Do hermits have emphasis on their eremitic "vocation" at the forefront of their daily lives? In other words, do they identify consciously with the temporal trappings of what is or is not a "hermit"?
This nothing Catholic hermit wonders. Probably not in the majority of consecrated religious eremitics out there, and definitely not in this hermit. The posts that it dislikes the most, in writing, actually, are those dealing with hermit-this and hermit-that--wrangling and hair-splitting over temporal rules, status, titles, designations.
Yearly in this nothing's life, there is the renewal of the consecration as a religious eremitic, a Catholic one, at that. Some posts of the distant past explain all that, even give the vows this hermit made, and the setting. And, there has been discussion of the more temporal aspects of hermit life, in the blog writing.
But the predominate desire of emphasis and perspective of this hermit--this soul--is what would be of any aspirant to union with His Real Presence. We love and seek God; we strive in whatever ways and hope in all ways, to climb the stairway to heaven, to come to any closer grasp of spiritual perfection and union with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The conscious awareness of hermit is more like an undercurrent, or the overcast of the sky. It is there, but it is not the emphasis in temporal details of hermit this or that. In fact, being a hermit rarely comes to conscious mind in this nothing Catholic hermit.
What comes to mind is the rule of life, which for this nothing is the Gospel Rule, with the Nine S' as platform and outflow of the Gospels. as applied to daily and nightly existence. Action, thought, words, being: Life in Christ.
[Nine S': silence, solitude, slowness, suffering, selflessness, simplicity, stillness, stability, serenity.]
This soul's temporal and spiritual days and nights are filled with the trials, obstacles, joys, and lessons--the interactions, loves, virtues, vices--that are part of the human condition. Hopefully increasingly numbers of souls actively engage with religious desire and spiritual aspiration of the sublime goal: Love of God and love of others.
This starkly simple goal has oodles of threads woven into the making, however. And it is spinning and weaving those threads, working on the fabric of our existence with His Real Presence, God-Is-Love, as focus, which fills the present moments that unfold in making up a lifetime of being, no matter how short or long that earthly lifetime may be.
Only God is forever; and aspiring souls recognize that this temporal lifetime is our soul school, with extended coursework available in what may be termed "purgatory." Our goal, our emphasis, our perspective as souls (more than vocation designation) for those of us desiring God is not best served by much attachment to the title of a vocation. Nor do numerous, conscious considerations that can distract or lead into vices such as pride, envy, or even gluttony help us in the temporal-spiritual ascent (eg. glut on legalisms and tedium of details not necessary for the freedom of soul to ascend the spiritual).
Whatever, but this soul here, this nothing-I-and-He-Is-All, does not much consciously dwell on being a "hermit." It just lives as any soul would live out his or her existence in Christ, knowing the emphasis and perspective is that of being a soul in love with His Real Presence--breathing, functioning, and aspiring along with all the souls in the Body of Christ. We are embraced by and abide in His Love. Remain in My Love, Jesus tells us.
True, there is a certain ennui and yet conflict, having a blog titled A Catholic Hermit, and of being nothing and yet titling the writing effort with the clarifiers Catholic and Hermit. Seems like this is about the only time this nothing sees the labels. Hopefully not often does it dip back into the conscious and temporal debate of what makes a valid or invalid hermit in the eyes of society or the Church. May the writing be Christ and our souls' spiritual work and progression lived out in this beautiful life and world we are given to learn to love God and others. And may the writing include thoughts of other souls who happened to live and share in writing or otherwise, who happened to also be consecrated eremitics, Catholic or Orthodox or whatever branch of His Real Presence as Head of the Body, the Church.
Yes, it is all right to have interest in and learn from souls who shared and share a calling, a path. Writing about the earthly titles, designations, status of hermit in the eyes of man does not need on-going explanation or debate. For the temporal is always passing away, and there are as many types of hermits as hermits themselves. We cannot lasso or type-cast, and that is why the Church's designation of such as the eremitic vocation is clearly simple and vast, both. Beyond temporal, it is spiritual--even mystical--in the vastness.
It is of souls in bodies, growing into and through the spiritual vastness by ascending the temporal to the divine, that is of interest to this hermit, a catholic hermit, a consecrated religious, a soul, a nothing-in-God-Is-All.
This nothing's heart sings when the thoughts, readings, writings, and living go above and beyond the debate over what well-intentioned and even Godly people have decided over the years as to rules and protocols of a vocational designation.
The fundamentals are in the Catechism; the Canon Laws contain additional words which may be revised in later years by those who determine such matters desire and decide. None of that will determine if a soul will have union with God, however, or will ensure the hermit soul or whoever will attain to purity of love of God and love others. (Marriage vows are straightforward even if people now distort the natural purpose and order.)
Stripped before God or man, we are all "just" souls. Now, marvel on that, for instance! Souls~! Souls created by our Heavenly Father who loves us beyond our comprehension, who forgives us and has mercy without measure!
Have mercy on us all. God bless His Real Presence in us, dear children, and let us love God and love one another.
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