Catholic Hermits: Obedience Professed, Obedience Learned from Suffering

Each and every Christian is called to obedience.  While those in the Catholic Church who are called by God, and accept His call, to the Consecrated Life of the Church, everyone who is a Christian is called to follow Jesus Christ.  The following Scripture from Hebrews--the second reading of this Fifth Sunday of Lent--helps us grasp the means and ways of obedience and to whom we ought obey.

From Hebrews 5:7-9:

"In the days when Christ Jesus was in the flesh,
He offered prayers and supplications 
with loud cries and tears to the 
One Who was able to save Him from death, 
and He was heard because of His reverence.
Son though He was, 
He learned obedience from what He suffered; 
and when He was made perfect, 
He became the source of eternal salvation 
for all who obey Him."

From what death do we beseech God in cries and tears?  Is it physical, bodily death?  Was that the death from which His Son prayed to be saved?  Or was it from eternal death, or the death of His Divine Soul?  Was it from the death that the world offers?  And He was heard by the Father--the One Who could save Him--because of His reverence.  This seems key: Reverence.

What is "reverence"?  The word "revere" appeared in the 14th century.  It means to feel or show a profound awe, respect and even love; to honor, such as the divine.  The Latin is re + vereri:  to fear, to respect.

How did Jesus learn obedience?  He learned obedience through suffering.  And it followed that when he was made perfect, he was made the source of salvation to all who obeyed Him, as well. Does this mean that we, also, learn obedience through suffering, and that it follows that through obedience from suffering, comes perfection in Christ when we follow Him and obey Him?  

This is much to grasp, and it is beyond description by words, just as we cannot adequately describe His Real Presence other than to know the effect and the affect, through knowing Jesus--no matter how many descriptors used in the Old and New Testaments, no matter the theology, poetry, artistry, and mystery of dreams, visions, and locutions.

In considering the profession of the evangelical counsels [chastity, poverty, obedience)] by which a Catholic hermit enters the state of Consecrated Life in the Church (although not always publicly professed), the canons, or laws, of the Catholic Church, state the following regarding obedience:

Canon 601. Obedience

Obedience, following Christ, obedient even unto death, obliges submission of one's will to lawful Superiors, acting in the place of God when they command according to the constitutions.  

There may be a list of what can be required. E.g.ministries that can be required.  There isn't a formula, but it should be clear and written for clarity.

The obedience stated in canon law is to that of following Christ.  One must be obedient even if faced with death.  Next, this obedience in following Christ, per canon law, then legally or morally binds [oblige] the will of the one consecrated, to lawful Superiors who act in God's place when they command according to the constitutions of the Church.

CL601 begs prayerful consideration.  There are specific conditions imbedded within it, requiring wise discretion in order for the obedience to be binding to a Superior in the church.  It requires further defining by law, who and what is a Superior, and it requires discerning if that Superior is acting in God's place--if their commands are according to the constitutions.  This latter also begs a prayerful, careful reading and knowledge of the Constitutions of the Catholic Church.

But the primary obedience in this canon is given to Christ, to following Christ, obedient even unto death.  The profundity of following Christ can take a Christian lifetime to prayerfully grasp and practice.  From Scripture--the Living Word of God--we learn that when Christ was in the flesh, He learned obedience through suffering.

Following Christ may be learned and effected by living the Gospels.  The Gospels remain the perfect Rule of Life for hermits--indeed, for any Christians regardless of state of life in the Church--hierarchy and laity, consecrated or not.

Learning obedience through suffering includes all forms of suffering: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual.  Following Christ, being obedient unto death, can include bodily death from this earthly life as well as death to the temporal "world" in some aspect of body, mind, emotions, and spirit. This type of death is often termed "spiritual detachment" or "holy indifference."  The worlds "spiritual" and "holy" are key in being linked with "detachment" and "indifference."

It would seem, then, that the Living Word of God in Scriptures, is the ultimate and never-failing law of God in fulfilling a professed vow of obedience.  The church law adds to God's Word but does require discernment of the several conditions that do need to be met in order for one's will to be obliged in submission to a Superior--who must be lawful, acting in God's place, and whose commands are in accordance with the Institutes of the Church.

Even so, if each condition of a lawful Superior seem met, no one but God really knows or can judge if the one submitting his or her will to the lawful Superior and/or the Superior himself, are meeting the conditions, or to what degree or ideal.  Mortals--even the seemingly holiest of hermits (or anyone) and the wisest and most reverent of those in Holy Orders--are not foolproof in knowing and judging our souls and conditions.  Only the One Who saves us from death can do so: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

The individual soul may have some idea, depending upon his or her truthfulness and degree of spiritual progression, in knowing self and knowing God.  The individual soul's Superior by church law may have some idea--even a very good idea--depending upon various observed and inspired aspects.  But no one, mortal, lawful superior nor the most approved, seemingly holiest of individual souls can know for sure.

The seemingly simple freedom of the Christian call in Scripture--the Living Word of God--to following Jesus Christ, requires discernment and wise discretion as well.  The conditions of a soul in following Christ--obedient even unto death--are deep and wide.  No one but the One Who saves us from death knows or can judge if the Gospel tenets are being met, to what degree or ideal.  

