The Nothing Catholic Nothing Hermit Nothing

With the lovely realization that I have totally assimilated--and appreciate and value the hermit life that God has chosen for me, and with the re-reading and writing of what the Catechism of the Catholic Church writes of the eremitic life, the Catholic hermit thinks, "Why wait?" Why wait until the first of February to stop the repetitious word which no longer seems alien or strange.

Within the writing, if the hermit needs to refer to self, which should indeed be diminished in time, the term "nothing" will be used instead. The nothing desires to assimilate, appreciate, and embrace being nothing.

It's the next phase.

Events in life are helping in this matter. This morning after Mass, the nothing returned to Agnus Dei to find a parcel on the porch. All that could be seen was that it was similar to the very first parcel, and that it had a letter with "to the animal abuser...", and something else inside. The nothing realized it could not even open the door and touch it. The nothing had had enough. It is well to know one's limits, even if nothing.

A different sheriff's deputy came. In the meantime, the Postal Inspector was on the phone and got enough of the saga, and said to make sure to give the one remaining hate letter mailed through the USPS, and ask the deputy to give it to the detective. The Postal Inspector is going to be in touch with the detective, and then they can figure out what to do, if anything, for the nothing.

The nothing also sent the young deputy off with the little red bag with coal inside; the nothing decided it wanted nothing more to do with it. The nothing was not going to forget to pray for the neighbors. Not a chance of forgetting.

Another aspect that helped the nothing to come to reinforcing nothingness, is taking an odd and rare visit to the internet at large, and looked up the "h" word. The bulk of those hermits mentioned or written about or visible, are public hermits. The Catholic hermit's writings were there, but this seemed to be one of the few private hermits writing. Now, that gives pause and ponderment. Again, the nothing ponders public writing, even if anonymous and nothing.

The various articles written about various public hermits, from Boston to New York to San Diego to New Mexico to Pennsylvania and who-knows-where-else, comment upon their having public vows or canonically approved or recognized by the Catholic Church through Canon Law 603. So, the nothing realized that all the private hermits out there are obviously of the kind to not want to be seen or heard, not recognized or publicly approved.

Then came the pondering of mission. Is it the nothing's mission to write about life as a private Catholic hermit cum nothing? Not so sure. Will discuss this with the da and the confessor.

There is no title, no recognition, no public approval for the Catholic hermit nothing. Dear God in Heaven, the nothing cannot even bear to have its name in print in a retraction of a public, printed defamation of character. As a former columnist, the nothing only used a pen name. Shudder a photo to be taken!

The nothing assumes this is part of the charism of a privately consecrated and professed Catholic hermit. Otherwise there would be a reason to be public. The nothing recalls a person met on a retreat, and this person broke silence to inquire about the nothing, for evidently something about the nothing was of curiosty. The person first off announced that he/she was a hermit, and was approved as a hermit in that Diocese. Well? This was during a time when the nothing was definitely not appreciating nor valuing the hermit life that God had chosen, etc.

The nothing again asks itself what is the value of any public anything? Does it become a means of recognition and status, or a point of introduction in person or on the internet, in newspaper and magazine articles? Does it make the vocation more valid to have the private or public "credentials" stated? Does it become like some academics the nothing has known, who desire the degree designations always to follow their signatures?

What can the nothing offer to anything? Nothing, really. The nothing would never want to have to list out credentials or degrees. Someone once asked by what authority the nothing writes. The nothing is not interested in defending by possessed degrees of the secular and Church worlds. Is not a hermit to possess nothing but the love of God?

Is there a good to be had by promoting the hermit life in the press or internet? Or, is it the case that the Catholic hermit life grows and continues century after century by its very nature and God's creating and desiring this nature, this vocation? Could it be simply another trick for trouble, and that another name for pride?

The nothing may consider an anonymous e-mail in case the one or two who like to read about what the nothing is reading and pondering, might want to read some of the thoughts and quoted materials. Not sure. Nothing, for now; no decisions. More considerations in prayer.

St. Silouan floated above such matters as designation, public, private, something, anything. He knew he was nothing, and that was something. And he knew that God was All, and that was everything.

The nothing likes this:

Father Silouan's attitude towards those who differed from him was characterized by a sincere desire to see what was good in them, and not to offend them in anything they held sacred. He always remained himself, convinced that 'salvation lies in Christ-like humility,' and in the strength of this humility he strove with his whole soul to understand every man at his best. He found the way to the heart of everyone--to his capacity for loving Christ.

The nothing so likes this, that the nothing prays and hopes that those who are willed by God to public lives, do not take offense at nothing. The nothing is so thankful for the ones who have to be somethings, such as deputies and postal inspectors and journalists and financial advisors/investors and Bishops and priests and politicians who make it possible for nothings to remain nothings in peace and joy and untold bliss.

What is it the nothing desires besides nothing? Nothing but union with God. Who does the nothing admire to imitate besides Jesus? The saints, such as St. Seraphim of Sarov and St. Silouan and Sr. Josefa Menendez and A Carthusian and more A Carthusian's and any holy nothings such as the nameless, elderly man, dressed in suit and tie, who comes to early morning Mass, day in and day out, and leaves with a Host in pyx for his invalid wife.