A Hermit's Sacrifice

Sacrifice is not one of the Nine S', but it does fall under Selflessness, which is one of the S'.

Another sleepless night for the hermit brought much weeping over the sorrowful situation with the neighbors. The other woman neighbor is home now, living on the other side of the ones for whom the hermit prays and prays. The hermit heard the two women outside yesterday, speaking louder-than-necessary, about the hermit.

They don't know the hermit is a hermit, of course, or it would be worse in misunderstanding and meanness. The hermit does not want to encourage others to sin due to misunderstanding a vocation, and the people in this area tend to wariness.

Another sleepless night, but the hermit prayed. The hermit prays for many intentions, and most if not all are of the sorrows of this world. The hermit is too naive and idealistic, perhaps, and has enough life experience to warrant a tougher shell, but the sorrows affect; maybe the sorrows assist the prayers. Someone or more of us need to be awake at night, praying for the world. Many pray, many pray. We all are praying in the suffering silent night.

The confessor said that he hears many people speak of horrible situations with neighbors. The hermit is instructed to live life, mind the hermit's business, and to not run from the suffering. Show charity when possible, but to stay clear of the immediate neighbors, of course.

To know that there are many such problems with neighbors, increases the hermit's sorrows and intensifies the prayers for the sorrows of the world. It is a beautiful day here at Agnus Dei, and Lake Immaculata is smooth mirror-clear. The world reflects into the waters. But on close investigation, flies buzz, fish eat minnows, birds attack mice, and the leaves wither and fall.

The hermit also mentioned something to the confessor which caused him to say, relative to the issue: It is a sacrifice. It had to do with the priestly vocation. Yes, and the hermit's vocation is a sacrifice. In suffering and selflessness, the hermit must learn to become a sacrifice, to be an immolation, to counter the sorrows of the world with self that has died and become one in Christ's sacrifice, to suffer the sorrows of the world, even the small sorrows such as neighbors being unkind, in reparation, in helping Christ save souls.

This hermit accepts being an immolation, accepts the sacrifice necessary. But, that doesn't make it easy in the human aspects, in the disappointment of realizing how easy it would be if everyone loved and loved and loved one another. Jesus wept.