The Staretz on Obedience

The Staretz attributed the utmost importance to the question of obedience, not only for monks and Christians individually but in the life of the whole body of the Church....He would accept his confessor's first words, his first intimation, and carry the conversation no further. This is the wisdom and mystery of true obedience, the purpose of which is to know and fulfill God's will, and not man's....

In the vast sea which is the life of the Church the true tradition of the Spirit flows like a thin pure stream, and he who would be in this stream must renounce argument. When anything of self is introduced the waters no longer run clear, for God's supreme wisdom and truth are the opposite of human wisdom and truth. Such renunciation appears intolerable, insane even, to the self-willed, but the man who is not afraid to 'become a fool' has found true life and true wisdom.

Sofrony the Archmandrite. The Undistorted Image. 1958. London: The Faith Press, pp. 57-58.

Noon Mass came between some writing, and this was very good. It is amazing how one reads what is helpful in the cell, to the world that comes in from outside the cell, and to reflect and pray, to read and write, to learn and grow.

More comments have come, and remain unpublished, for this is not a place of argument. This blog is an extension of spiritual reflections but also the application to life experiences, dove-tailed in obedience to the Catholic hermit's confessor. He is gone for a few days. The Canon lawyer is now consulted, since the writings must be clarified if details are incorrect. He is going to study the questions brought up in the reader's comments, and to pray for the will of God in what seems to be blog-combing in order to find a tangle to tug. His initial response is that there is the law, of course, and then there is the spirit or essence of the law. But again, he stated, as did the regular confessor, that it seems rather a drawing off from the purity of how one lives the hermit life, and the point is to live it, whether public or privately professed. So we will get an answer on a couple of specific stumbling blocks to readers, and then move on. "Moot point" comes to mind.

This canon lawyer said, also, I must write for now, as it is good to share the reflections as one who is trying, and to record the path of this form of eremitic life which is not of CL603 and not public. He said if even one person is encouraged who does not want to be consecrated publicly, or publicly via CL603, then the writing has done a good. So, this keeps being said, in different ways, by different priests. Must I go to the Bishop and bother him about such matters? It is not necessary.

The canon lawyer priest repeated that the Gospels say "Jesus went about doing good." That is what the eremitic must do, whether public or private. There are many street corners in London town, and many blog sites for hermits to express their God-willed paths of the eremitic life.

In the Catholic hermit's past, writing briefs was part of the life-in-the-world scene, and of debating the de jure and de facto aspects of cases. But this was not the hermit's soul or spirit; the hermit was not called by God to remain in that spot but rather, once God's will has been made clear from many directions, the Catholic hermit must do spiritual mountain climbing as a privately consecrated and professed (and yes, approved) eremitic, and log the trip along the way.

Please, dear readers, don't read these blogs as they are no doubt a waste of time-- especially when the blogs get bogged in trying to charitably unclog what is of little issue to the spirit of the hermit life. The Catholic hermit apologizes for any who take offense in the writing; simply don't read it. Return to the roots of eremiticism!

The Catholic hermit apologizes for not desiring to debate or write other than what am directed to do: and that is to chronicle this journey, from this validated and credible, but privately so, eremitic vocation. Others are encouraged and free to journal their own vocation. And may we pray for each other as we climb?