Do Hermits Need Friends?

A "friend" asked nothing Catholic hermit to meet for lunch. In the conversation, the person said, "Well, even a hermit needs friends."

Nothing asked the confessor this morning, after Mass. He commented that we all are social beings and need some contact. He also mentioned a priest in seminary who had said that others ought to only seek friends who were more intelligent or able to help the other improve or learn something, in some way. But that is a skewed view, rather self-serving.

Nothing proposed consideration of various saints, such as St. Catherine of Siena and St. Padre Pio. Did they really have "friends"--or need them? Or was it the case that they were available to others, to befriend, assist, help, lay down their lives? They helped others discover and rid out their sideways crosses and often were helped by others in ridding out their own sideways crosses. It was a matter of spiritual friendship, of helping souls find the stairway to heaven and spiral up, however the soul goes up that kind of stairway.

Nothing mentioned confessor and spiritual director, also, but the confessor commented that there is a difference between teacher-student and social friendships. True. And there would be a difference in those and spiritual friendships.

So, does a hermit need friends?

This hermit does not--not social friends. Spiritual friends, yes, but for a hermit, all contacts with others must be spiritual, at least from the hermit's stance and interaction.

For nothing Catholic hermit, all the contacts quickly reveal themselves to be "assignments." Either a sideways cross is soon revealed, or a mission is given for that soul, or (and maybe a combination of) something is shown the hermit that needs to be altered, eradicated, or enhanced in its own soul.

So no, the nothing Catholic hermit does not need friends in the typical notion of social friendships or human spiritual friendships. It might have spiritual friendships, but they are on a different level. And, approaching, readying to step onto the stairway to heaven, the view is transformed, anyway. It is not about the hermit's "needs" or contacts but about the mission, the assignment. It is all about soul catching in soul school, soul enhancement, soul sacrifice, soul love, a soul-driven life, a soul solely doing the Lord's will. And His will includes loving others, helping others, being willing to lay down one's life for friends and enemies (and these can be attachments good and bad--like the enemies in vices and sideways crosses).

The hermit's necessary friends are the saints (canonized and not), its guardian angel, other angels (all choirs besides the archangels!), the souls in purgatory, the Virgin Mary, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Father.

Other than these, the nothing Catholic hermit does not need friends. It has encounters, sometimes very deep relationships, but these are always embedded assignments as part of the soul-catching mission and that of adoration of God, bringing souls to the glory of the Lord.

Now, this might sound harsh. In a way, nothing Catholic hermit is a user and taker, learning whatever it can and pleading to be challenged more and more in soul school, itself, so that it can be utilized more and more to help in the effort of Christ, of Holy Mother Church, omnia pro Deo and in Him, for souls.

Then the nothing Catholic hermit, in another sense has laid down its need for "friends" here and now, dies to all that, and hones in on the purpose of relationships in the spiritual reality.

Sounds rather serious, and it is. Once the hermit allows the Lord to bring whomever, guised as friends or enemies (doesn't matter), then the hermit realizes the contact is for the other and for a purpose God reveals, and in all that experience of the relationship (regardless the earth-time duration), the hermit also will learn a purpose.

What is friendship, anyway? Perhaps that term needs to be pondered. Jesus said we are called His friends. What did He mean? It all has to do with love, with selfless love, and so in Christ we find how to love even enemies; and on earth we do not consider them friends, do we?

Does the hermit love? Yes, very much so. It loves enough to suffer to love and love to suffer, and part of suffering is not needing anything of earth, but only desiring to do God's will, to fulfill the mission set out before it.

Friendship via the stairway to heaven takes on a changed mode and perspective. It is not teacher-student nor is it social friendship; and the disposition of spiritual friendship transforms somewhat, as well, in breath-taking detachment from self.

Do hermits have friends? That is a different question, and yes, they do have friends--but that varies in the perspective of those who approach whether in spiritual or corporeal presence. People may approach the hermit, as labeled "friends." The very devil can approach a hermit. As for the hermit approaching others, it most often approaches souls of holy corporeal mentors or holy spiritual presences. The Lord, otherwise, brings who He wills. Jesus says He calls us His friends. Yes, Jesus is very much the hermit's friend, beloved, spouse, brother, savior.

Above all, now and in the end of earthly life, and on into eternity, the hermit approaches the Most Blessed Trinity and the Beautiful Mother of God.

These are only the ponderings of a nothing Catholic hermit....