MARABOU

APRIL 1995 VOL: 1 NO: 3

Thoughts in Solitude "What kind of company does the hermit keep? The accompanied hermit may seem to be an oxymoron: she or he wants to be alone. Yet, there is company. The point of hermitage, as I have always observed it from a highly socialized, highly accompanied, position, is not to be alienated from the other, the different, the Other. It is to be so located in body, setting, soul, and spirit, so that all circumstances are "thought through" so they can be seen in a different perspective and, in a way, transcended. I knew a hermit who was off by himself up the trail from a desert monastery; he came to the company of others on Sunday afternoons to teach church history to pilgrims who came weekly for this. He was not violating hermitage; by exiting solitude and reentering it he was made doubly conscious of its meaning.

So the hermit keeps company. The whole point is be nearer the Other, the Thou who is always present but who is often obscured by the clatter and preoccupations that come with nearness to and involvement with the crowd. One seeks to see "the face of God," and the face signals a Presence.

So the hermit keeps company: Sunday afternoons, or at the Eucharist, or at other chosen and decisive hours. Such associating may be a jarring at times, craved and enjoyed at others. The one thing it is not, is taken-for-granted.

So the hermit keeps company. Machiavelli tells how when he came from the dust and mud of the day's occupations, he put on "garments regal and courtly" and went into his library, closing the door, to be alone--and not to be alone. For in the library, he would find himself in the company of ancients, generous people, the authors. They would converse, as it were, he and the authors of the texts; they would impart their spirit and welcome his. He would know no boredom or despair or fear of death in their company.

So the hermit keeps company. Machiavelli may not be the saint or hero or exemplar for anything else in the Christian life. But he can be one who reminds us that company takes many forms. The generous and challenging spirits who reach out figurative hands, point fingers aimed to accuse, becon with open arms, are there in the texts. Sometims they are agents who both help present an then get out of the way of "the face of God."

So, dear reader, you do not fool me at all: you are not alone. Your company should lead the thoughtful, at least for a moment, to feel tinges of "envy."

Martin E. Marty
Fairfax Cone Distinguished Professor
University of Chicago
Divinity School

Biographical Sketch

Charles de Foucauld: Saharan Hermit
1858- 1916

From an early life of dissipation and military service in France and Africa, Charles, impressed by the desert and the religion of Islam, was reconciled to the church.

He joined the Trappists in Nazareth, but sought even more severe. solitude and poverty. He established a hemitage at Beni-Abes on the Morocco-Algeria. frontier. Later he founded an hermitage at Asekrem, near Tamanrssset in the Hogar Mountains of the Sahara

He wisbed to be-known by all as "the universal brother." He was murdered in Tamanrasset by fanatics. He had no disciples during his life time, but his life and his writings inspired the founding of the Little Brothers of Jesus the Little Sisters-of-Jesus.

Editorial Comment

It is especially interesting to note in our time, at least within the Catholic Church, the wonderful diveristy of the call of the Spirit who, quite providentially, seems to be inviting to the hermit life, sons and daughters from every traditonal relgious orders as well as directly from our secular society. Perhaps this is the Spirit's way of impressing upon us the "holy relativity:" of our established religious and secular societies as they exist in the light of the transcendent reality. We are, all of us, first and foremost baptized into the freedom of the Children of God in the ONENESS OF LOVE INCARNATE. Perhaps this is also the Spirit's way of impressing upon us the radical need we have today, both in the Church and in society to return to and focus upon the more interior values..

--Sr. Mary Vogel.

