Catholic Hermits: What a Catholic Hermit is to Do and Be

In my effort to improve my doing and being as a consecrated Catholic hermit of the 21st century, I'm renewing myself to the understanding of the fundamental citations set forth by the Church as to what constitutes eremitic (hermit) life.  I simplify the topic to:  What a Catholic hermit is to Do and Be."

The basics, the fundamentals, purported by the Catholic Church as to what constitutes eremitic life are found in The Catechism of the Catholic Church, under the heading, Consecrated Life of the Church, sub-heading Eremitic Life,  920 & 921.  

The content begins with, "Without always professing the three evangelical counsels publicly..."  While I've written about this crucial point in the past, it bears reminding that until the latter part of the 20th century, hermits did not publicly profess the three evangelical counsels in the way that an introduced canon law states as meaning those hermits, along with an agreeing bishop, choose to profess the necessary vows of poverty, obedience, and celibacy as CL603 provides, with the bishop then acting as director of the hermit who also remains as a hermit in that diocese.  

Otherwise, hermits through the centuries and continuing in this current century, professed their vows privately, not always involving a bishop but usually with a spiritual director--priest, religious order superior, monk, or if a bishop as director, the hermit would not be linked to a specific diocese and the profession would not be a matter of canon law.  

If one is called by God to the eremitic life, one must discern which of the two--privately or publicly--one is called to profess the three evangelical counsels.  (If one is a religious order monk or nun and discerns later on a call to the eremitic life, the process is handled through the religious order superior, for the person is already in the consecrated life of the Church, but as a consecrated "religious."  Approval to live as a hermit would or would not granted by the superior without need for repeating the profession.)

After these discernments and processes are completed, the hermit begins to live the eremitic life--the do and the be aspects.  The Holy Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--will guide the hermit along with the spiritual director (or if a bishop may be whom the bishop designates to direct the publicly professed hermit--usually a diocesan priest.)

Then, regardless if privately or publicly the evangelical counsels are professed, the hermit may also offer vows that have been prayerfully considered, composed, and hopefully discussed with the hermit's spiritual director.  The life of the hermit thus begins in earnest.  The doing and the being aspects come to fruition daily, nightly, and evolve over time.  God determines time, of course, whether we are hermits or not; but the hermit enters into this life with the desirous expectation that it will be for as long as the hermit lives on earth.

(There are instances in history of hermits who are called out of the vocation by God in one manner or other, to perform some other purpose that God wills.  And of course, there are some hermits who, like any person in the consecrated life of the Church and in Holy Orders as well, have discerned wrongly, or through circumstance otherwise realize or is realized for them, that they are no longer suited to, or have not or will not, uphold the evangelical counsels and vows.)

Now to the main point of my exercise in renewing self to what the Church has set forth as basics of what a consecrated Catholic hermit--simply put--is to "do" and "be, segment by segment as written in 920 and 921.

"...hermits 'devote their life to the praise of God and the salvation of the world...'"

I'm going to pray and ponder, meditate and exam my days and nights, in consideration of what I'm doing and being regarding devoting my life to praising God and in what ways devoting my life to the salvation of the world.  Already I know this will cause me to more deeply delve into the Gospels as a most perfect Rule of Life.  

However, I will be open to whatever the Holy Spirit inspires in me of insights as to how or what other is desired of my in praising God.  I will strive to be attune to and listen to the Holy Spirit and my guardian angel as to what role I as a consecrated Catholic hermit must do and be in the salvation of the world.  

Praying for the salvation of souls comes to mind immediately.   But I am going to take the time the dear Lord gives me to pray, consider, listen, and be aware of nuances in what more His Real Presence might instruct.  I am also counting on my late spiritual father to reach through the thin veil to me, to guide in whatever ways.  Through the Scriptures and spiritual reading I will also remain alert in this focus of devoting my life to the praise of God and the salvation of the world.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Please pray with me, if you are a hermit or not, that I will learn and grow in this focused exercise, and then share with you and whomever else might be reading this blog, some practical and holy answers.