Considering Mode of Charity of Hermit

St. Catherine of Siena remained isolated and withdrawn in her home-cell for three years or so. After that, the Lord called her out some to have more interaction with those with physical needs: the infirm.

St. Seraphim of Sarov and other hermits remained in their cells or hermitages, and did not seek out others; but the Lord brought those He chose, to the hermits.

The nothing Catholic hermit is pondering its mode of charitable activities. Seems that for a hermit, the Lord chooses the way for charity. Of course, one's heart must be filled with love, in prayer, in thinking with the heart and in charitable perspective.

But, if someone from the past calls and wants to have lunch out, is that the Lord bringing a person in need or is that the person desiring to draw out the hermit into the world for conversation that could occur without the expense and effort of driving and sitting, via e-mail or phone? Does the hermit go up to others and offer to do this or that act of charity, such as giving a ride in a different direction than the hermitage? Or does the hermit simply come and go from Mass and the very few errands, and if someone approaches with a need, then fulfill the act of charity?

St. Seraphim did not go looking for works of mercy. The Lord brought souls looking for him, however. Even then he tried to hide. Eventually, the Lord arranged it that he returned to his monastery after being robbed and attacked, but then he remained in his room for several years, not even coming out to meet with his brother and sister who once came to see him. Later, he came out of his room to meet with those who came to seek his counsel, but did so for only a few hours.

St. Catherine of Siena was not a hermit. However, the contacts she did have with people were purposeful. When St. Catherine was called by the Lord to help the infirm, she did so even when she herself was suffering. He provided the means. But does a hermit do active works of mercy? One considers, also, Mary of Bethany who lived as a hermit, praying, praising, and doing penance, removed from the world about.

A hermit has a stricter separation from the world. A hermit lives a life of silence and penance. Discernment is required to know if an active work of charity fits within the framework of silence and penance and stricter separation from the world. Again, are active works for the active apostle and not for the hermit?

This nothing Catholic hermit considers inactive works of charity. Inactive charity can be prayer, thoughts, words, simple gestures such as a smile, alms giving of a hidden, inactive nature, and suffering. Offering one's suffering is a form of charity, is it not?

Suffering can include physical pain which makes active works of mercy difficult or even not prudent, but also can be the suffering of doubts and guilt that can come in the transition to hermit life. One can feel quite guilty and unsure of itself, and humbled by a sense of unkindness when one does not seek out the active apostolates--ones that perhaps the hermit had always been willing to do, to help, in visible, active ways, previously.

There can be doubts about motives, and these doubts also arise when the hermit begins to let relationships float like fallen leaves windswept from trees. The attachments had been strong, but somehow, the Breath of God (who else?) seems to blow the numerous relationships gently from life's limbs. And, at the same time, the hermit seems to lose desire to struggle to retain them. So if a leaf from the tree seems to want to hang on, or to resurface and cling, there is not the desire to accommodate that encounter. There is no ill will; there is simply no will for it.

Not sure this is being expressed accurately, and there is some suffering in the reality of the sensations. At times, there are wonderings if this is even a healthy outlook--but then one could think it not humane or charitable at all that the saints, especially the hermit ones, acted in ways that were seemingly harsh. But they did so from the allowances of God, and learned to go with God's flow, no matter how opposing to what may be expectations of active works of mercy.

The suffering of not having strong impetus to perform active works of mercy comes as a shock sense of guilt to one who used to bend over backwards to find ways to help others, but has instead, somehow, found distress and lack of peace in doing so. There are others who can, others whose vocations are in active apostolate. At least for now. Perhaps at some point the Lord will bring the will to do instead of be, full circle. For now it is to be.

And if the nothing Catholic hermit is misdiscerning the nudgings and circumstances, the Lord will surely let the nothing know. Part of the discernment process must include physical health, inner sensation, and peace and joy.

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges for the nothing thus far, is this very sense of not being charitable at all! It seems so. It seems quite selfish, yet in the solitude and silence and slowness there is a peace and joy. But even the prayers are not as focused on this or that person, not as intense as in the foothills or even the plains of the spiritual trek.

What does Just Adore Him mean to the nothing? Can charity be enacted through playing the harp for God alone? Can charity be enacted through prayers for others in general? Can charity be enacted through imitating Mary's stance and gesture and pondering in the heart?

The nothing begins to comprehend why St. Seraphim hid from those seeking him. It is not from unhealthy dislike of others, but of seeking to be charitable with purpose and in God's will to fulfill adoration with the cup full and not half empty, or even more drained out.

Think on the vast range of inactive, interior modes of charity, nothing Catholic hermit!