Sounding Solitude

A number of replies have come in concerning Hermits-Helping-hermits, specifically to the questions raised by Sr. Mary of the Trinity, with reference to hermits in the 20th century, need for a spiritual director, alignment to Third Orders, and interaction with others. See, January issue of MARABOU. Some respondents saw the merging of eremitieal life and virginity into one call, (Pat). Indeed, the life style and the vow or consecration can impact one another. Also, note Fr. Williams' comment on this issue; namely, a hermit's life is not the same as religious life, at least canonically speaking. It would seem nearly impossible to be a recluse these days since we are so dependent on the goodness of others for our existence. Opinions are divided on the need for a spiritual director. Some felt that a guide is necessary as a way of sharing thoughts with a trusted friend as a sign of humility. Especially did this seem true in time of temptation, weakness, and vulnerability, (Mary Jean). Another stated that spiritual direction may be necessary in the early experience of discernment and getting settled. Again, a spiritual director may be useful in time of dryness, crisis or confusion. God seems to enlighten us then when one takes counsel with another. Perhaps, one needs always to distinguish between a spiritual director who is a kind of guru, and one who walks the spiritual journey in aecompaniment, a spiritual companion.

Only one comment concerning Third Orders, that they were founded for another purpose than that of eremitical life. However, one cannot disparage the fact that the spirit of a founder of a religious community can be lived out in alignment with a Third Order.

The question of interaction with others remains an open question. Each eremitical life is so different. A hermit who follows Buddhism writes that one has to be careful, (even) in reference to letter writing, that it does not interfere with one's peace of mind. Some find the solace of the woods and desert, others note the anonymity of the city for alone-ness and solitude.

Barbara Lucas asks about solitude and ministry. "Because of the need for some remuneration, how deeply can one delve into solitude when engaged in part-time ministry? I am not a poet, weaver, baker, etc. My ministry is pastoral ministry to prisoners, the sick or dying. Would part-time ministry in that area be compatible with the eremitical life? I would be interested in what others think of this. Blessings!"

Canonical and Legal Reflections

One of the leading commentaries on the new Code of Canon Law points out a very interesting thing about eremitical life in the Church. The article (and there is only one) in the code (n. 603) places hermits in a separate category of "consecrated life," distinct from religious institutes. While there are religious congregations dedicated to the eremitical life-style such as the Camaldolese or Carthusians, and congregations where it is possib1e for a member to live as a Hermit, the presumption in the code seems to be that Hermits, recognized as such by church law, are not members of religious orders. So even if they live in the neighborhood of other Hermits or share some things in common, they are not bound by the same legal obligations as vowed religious. This gives a great deal of flexibility to a person who seeks to live a publicly vowed eremitical life-style. Much really depends on what is "negotiated" between a Hermit and the local bishop or his delegate. The Hermit who wishes public recognition by the local church (diocese) must make public vows (cf canons 603 n. 2 and 1191-1198) to the local bishop. The content and binding character of these vows are very flexible. Indeed, the problem may be one of getting a local bishop to take the time to negotiate or even to appoint a local delegate (as happened to one of my readers).

Given the great amount of flexibility in the law, a prospective Hermit would be well advised to do some homework and approach a local bishop with "a plan of life" to be "lived under his direction." (c. 603 #2) The elements of this plan should reflect the values in the first paragraph of the code article. And further homework should be done on secular legal matters that I mentioned in an earlier article and included in the "plan of life." For reflection and reference, article 603 of the Code of Canon Law reads as follows:

Can. 603
.1 Besides institutes of consecrated life, the Church recognizes the eremitic or anchorite life by which the Christian faithful devote their life to the praise of God and salvation of the world through a stricter separation from the world, the silence of solitude and assiduous prayer and penance.

.2 A hermit is recognized in the law as one dedicated to God in a consecrated life if he or she publicly professes the three evangelical counsels, confirmed bv a vow or other sacred bond, in the hands of the diocesan bishop and observes his or her own plan of life under his direction.

-- Fr. R. B. Williams, O.P., J.D.

