Not that it matters, but the hermit vocation is now affirmed. After over 11 years of living the life--this way and that, to varying degrees of stricter separation from the world, varying levels of assiduous prayer and penance--it has come to this: yes, the hermit vocation is one in dual vocation.
Odd at this time, its validation makes less difference. Don't we really know, ourselves, deep within, of means come from God and no other, at first and also later? But at some point, when a Church official says yes, it is after the reality, after the inner, spiritual fact.
For some hermits, the approval makes a difference. To this hermit, what is different is that God has made the path less noticed and the hermit more hidden--a stricter separation from the world, visibly as a person, tangibly not in places--than what the hermit had fathomed would be. That is the surprise, for now, the difference.
As to public vows: no. Thankfully at least for now, my director very much agrees that for me it is all the better and gives more liberality to His Real Presence in the unfolding of the hermit vocation to not be entangled in the canons (as he put it). Part of this is to not be constrained by some views as to how a hermit ought to live, appear, etc. by those who would expect that which is not ordained and thus causing yet more notice, by those who also have not studied or comprehended fully the varied and unique modalities of hermit life. But this is not to say that other hermits are very much encouraged and ought to take public vows, and that does not mean that for them the canon law aspect limits them in any way. It is just that this hermit sensed for a long time, and it is validated, too, that being hidden locally is God's desire.
What is so individual about a hermit vocation is that the unfolding is unique to each individual hermit (or victim soul). Perhaps only the consecrated eremitic and virgin vocations contain such individualization in unfolding details. There really is very little commonality other than in the simple basics. While not continuing writing on the hermit vocation in this blog, it seemed right to document this benchmark. The unfolding of my journey as hermit, victim soul and simply a soul has been merged into a blog elsewhere, Christ in the Present Moment. The writing is both personal, anecdotal, and spiritual. I cannot think it worth a reader's bother but whatever, it is out there for now.
For some hermits, the approval makes a difference. To this hermit, what is different is that God has made the path less noticed and the hermit more hidden--a stricter separation from the world, visibly as a person, tangibly not in places--than what the hermit had fathomed would be. That is the surprise, for now, the difference.
As to public vows: no. Thankfully at least for now, my director very much agrees that for me it is all the better and gives more liberality to His Real Presence in the unfolding of the hermit vocation to not be entangled in the canons (as he put it). Part of this is to not be constrained by some views as to how a hermit ought to live, appear, etc. by those who would expect that which is not ordained and thus causing yet more notice, by those who also have not studied or comprehended fully the varied and unique modalities of hermit life. But this is not to say that other hermits are very much encouraged and ought to take public vows, and that does not mean that for them the canon law aspect limits them in any way. It is just that this hermit sensed for a long time, and it is validated, too, that being hidden locally is God's desire.
What is so individual about a hermit vocation is that the unfolding is unique to each individual hermit (or victim soul). Perhaps only the consecrated eremitic and virgin vocations contain such individualization in unfolding details. There really is very little commonality other than in the simple basics. While not continuing writing on the hermit vocation in this blog, it seemed right to document this benchmark. The unfolding of my journey as hermit, victim soul and simply a soul has been merged into a blog elsewhere, Christ in the Present Moment. The writing is both personal, anecdotal, and spiritual. I cannot think it worth a reader's bother but whatever, it is out there for now.
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