Catholic Hermits: Why Do They Do It?

There was an inquiry, relative to:  Why does a Catholic hermit become a hermit?  Why do it?

This nothing Catholic hermit can only answer for itself.  Purportedly, it would make sense that there would not be any generic answer as to why a hermit is a hermit or chooses to be a hermit.  Each hermit has his and her answer, and all ought to vary in details and degrees, but maybe one common thread would be the answer to any human being as to why we are followers of Christ, Christianity, and seekers of God.

One desires to do God's will.

Living one's live according to God's will, as the goal and desire for life, entails doing as God asks.

In this nothing Catholic hermit's hermit vocation, it is a hermit because God showed it several times that this was His will.  The hermit's angel appeared in a powerful and lucid dream, as well, and specifically chastised the hermit after profession of vows and consecration had passed seven years, to say that the hermit had not been living nor honoring the hermit life that God had chosen for it and valued very much.

That alone was enough to remind in a shocking manner, the hermit to take more seriously its vows and religious consecration in the eremitic vocation.

There have been various other affirmations, beyond the inner assurance and sense of beingness, that at a certain phase and stage in life, the eremitic vocation was God's will.  After a year and a half of more focused study and spiritual preparation with the guidance of a spiritual director, a priest of many years, and the hermit itself being many years experienced in suffering and prayer and life situations, the day and hour came to make a spiritual and ecclesial commitment.

Yet, before Catholicism, before the conversion to Catholicism after years of devotion as a Christian in the Protestant tradition, there were signs and messages from the other side, as well, planting the reality of what was to come when the time was possible for stricter separation from the world, and greater prayer and penance, praise and solitude.  When the familial responsibilities altered, His Real Presence guided to the yet narrower gate, and the nothing Catholic hermit proceeded, and continues to proceed, slowly and in whatever of faith, hope, and love it can muster by God's grace.

Even so, there are times of vocational doubts, for the world out there and most of the people in it, and of other faith traditions, do not honor nor value nor understand why hermits would do this.

For this nothing Catholic hermit, the answer resides in deep spiritual knowings, showings, tellings, and then sheer faith and hope that it is doing as God wills.  Thus far, God has not shown any other path or way for this person, this soul, than the eremitic vocation.  It only increases in capacity, this hermit vocation, and this hermit, over time.

As for the deeper, spiritual reasons why a hermit "does this"--assume here the seeker means why live an eremitical lifestyle--the reasons reside in doing the Lord's will to degrees of increasingly greater solitude, silence, slowness, suffering, selflessness, stillness, simplicity stability, serenity--to love and praise and live in Him in His loving betterment of the world and to pray for the salvation of our souls. 

Or something like that.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another as God Is Love.