Maribou is a quarterly newsletter for hermits and those interested to the eremitical life. This newsletter seeks to affirm this life style since it is ecclesiastically recognized and endorsed by the Church. Marabou is to be a collaborative effort and thus depends on the reflections, poetry, news and information from hermits themselves. Marabou (ma-ra-bu) also marabout, marabu, (a. Frencg marabou), app. repr. an Arabic use of murabit, hermit. The stork is said to be mrabt i.e. holy (Pagni in Daozy, Suppl. aux Dictt. arabes, s.v. murabit). Marabou, a large stork or heron, leptoptilius marabou, or crumnifer, a native of West Africa.

Poet Tree

Yet sometimes when the sun comes through a gap
These men know God the Father in a tree:
The Holy Spirit is the rising sap,
And Christ will be the green leaves that will come
At Easter from the sealed and guarded tomb.

Patrick Kavanaugh

Ancres and Hermytes

For sum fleen from the world and closen himself in wallis,
And steken hem in stones, and litil wole thei speken,
To fleen sich occasiouns as foly wole fynde;
And thees we clepen ancres in the colmoun speche.

Also in contemplacion there ben many other,
That drawen hem to disert and drye muche peyne,
By eerbis, rootes, and fruyte lyven for her goddis love,
And this maner of folk callen hermytes.

-- Friar Daw Topias
(Political Poems, ed. Wright, ii. 64)

Anchorites and Hermits

For some flee from the world and close themselves off by walls,
And live behind stones, and they will speak but little
To flee such occasions as folly goes to find;
And these we call anchorites in the common speech.

Also in contemplation there are many others,
That take themselves to the desert and endure much pain;
Thev live off herbs, roots, and fruit for the love of God,
And men call this manner of folk hermits.

(translation: FGY)

Bulletin Board

Hermit Sites

Trailer hermitage ...newly insulated, vinyl siding, new doors and windows beautiful deck and 100 mile view on 100 acres in Maine Fields, woods, chapel and library. Rent can vary if person wants to work in partial payment of rent. Contact: Sr. Elizabeth Wagner, Transfiguration Hermitage, RR I, Box 398 Thorndike, ME 04986. (207) 586-3731.

Two sites available in the hills of West Virginia for women interested in eremitical life in the Franciscan tradition. For further info contact Sr. Jean McNulty, Rt. I, Box 187, Spencer, WV 25276.

Colony of hermits forming near Winston-Salem, NC. Contact Fr. John Hoover. (910) 884-0244.

A priest or sister needed for 3 - 6 months. Person would live alone in furnished house with chapel. $400/month rent and utilities. Contact Rose Mane Garvie, Homes of Providence, P.O. Box 1 184, Fowlerville. MI 48836.

Emmaus House. farmhouse, south of Burlington, VT. Two rustic hermitages. Fee by arrangement. Contact Mary R. Carse. SCDS at Mary's Garden, Ninesburg, VT 05461 .

News and Notes

Jeanne Ann Weber, OSB is currently residing at Lebh Shomea for a year while working on a research paper (Desert Roots: Implications for Monasticism Today and Tomorrow) for her community. Sr. Jeanne Ann relates that her community wants more theology on the eremitical life. Our prayers are with her in this salutary endeavor.

Jeremy Hall, OSB writes that she may be able to contribute something to MARABOU's "Sounding Solitude" in the future as she has been asked to give one or two lectures on the "Anchoretic/Eremitic Monastic Life" during the July Monastic Institute at St. John's, Collegeville. Having lived as a hermit for the last 12 years, Sr. Jeremy quips: "At 76, I better hurry up with whatever contribution I can make!"

A 56 year old Dominican from CT writes; "I am interested in the hermit way of life and have been trying to pursue it for the last three years but my Prioress really does not want it so I make little progress... However, I must try to pursue it for my own peace... I just ask for your prayers.

A Poor Clare from OH good naturedly writes; "Admittedly ,right now, there is no doubt about the Lord "luring into solitude" but any image I may have had about how this was going to come about has been shredded and lays in bits and pieces at my feet. Please pray.