Catholic Hermit: The Salvation of the World

Am still finding clues and insights from the Holy Spirit as to what the Church means in her statements which guide and inform the Eremitic life (920, 921), as cited in The Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The Consecrated Life."  

I've been focusing my attention on:  hermits "devote their life to the praise of God and the salvation of the world."

"The salvation of the world" came to mind this morning while reading Scriptures and also a selection from The Catechism of the Catholic Church."  In a subsection of 2825, I find the following to be helpful in considering the way in which anyone, and especially consecrated Catholic hermits, may devote and have our lives devoted lives to...the salvation of the world."

"In committing ourselves to [Christ], we can become one spirit with him, and thereby accomplish his will, in such wise that it will be perfect on earth as it is in heaven.  Consider how Jesus Christ teaches us to be humble, by making us see that our virtue does not depend on our work alone but on grace from on high.  He commands each of the faithful who prays to do so universally, for the whole world.  For he did not say 'thy will be done in mr or in us,' but 'on earth,' the whole earth, so that error may be banished from it, truth take root in it, all vice be destroyed on it, virtue flourish on it, and earth no longer differ from heaven.'"

All comes from God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.  So much depends upon our desire, our asking, our awareness of all that God wants to grace us, and our accepting of these God-willed and given graces.  Here we have again the crucial virtue of humility along with faith.  

The above citation expresses beautifully how it is that a hermit may and can devote his or her life not only to the praise of God, but within that praise to be through, with, and in Him in devoting our life, in Christ and God's will, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to the salvation of the world.

In addition to various other aspects of which we will continuously be made aware in our praying, listening, reading Scripture and other spiritual writings, I've previously pointed out that when we pray the prayer Jesus taught, the "Our Father," in the very expressing  "Our," we are including ourselves and all souls everywhere on earth and in heaven, with the most Holy Trinity, the Three In One Being with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  

The awareness of and faith in the reality of these theological, spiritual, mystical, and temporally tangible facts allow any consecrated Catholic hermit (and any Christian who desires) to devote our lives to the salvation of the world.

I probably will not be expanding upon this portion of what a hermit is to do and be, per devoting our lives to the praise of God and the salvation of the world, unless the Lord suggests and guides me to write more on this topic.  The focus for consecrated Catholic hermits continues with the next portion from 920, 921 from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, pertinent to eremitic life.  That is, that a hermit is to live in "stricter separation from the world."


God bless His Real Presence in us!