THE ORDER OF
MILITIA CHRISTI
“We know for certain that Columba left successors
distinguished for their purity of life,
their love of God,
and their loyalty to the rules of the
ordered life.”
Venerable Saint Bede
The Order of
MILITIA CHRISTI (MC) is founded on the Rule of the sixth century Irish
Christian Saint Columba, for the practice and preservation of the ancient,
undivided Western Church as expressed in the British Islands. It is Anglican (of the English, and
others of the British Isles), Orthodox (of the right path and worship), and
Catholic (of the universal Christian faith in entirety). The MC is for all practicing clergy and
laity, secular and monastic, men and women.
Out of love, with love's faith and hope,
comes peace, social justice, and creation protection.
The greatest is love.
Militia Christi
THE ORDER OF
MILITIA CHRISTI
The Right Reverend
minister-general and general-protector
The Reverend
father-abbot
The Reverend
secretary-general
The Reverend
canon-of-the-order
The Reverend
advisor-to-the-order
THE LIFE OF
Saint Columba
“The holy
Columba was born of noble parents (7 December A.D. 521), having as his father
Fedelmith, Fergus’ son, and his mother, Ethne by name, whose father may be
called in Latin “son of a ship,” and in the Irish tongue Mac-naue. In the second year after the battle of
Cul-drebene, the forty-second year of his age, Columba sailed away from Ireland
to Britain, wishing to be a pilgrim for Christ.
Devoted even
from boyhood to the Christian noviciate and the study of philosophy, preserving
by God’s favour integrity of body and purity of soul, he showed himself, though
placed on earth, ready for the life of heaven; for he was angelic in aspect,
refined in speech, holy in work, excellent in ability, great in counsel. Living as an island soldier for
thirty-four years, he could not pass even the space of a single hour without
applying himself to prayer, or to reading, or to writing or some kind or
work. Also by day and by night,
without any intermission, he was so occupied with unwearying labours of fasts
and vigils that the burden or each several work seemed beyond the strength of
man. And with all this he was
loving to everyone, his holy face ever showed gladness, and he was happy in his
inmost heart with the joy of the Holy Spirit.”
St. Adomnan,
from his biography of
Columba
REGULA: THE RULE OF
Saint Columba
The Ireland of
the sixth century that Saint Columba grew to manhood in was one of the great
monastic centers of Western Christendom.
The Church, as well as commerce and trade, education, medicine, and just
about any other cultural or social institution, was supported on the foundation
of the monastery system. The Irish
monks took their great learning out to the world as missionaries, usually in
groups of twelve.
The great
monastic movement in Ireland fell quickly on the heals of the great work of
Saint Patrick and his brothers and sisters in Christ. The great monastic system that existed in Ireland, Scotland,
Wales, and England during the middle ages was mature centuries before Saint
Benedict or Saint Francis wrote their respective rules. The Venerable Saint Bede found the work
of Saint Columba and his monks to be quite worthy of note in his great history.
The Rule
(REGULA) of Saint Columba was not written down by the hand of the saint. It was written by his followers after
his death. There are two extant
regula documents. It is certainly
in the spirit and teaching of Saint Columba. This REGULA is still a valid guide for following a path to
Christ. For no one gets to God the
Father and the Heaven except through God the Son, with the guidance and comfort
of God the Holy Ghost. It
reflects the spirit of the Church in the islands.
SOURCE: “Councils and Ecclesiastical Documents
Relating to Great Britain and Ireland II,” by A.W.Haddan and W.Stubbs,
i (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1873)
pp.119-121.
I
“And Jesus answered him, The first of all
the commandments is, “Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all
thy strength: this is the first
commandment.” Saint Mark 12:29-30
II
“And the second is like, namely this,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
There is none other commandment greater than these.” Saint Mark 12:31
III
Abide in the Testament of God
Throughout all times.
IV
Be alone in a separate place near a chief
city,
if thy conscience is not prepared to be
in common with the crowd.
V
Be always naked in imitation
of Christ and the Evangelists.
VI
Let a fast place, with one door,
enclose thee.
VII
A few religious men to converse with thee
of God and his Testament;
to visit thee on days of solemnity;
to strengthen thee in the Testaments of
God,
and the narratives of the Scriptures.
VIII
Let thy servant be a discreet, religious,
not tale-telling man,
who is to attend continually on thee,
with moderate labour of course,
but always ready.
IX
Yield submission to every rule
that is of devotion.
X
A mind prepared for red martyrdom,
that is death for the faith.
XI
A mind fortified and steadfast for white
martyrdom,
that is ascetic practice. Forgiveness from the heart of every
one.
XII
Constant prayers for those who trouble
thee.
XIII
Fervour in singing the office for the
dead,
as if every faithful dead was a
particular friend of thine.
XIV
Hymns for souls to be sung standing.
XV
Let thy vigils be constant from eve to
eve,
under the direction of another person.
XVI
Three labours in the day:
Prayers, Work, and Reading.
XVII
The work to be divided into three parts:
Thine own work, and the work of thy
place,
as regards its real wants; secondly, thy
share of the brethren’s work; lastly to help the neighbours by instruction or
writing, or sewing garments, or whatever labour they may be in want of.
As the Lord says,
“You shall not appear before me empty.”
