Quid Festici?

From The Sermons of St. Francis de Sales on Our Lady comes this story told by the saint.

"The good man Syncleticus was a great senator who gave up his position to become a monk; but what he no longer possessed in effect he possessed in his heart, and his thoughts wandered among delights, pleasures, honors and suchlike worldly tinsel. Knowing this, the great St. Basil wrote him a letter in which he addressed him in these terms: 'Father Syncleticus, what have you done? (Quid fecisti?) What are you doing, or what have you done? You left the world and your position as a senator to become a monk; but what have you done? At this moment you are neither senator nor monk. You are not a senator, since you left that position to become a monk; therefore it is no longer yours. You are not a monk, because your affections are running after the things of the world. Now you must not act like this, for to be a monk it is not enough to wear a monk's habit; you must unite your affections intimately to God and live in perfect self-denial of the world and all that belongs to it.' " [Fioreli, Lewis, ed. The Sermons of St. Francis de Sales on Our Lady. 1985. Rockford, IL: TAN Books and Publishers, Inc., p. 105.]

Then St. Francis de Sales asks this question: Do you see where Christian perfection begins? And he answers the question thus: With this renunciation and self-denial.

The hermit can relate. Awaiting word of a possible second job interview, albeit a spiritual and quiet job with the Diocese that some priests have counseled is not contrary to the hermit life, the hermit also bounced around in the world of clothing trying to obtain some suitable garb for fitting into the work-a-world agenda.

The thoughts have turned to the good of a habit, or of wearing something simple or monochromatic, such as wearing gray or black or brown, in varying outfits but with the same color. But that would stand out to people, and this hermit is striving to blend, to not be particular or noticed as different than the norm.

It runs contrary to what most hermits might consider as proper, and there is much good in wearing a habit from the perspective of being a sign of Christ to the world in an ascetic, simple, and practical manner. For the hermit, there is the benefit of less distraction, of less temptation to vanity, and also to less frustration as merchandisers know what they are about, and three tops purchased a year ago are already shabby and stand out as such; two sweaters shrank with the first washing, and a couple items purchased on sale are too large, as the hermit did not pay enough attention to fit but just wanted to get the shopping over with. The too-small and too-large can go to the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop, so there is benefit after all. But the shabby are destined for gardening clothes or cleaning cloths, or the trash, since a hermit does not need too much of work clothes or cleaning cloths. Enough is enough.

Two bags of clothes are going to be returned. The hermit brings them to Agnus Dei in order to have some space from zealous clerks. Indeed, one jacket is too large and not worth the expense in its construction, even though the clerk raved and said how well it fit and looked. The plaid, anyway, stands out too much and would not blend over time; solids are better. Another expedition brought forth too expensive of clothes, and the skirt is too distinctive in its print. All will be returned. The only positives of such ordeals are the temporary distraction (which is not really a good if one is to be leaving the world), and that of interactions with clerks, as conversations can be utilized to show the love of God. But what about the return of unwanted merchandise? The clerks will not be pleased after all.

As for the job, it too has been a distraction, for the world of the Church is still a world, and it is a different world in the office aspects, in the active aspects, than the world of the hermit. But that situation is for God to determine with an empty net or a fish or two in it. This particular fishing expedition should yield its results this week.

Quid festici? O, hermit! You are wafting about like cigar smoke being puffed and blown out nostrils, permeating into the atmosphere where more often than not it is undesired, sickening, and brings disapproval to sniffers. It is said that secondary smoke is as detrimental if not more so than the one who smokes.

It seems so with hermits who are neither hermits nor worldlings but struggle somewhere inbetween, not able to renunciate the world and deny self of that which causes spiritual cancer.

Being a hermit is a process, and this process includes not that of paperwork and progress toward canonical approval (or disapproval) but very much of what is going on within the soul, as evidenced by the progress made externally in actions. There is nothing wrong in learning, and part of learning is trying this way, then that. Akin to net-casting, this method takes time and effort, energy, and much discernment for one must be able to haul in the net and see what is in it, if anything.

One must know what one is doing, and then make necessary changes in what one is doing, or not doing. Each path has its own map, charted by God and to be traversed by the individual hermit.

Clothing stores? What have you done? What are you doing? These are good questions, for the answer is: distracting from pain, yet; distracting from settling down to the work at hand of hermit life, of practicing the Nine S' of which simplicity and stillness ought be taken more seriously.