The Hermit Has Guests

This week guests came to Agnus Dei. They came in the evening which required extra stamina of the hermit whose pain is heightened at night, after a full day of existing.

One woman came since she is not used to, and does not like, being alone, and her husband was at a night meeting. We discussed our families, her job with severely damaged children not able to go to school, and friendship. It as a good time for the hermit to practice approaching the other--in friendship--as prayer. In parting, the hermit gave a wrought iron cross. Hermits are to give a gift to visitors; this falls under hermit tradition, besides imparting the love of God.

The next guests were a man and wife who enjoy dining out, but the hermit is being more responsible in pain management, and these friends are beginning to comprehend. So they were invited to Agnus Dei, to eat what was on the stove (lentils) and a salad, but they instead brought carry-in Chinese food and delectible chocolates. The hermit would not purchase these expensive sweets but thoroughly appreciated the treat! Again, the hermit practiced friendship as prayer, and practiced listening more than speaking.

One aspect of guests coming to Agnus Dei, as opposed to the hermit joining them in dining out, or meeting elsewhere or visiting their homes (which a hermit would not tend to do unless the person a shut-in or a definite need in charity to go hither and yon for social reasons), is that there is not a means to limit the visits. Thus, there is sacrifice made when the night extends, and the body inside is saying it has reached its limit of pain endurance. However, nothing was mentioned, and this morning the hermit had to remain in bed, take extra medications, and finally manage to make it to late morning Mass. In fact, the afternoon is spent in recovering before 5 p.m. Mass.

The hermit could, in future, mention that afternoon visits are preferable, but perhaps in future the hermit will feel better, as it is taking time to recover from having over-done the body in too much manual labor with the Mary Garden installation.

These recent guests were given an orchid, a very nice orchid. The hermit had a touch of separation anxiety, but only a touch! Holy indifference is necessary when a hermit, and when gifting, for all belongs to God.

Does God feel separation anxiety? Did He feel so when He gave His only begotton Son to be sacrificed upon the Cross, to be immolated emotionally, psychologically, and physically? Was there not also a spiritual annhiliation in the sense of complete abandonment felt by Jesus at one moment near the end of His agony? All these are for our benefit, for us to know the Way.