XVIII
Everything in its proper order.
For no one is crowned except
he who has striven lawfully.
XIX
Take not of food till thou art hungry.
XX
Sleep not till thou feelest desire.
XXI
Speak not except on business.
XXII
A person too who would talk with thee in
idle words,
or of the world; or who murmurs at what
he cannot
remedy or prevent, but who would distress
thee more
should he be a tattler between friends and
foes,
thou shalt not admit him to thee,
but at once give him thy benediction
should he deserve it.
XXIII
Every increase which comes to thee in
lawful meals,
or in wearing apparel, give it for pity
to
the brethren that want it, or to the poor
in like manner.
XXIV
Whatsoever little or much thou possesses
of anything,
whether clothing, or food, or drink, let
it be at the
command of the senior and at his
disposal,
for it is not befitting a religious to
have any
distinction of property with his own free
brother.
XXV
Thy measure of prayer shall be until thy
tears come;
XXVI
Or thy measure of work of labour till thy
tears come;
XXVII
Or thy measure of thy genuflexions, until
thy perspiration
often comes, if thy tears are not free.
THE PROFESSION
Within the
Order of MILITIA CHRISTI (MC) there is only one order level, though several
roles. For all who wish to profess
the faith and practice the Christian tradition of the undivided Church, as
expressed in the Western tradition and reason of the British Isles, whether
laity or clergy, secular or monastic, man or woman, a commitment to the REGULA
and the Anglican Rule of Life must be made. Here follows the base requirements for making the Profession
to the MC:
+ Must be at least 18 years of age
+ Must be Baptized and Confirmed, practicing the faith in good
standing, within a traditional Anglican parish
+ Must believe that all things necessary for salvation can be
found within the Bible, that the Holy Tradition of the seven ecumenical
councils and creeds are valid, and that the reason of the faith as practiced in
the British Isles and other regions of Western Christianity are good and valid,
all of which should be practiced and preserved
+ Must serve a six month Postulancy and a two year Noviciate to
show a commitment to keeping the way of the MC, at which time they will take
the Vow of Profession to enter in full standing as a Brother or Sister
VOW OF PROFESSION
To enter the
MC in fullest standing as a Brother or Sister all Novices must make a Vow of
Profession by which they formally commit themselves to live according to the
spirit of Saint Columba and in the manner prescribed by the Anglican Rule of
Life and the REGULA.
In making the
Vow of Profession the brother or sister will first recite the Collect of Saint
Columba. They will then make their
profession in the following form:
“In the honour of almighty
God, (+) Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
and of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, the Holy Apostles, the Saints, most especially Saint Columba, I
(nn)_________________________________,
willingly place myself
under the authority of the Order of MILITIA CHRISTI, and promise to live
according to the Anglican Rule of Life and the REGULA.”
On 9 June of
each year, the feast of Saint Columba, each Brother or Sister will renew their
Vow of Profession.
“Almighty Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, eternal ever blessed gracious God; to me the least of saints, to me
allow that I may keep a door in paradise.
That I may keep even the smallest door, the furthest, the darkest,
coldest door, the door that is least used, the stiffest door. If so it be but in thine house, O God,
if so be that I can see thy glory even afar, and hear thy voice O God, and know
that I am with thee, thee O God.”
Saint Columba
THE COLLECT OF
Saint Columba
O God, who by the preaching
of thy blessed servant Columba didst cause the light of the Holy Gospel to
shine in Ireland and Scotland:
Grant, we beseech thee, that, having his life and labours in
remembrance, we may show forth our thankfulness to thee by following the
example of his zeal and patience; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and
reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Memorial: 9 June (A.D. 597)
SAINT COLUMBA AND HOLY IONA
Saint Columba
(7 December A.D. 521 - 9 June A.D. 597) was descended on his father’s side
(Fedhlimidh) from King Niall Noigallah of Ireland, and in his maternal line
(Eithne) from King Cathair Mar of Leinster. Born Crimthann (“of the red hair”) O’Donnell (of the clan Ui
Neill) at Gartan, Donegal, he was in line to be King of Eriu, but followed not
his royal legacy to become a monk.
He was called Columcille (Dove of the Church) (latinized to Columba).
Columba
studied under Cruithenechan, the priest who had baptized him, and under the
bard, Master Gemman. He attended
the Ecclesiastical School at Moville, County Down. It was there that he became
a deacon. He then joined Saint
Finnian, the most holy of Ireland’s monastic tutors and abbots. He was ordained a priest in A.D. 551. He founded monasteries at Derry,
Durrow, and Kells. Columba’s
mission work would begin, from A.D. 563, in the Western Highlands and Islands
of Scotland. It was there he was exiled after a dispute over a book lead to a
battle and defeat of a local Irish King.
In his early forties Columba and twelve of his fellow monks sailed in a
simple boat from Derry, and landed in the Bay of Coracle on Iona. It was on that tiny island that Columba
and his fellow monks founded the famed mission monastery. He and the monks in his charge were
called Militia Christi (Soldiers of Christ). It was from Holy Iona that Saint Columba and his fellow
monks would convert Scotland’s Picts to Christianity, and send missionaries to
many lands.
In Christ's love, Fr. Robert Pax
