Virtue of Piety

From a Carthusian's magnificent writings on the interior life, this genderless soul-nothingness hermit has read about the virtue of piety. The nothingness hermit will need to re-read and ponder. (The spiritual da the other day said it is so important to ponder--and pondering does take much of God's gift of earthly time but of holy momentum.)

The human virtues: prudence, fortitude, justice, and temperance; utilized by the divine virtues: faith, hope, and charity--are condensed and concentrated in piety. He writes also, "And not only the virtues of the heart, but the knowledge of the mind, the actions of the body, every vital movement, every habit or human act, all these centre and unite in this one and sovereign disposition. Piety is, therefore, the gathering together of all dispositions, forms of knowledge, virtues or human actions, in the sight, love, and seeking of God. The word 'piety' sums up all that is made for God, in the same way as the word 'impiety' sums up all that runs counter to God."

To know, to see, to seek God in love--this is for everyone, hermits or otherwise.

Is the Internet helping me to know, to see, to seek God in love? For the first time I noticed some extraneous Internet comments going on, and the soul of my piety was challenged, for the soul of the body of piety is Divine charity.

St. Seraphim of Sarov--and any other holy hermit I've encountered in the annals of Church history has not been concerned so much with vocation as with piety: of sighting, loving and seeking God.

This is what I desire, this piety, for it is of God and there is piety to be embodied within the Sacred Heart. More and more it seems that there is peace in writing, yes, as it is a sharing--but with whom? Can I not share with God alone and thus commune less and less with thoughts and words? Is it God's will that I share this hermit life which is less about being a hidden diocese hermit with private vows, and more about sighting, loving and seeking God as a genderless soul in nothingness?