Catholic Hermit and Recluse St. Theophan

Yesterday while in much physical suffering (which also entails emotional and mental suffering), I pivoted from scanning online news for which I pray for people and situations, and looked up some information on Christian mystics and also recluses v hermits.

I came across St. Theophan the Recluse, while listening to a YouTube video in which the Orthodox Bishop Kallistos Ware discusses The Philokalia.  He had edited the volumes from the Greek and suggested where readers should begin--not simply with volume 1.  He said to start in the fourth volume by reading some of the writings by St. Theophan the Recluse.

That led me on a search to learn more about this Orthodox saint.  I may write more specifically about him in a separate post.  For now I want to share that I also listened to an explanation by this saintly recluse on his advice on how to pray.  For me it was a good reminder, such as to set the intentions before beginning prayer.  

Yet, in my current phase as a hermit who also is a mystic, it seems my prayer life is more that of interpersonal flow of thoughts with His Real Presence and not as programmed or "set".  I still appreciate reviewing the prayer advice nonetheless, as phases come and go.  Solid prayer advice is always pertinent whether for verbal, mental, contemplative or unitive, mystical prayer.

St. Theophan the Recluse was born in the 19th c., in Russia, the son of a priest.  He became a recluse for many years of his later life but then re-emerged.  (I will not comment further now as want to research and be accurate.)  But I wanted to comment on this man, as I found his photo to draw me in, and I have asked for him to befriend me from the other side and to help guide me.  

I am increasingly convinced that my hermit vocation is becoming antithetical, of sorts, to my being and existence as a Christian mystic.  And for that, in our time or perhaps any time, it does seem that hiddenness is important, not only with name but also with presence among others out in the world.  Thus the hermit vocation is ideal for me, and all the more I realize Wisdom's choice for me to live out my existence in the eremitic life of the Church.  It is not that hermits are not so accepted, but mystics continue to be a stumbling block for especially those in the Church.  There are reasons for this, but I also will not try to analyze why, now, either.

Perhaps St. Theophan became more reclusive for some practical reasons, such as needing less distraction of critics and misjudgment, misunderstanding of his mystic being and also his role, for at least a period of time.  It does make sense that a mystic needs more solitude and silence in order to grow increasingly closer to the Most Holy Trinity, and to listen to what is divulged either for the mystic soul's growth and sometimes also to be shared mostly in writing, with and for other souls' benefits.

And it is this aspect that has been lacking in my own mystic hermit life.  Too many distractions, particularly from attempting to be a part of a parish.  The problems arose even prior to a more visible mystical sign; the way in which I was shown aspects of some priests, others, and situations and given assignments of sorts that involved word and action, caused various reactions, mostly not so positive.  Even those who were positive could tend to be too much so.  The current assessment became that of needing to withdraw so as to still and silence the reactions that became distractions and also became occasions of sin for others and even somewhat for myself.

Anyway, we will see what becomes of my asking St. Theophan the Recluse to befriend and help guide me if there are aspects of his life in reclusion and of spiritual matters that I would do well to learn.  I especially appreciate the quote imposed on his photo below--the aspect of cleaving to Christ with all one's soul, thus being changed into His image by the power of Christ's resurrection.

And, I have been adding the Jesus prayer off and on and will today as I get up from a day of back pain rest on mattress and pray for courage to begin the various manual labor tasks that can easily overwhelm me.  Breathe in, breathe out; become the prayer beyond words.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  

Despondency, Tedium

Wow!  Am yet in bed, tired, weary, and and yet trying to pray for others.  A call came from one of the rather estranged adult children.  At first the hermit's voice betrayed its tearfulness--self-pity, surely, plus a bit of fear in letting go of emotional self-protection.  Yet, before long, the hermit was sharing and asking questions, even if not getting detailed responses.  The heart was loving, once again, from this heart to that one.  Love never really leaves, does it?

Then decided to read the next step in John Climacus' The Ladder of Divine Ascent.  He writes of despondency, which he also calls "tedium."  In a short rendering, the solitary hermit monk, John, clarifies and diagnoses exactly what is this nothing Catholic hermit's current aliment.  Despondency.

When time and again, am picking up the book to read another step or few pages within a step of the 6th century, holy man's guidance, the content addresses exactly what this Catholic hermit needs!  This is what occurs when we do not dismiss some nudge or a word, or name, or image that comes to us.  A couple or more weeks ago the name "John Climacus" popped into the mind.  After researching online, found the book he wrote in the 6th century or earliest years of 7th century.

