation of their vocations. He argues that following this Rule is what makes one a Carmelite, and the Rule is equally suitable to lay and religious members of the Order, despite some arguments that the laity should have a separate Rule.
Father Patrick made his profession in 1968 in the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary and served in various ministries in the Province including some years as Provincial Delegate to the Lay Carmelites. He also traveled and lectured extensively throughout the world on Carmelite spirituality and history, as well as filling several important positions in Rome and the USA. He died on 29 August 2016 at the age of 67.
The book is not “scholarly” and is intended for Lay Carmelite communities to use in developing their understanding of the Rule of St. Albert. Therefore it is a valuable resource for ongoing formation as the book presents the history of the Order and examines the Rule in the time in which it was written and its application to Carmelite life today.
The book consists of three parts: the history of the Rule, the text of the Rule and a commentary on it and finally the author’s reflections on the Rule, especially in its application to modern life.
The first part (“Background”) introduces monks and hermits as they were in the early days of the Church and describes the Holy Land, the Crusades and the original hermitage on Mount Carmel. The hermits chose a leader to approach St. Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem, for formal recognition of themselves as a community of hermits. The eventual result was a letter from St. Albert giving them a proposed pattern for life now known as the Rule of St. Albert. In the 13th century the hermits were forced to retreat to Europe and thereafter saw great growth in the new Order. There was also a strong move to clericalization as more and more Carmelites became priests. The hermits’ vocation included total renunciation of all personal and communal wealth. Today the Carmelites own property, but all things are owned in common. Father McMahon closes the “Background” with a lengthy description of the role of the laity in the Carmelite Order in the past and today.
The second part of the book, the largest part, covers the text of the Rule chapter by chapter (incidentally, no Order has a shorter Rule.) The author’s method is to quote the chapter and explain its significance at the time of its writing with a commentary on the meaning of the words, an explanation of how the chapter affected the hermits’ lives, and how the chapter applies to Lay Carmelites today. As an example, chapter 2 refers to living a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ. The Rule was written in Latin. No translation from one language to another can be perfect and the correct choice of words is crucial because all words carry various other related meanings with them. Father Pat carefully examines the Latin word “obsequio” which can be translated as several different English words but is here translated as “allegiance” where otherwise it has been translated as “obedience”. In various ways throughout the book Father Pat explains the significance of items which are not obvious to the average reader. Then after these considerations he continues to show how the chapter applies to Lay Carmelites today. In this example he develops a theme of spiritual battle and earthly peace to conclude the examination of the chapter.
The last part of the book contains Father Pat’s reflections on topics such as the heresy of Quietism, our transformation into Christ, an apparent defense of Mohammed and Islam, the Crusades, the first hermits on Mount Carmel, and the Gospel versus politics. He then shows how much the writings of St. Paul have been incorporated into the Rule.
The following are a few representative quotes from the members of my Lay Carmelite community and their opinions were uniformly positive:
“This book provides rich explanations of how to live by the Rule of St. Albert.”
“I could not have found a better book for my formation. This book presented wonderful information for someone new to the Carmelite vocation.”
“The author did an excellent job in keeping the commentary on the Rule in lay terms! It was not a difficult read and it made for great discussion in our community meeting each month.”
“His historical acumen is beyond compare. As a professed Carmelite of many years, I enjoyed the book as well as learned a lot.”
“Some might not enjoy the lack of spiritual depth and the attention to historical minutiae in the first part of the book, but if they are patient, they will be rewarded with a series of profound spiritual insights contained in McMahon’s commentary on the Rule. Although there are other works that contain a higher level of spirituality than this work, I recommend it for ongoing formation.”
Altogether the book is a valuable resource for Lay Carmelites, especially in Formation. It is well organized, and a good reference book written in a down- to- earth fashion. There are some “typos” and other errors which good proof reading should have prevented. Also, Father Pat’s writing is somewhat one-sided at times and a more balanced viewpoint would have been more to this reviewer’s taste. (But as he was a self-described “liberal Democrat” we have to cut him some slack). Well done Father Pat!