It comes down to the reality of striving, to the best of our human abilities, acts of our free will, and by whatever undeserved but mercifully given divine graces of God, that we are able to follow Christ.  As to whatever degree of obedience, learning it through suffering, and to whatever progression being in Christ toward our soul's perfection, we will not have consistent, complete perfection during our earthly, mortal pilgrimages.  

Obedience learned from what is suffered...and when He was made perfect...He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. 

God bless His Real Presence in us, and our presence in Him. Let us love dearly one another as we love Christ and He loves us--little children--for we are in this life together.  Remain in His Love!

Who the Lord Approves: Reminder to Humility and Reverence

Sometimes His Living Word leaps into our minds and hearts.  This morning in the Divine Office, these words of Isaiah 66:2 penetrate as profound reminder of what His Real Presence desires of us, of whom and of what disposition He approves.

"This is the one whom I approve:
the lowly and afflicted man who trembles at My Word."

It boils down to being humble and reverent (fear, awe of the Lord, of His Word).

Today is my final few hours in civilization.  The body has reacted to weather and just the wear and tear of driving, feeling ill and achy and thus tired.  The mind and heart pray for a good attitude, a cheerful disposition, or at least one that is cooperative in His will and agreeable to returning to the most difficult living conditions ever in a life of over 63 years.

Circumstances can provide us with "lowly and afflicted," and for that we can praise God.  It is not that this hermit sought out the circumstances.  No, it had done the research, prayed, and hoped for a wise move and functional living situation.  It was not expecting to be duped, although prior to the final move, there was a sense of foreboding.

Lately, reading more of the saints and their writings, it makes marvelous sense that this hermit who so desires to have union with Christ, would at least mentally make a connection with the temporal poverty that was Jesus' while on this earth.

There has been progress!  When the rats found access spots to enter the hermitage recently, this hermit did not "freak out."  Yes, it was a bit disappointing after the efforts to secure the perimeter with bait stations; but after all, the weather is changing to chilly, and the desert is filled with critters the same as is civilization.  But in the desert the critters are all more eremitic in nature, truly!  In civilization the critters include an abundance of humanity!

Stability is one of this hermit's Nine S', and in silent stability, with serenity, it sought out any holes or openings that resulted when all the walls and ceilings were gutted.  Rats can enter through a small hole of 3/4" or less.  Amazing, intelligent creatures, they are!  Unfortunately, they do not hesitate to chew wire, wood, or even plastic pipes (if water flowing through them).  Just a little more effort such as sliding under the old porch, and this hermit will mix mortar and seal off a few more openings into the crawl space.  

Like sin, rats (and weeds) can be kept out of one's life and mind, and out of one's dwelling.  It just takes some effort, a persevering attitude, a bit of humility in realizing that, yes, we, too, must deal with that which many, particularly the poor and lowly ones of the world, have to deal with in far worse circumstances. We also can praise God that He has created us, also, as intelligent beings, and we can utilize this intelligence in figuring out ways to eliminate sins, rats and weeds...or whatever menaces even if the trespassers do not consider themselves menaces at all.

We can live in awe and reverence of how His Real Presence reaches into our bodies, minds, hearts and souls in every day events.  He teaches us if we consider the many lessons and the love with which He instructs...sometimes with a technique currently termed "tough love."

Now this nothing Catholic hermit must pray for courage to gather its few personal items and its Breviary (Divine Office), and head back to the desert and Te Deum House/Hermitage.  It will be quite dark upon arrival, and the flashlight is upstairs; but thankfully there is a light near the front door, and the headlights of the used truck can shine enough to find the door.  It will be very cold since the heat was turned off--just a wall heater, but it is better than the dire circumstances of last year's fall and winter.  

Somehow, praying (or reading prayerfully) the various Hours of the Divine Office, has replenished a rhythm of peace and perseverance within this soul.  It is good that the young Catholic family the hermit met early last summer (bought the old stove) is a contact.  The husband is a sheriff's deputy.  

This hermit noticed that someone had been getting into the cellar, using the outdoor water hose, and that a few other small items outside where they had not been.  The deputy checked the hermitage a couple times while this hermit has been in civilization and noticed a worker the hermit had hired the summer before last.  That worker had been arrested  but is out of jail, awaiting trial for some burglaries. He now admitted to stealing from this hermit.

Bless the thief's heart.  He no doubt was trying to find shelter and water while the hermit was upstairs (prior to the journey into civilization) in not much better circumstances, but at least this hermit has a bed.  However, the deputy needs a statement, as the thief will be better off in jail than prowling and stealing.  There is small comfort that the prowler will have three meals a day, a shower, a toilet, a roof overhead and heat!  

This hermit (and any of you dear readers, please!) must pray for him, as he falls under the category of lowly and afflicted (drug problems plague him).  May he learn to tremble not at the sheriff deputies and judge, but tremble in awe and reverence of the Word, of His Real Presence.  

Jesus lived without a place to rest his head, passed through grain fields hungry and plucked enough to eat, and took shelter and drink in places invited and some not on chill desert nights.  (Consider His nights in the mountains, praying.)

From Isaiah's two-line reminder as to what, of us, the Lord approves, we can consider and pray for ourselves as well as those around us.  Pray for graces of lowliness and trembling at His Living Word, of trembling in awe of His Real Presence!