From that point on, purchasing a used book on line,  St. John Climacus has entered Te Deum Hermitage and is a present help to this pathetic hermit herein.

Not everyone will benefit at any given time, to some book another is reading.  However, this book is worth reading for anyone who has not had an inner showing of what holy person or holy writing His Real Presence is choosing.  If nothing else has been shown or told you, in other words, The Ladder of Divine Ascent by John Climacus will prove worthy of your time and thought.

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As to despondency, and overcoming it, it seems best to present some of Climacus' points.

Despondency or tedium of the spirit...is a paralysis of the soul, a slackness of the mind, a neglect of religious exercises, a hostility to vows taken.  It is an approval of worldly things.  It is a voice claiming God has no mercy and no love for men.  It is a laziness in the singing of the Psalms, a weakness in prayer, a stubborn urge for service, a dedication to the work of the hands, an indifference to the requirement of obedience.  

Tedium is rebuffed by religious life, but it is the constant companion of the hermit, living with him until the day of his death, struggling with him until the very end.  She smiles at the hermit's cell and comes creeping up to live nearby.

Tedium loves to be involved in hospitality, urges the hermit to undertake manual labor so as to enable him to give alms, and exhorts us to visit the sick, even recalling the words of Jesus Who said, "I was sick, and you came to visit Me" (Matthew 25:36).  Tedium reminds those at prayer of some job to be done....She searches out any excuse to drag us from prayer....Tedium suggests we call upon the fainthearted and discouraged and sets one languishing to try to lift up the other....  

Tedium is a kind of total death for the monk....Tedium is one of the eight deadly vices, and indeed the gravest of them all.  ...nothing gains as many crowns for the monk as the struggle against this.

We have a good idea of how despondency, or tedium, immobilizes us.  Next, John Climacus sets out how to conquer this vice.  Snippets are offered here, to aid us in overcoming this horrible ailment!

This tyrant [despondency, tedium] should be overcome by the remembrance of past sins, battered by hard manual labor, and brought to book by the thought of the blessings to come.  

Tedium's modus operandi (Climacus calls it tedium's many mothers), are as follows:

• Stolidity of Soul
• Forgetfulness of the Things of Heaven, or
• Too Heavy a Burden of Troubles
• Changing from Place to Place
• Disobedience of One's Superior
• Forgetfulness of the Judgment to Come, and
• Sometimes the Abandonment of One's Vocation   

Again, the enemies to despondency or tedium are singing of Psalms, manual labor, thought of death, and particularly, prayer backed by hope in the blessings to come later.  Climacus adds, to ask despondency or tedium:  "Who gave birth to prayer?"  For, the reminder that God is the source and substance of prayer, is a powerful weapon against a stolid or languishing, unanimated, soul.

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In this selection, this Catholic hermit sees itself, specifically, in many points.  The lack of hope, the inability to rise from bed and return to manual labor, the lapsing from praying the Psalms (yes, so soon after returning to them and doing so well!), and too heavy a burden of troubles.  Why, the hermit was even considering that perhaps it had no vocation at all, and perhaps this solitary path and the hardships of current existence, are a ruse.  Perhaps the hermit could grab back its life of the old way, of the world, in which the distractions helped pass the time and bring a forgetfulness of the narrow way and the spiritual climb.

But no, this man who achieved great holiness in his earthly life and who followed the path of Jesus Christ in detail and profound humility, is guiding this nothing Catholic hermit through his writings, and he has nailed it--nailed it!--right down to the cross upon which this hermit has been struggling.  And the struggle has been nearly motionless, inert, and despairing at times, and that because hope had been overcome by troubles, and the spiritual practices had been ignored due to the sirens of attending to other matters, other distractions, even if at the time they seemed important.

While there is too much to The Ladder of Divine Ascent to share specifically, this nothing Catholic hermit recommends to you readers, that if His Real Presence places a spark of interest in your hearts and minds, order it online, either new or used, from Amazon.com or Abebooks or some other bookseller.  Some libraries might even have a copy in storage! Let John Climacus guide, if His Real Presence so desires him to be of assistance to you as he is to this nothing hermit.  If not now, perhaps another time, the name John Climacus and his book may come to your mind as it did here, recently.

Note:  There are two publications.  One is The Classics of Western Spirituality, Paulist Press, with excellent introduction by Bishop Kallistos Ware.  The other publication is more costly, but some prefer the translation; it is published by The Holy Transfiguration Monastery.  The Paulist Press edition is what this hermit is reading, as well as an 87-year-old spiritual friend.  Each of us is having no difficulty understanding, and both are benefiting greatly.