MARABOU

JULY 1995 VOL: 2 NO: 1

Thoughts in Solitude

"There is a time for keeping silent,
and there is a time for speaking." (Ecclesiastes 3:7)

After eight years of"playing the hermit" while living alone here in inner-city Albuquerque, the silence and solitude were no longer fruitful. The quiet no longer yielded to prayer or Presence, but merely restlessness and superficiality. The structure of uninterrupted time was becoming something I protected for my own control purposes, but not really for the purposes of God. I saw myself becoming irritated by bothersome persons, events, and calls. It was no longer Love that was happening, but a style and schedule that I had grown comfortable with. On my 52nd birthday I played Bible roulette and threw open the Scriptures with trustful abandon: Micah the prophet was yelling at me, "Get up, be off! There is no rest for you here" (2:10).

Now I am living very happily in a community of five friars on the south end of town. Both prayer and Presence are much more grounded as God regrafts me to the Vine - not by solitude as much as little "sufferings" of the soul, not by "the mania for introspection and the search for a static sincerity' (de Lubac) but by a certain unexciting faithfulness to details, not by a chosen loneliness as much as a trusted Union that I can never attain by technique anyway.

There is a rhythm between hermitage and community that might be even more basic than the classic tension called action and contemplation. One is the school, the other is the lesson.

Richard Rohr, O.F.M.
San Antonio Friary
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Holy Rules and the Eremetical Life

The editor of Marabou has invited me to be a "collector" of hermit's rules, and since then I have received one or two and some communication from some solitaries and hermits who have undertaken this holy way of life. Written rules for hermits, like spiritual journals are not necessarily for other's eyes, and in most cases the daily life of the hermit needs little reminder as to what she does next. The custom for written rules, however, for both eremites and coenibites is deep in the tradition and offers a record of the pursuit of holiness through the ages.

The monumental monastic rules of Pachomius, Augustine, Benedict, and Basil find their pedigree in the desert fathers who did not write rules, but left apothegmata, or sayings. These along with their "Lives" written by others became the foundations for the great monastic traditions which have shaped the lives not only of monks and nuns, but clergy and laity alike. What we may conclude from this is the spirituality is a common hunger and may be filled in many ways.

Fr. Robert Staes, O.P.
St. Dominic Priory
Denver, Colorado

Library

Anchoritic Spirituality, Ancrene Wisse & Associated Work, from the series, the Classics of Western Spirituality, translated and introduced by Ann Savage and Nicholas Watson, Preface by Benedictia Ward, Paulist press, 0449-0, $27.95 (cloth); 3257-0, $22.95 (paper).

This is the first Time these 13th century works, Ancrene Wisse (A Guide for Anchoresses), Holv Maidenhood, and Sawles Warde (The Soul's Weeping) have appeared together in print. The treatises discuss in detail the dali}y life of the anchoresses, women who lived as recluses in cells adjoinmg churches. Also included is the Wooing of the Lord, one of several prayers which court the anchoress, body and soul, on behalf of Christ as lover.

My Song is of Mercy, by Matthew Kelty, edited by Michael Downey, Sheed & Ward, 155612-606-9, $15.95, paper.

This engaging book includes an earlier work on solitude, Flute Solo. Biographical, yet, a kind of "lectio divina", sharing his experience as a hermit in New Guinea, and now as a monk and spiritual director at the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemani.

Sounding Solitude

Many thanks to those hermits who took the time to share with us a general idea of how they spend their day in the hermitage. We heard from a number of individual hermits, both secular and religious, as well as from a laura of hermits in Ireland!

It has been blessedly affirming to discover that notwithstanding the various differences (so indicative of the wonderful diversity of the Holy Spirit!), there nonetheless seems to emerge a very real eremitical pattern or rhythm clearly recognizable in each and all of the horariums received.

First to be noted in each of the daily schedules is the obvious priority given to prayer and loving intimacy with God throughout the day and night. Each of our respondents included in their individual horariums: Mornmg or Evening Eucharist; the Liturgy of the Hours (in whole or in part); specific hours for meditation/contemplation as well as for Scripture, lectio, and spiritual reading. Most also included times for personal devotions.

It was likewise noteworthy that nearly all of our respondents preferred the very early morning hours for rising (3:00 - 4:00am) athough one indicated a Midnight Vigil followed by a return to bed until 5.30am. Most chose to retire from 8:30 - 9:30pm.

Interspersed between the hours for various forms of prayer throughout the day were scheduled times for meals and for healthy manual labor (maintenance chores, craft work, gardening, etc.). Some listings also included times for study, writmg, physical exercises, news, free time, rest time and or time for holy leisure. From what our respondents so graciously shared of themselves, it is clear that with prayer and counsel and lived experience an eremitical horarium can be a most efficacious means, both spiritually and practically for growing in deeper intimacy with God in love through failhfulness to the heart of the hermit call.

And yet, for all of its genuine value as a "means", one's horarium ought never be allowed to become an "absolute". Spiritual maturity and discretion in a hermit readily recognizes this truth. Several hermits wisely made reference to this point. One hermit Sister seemed to sum it up very beautifully and succinctly when she added the following as a footnote to her horarium:

N.B. If during the day or night I feel moved to spend time m quiet contemplative prayer I follow that inner urge for as long as it lasts and then go quietly about my other activities.

I have found out in my experience that at times I am called out of the solitude to minister to a certain person and in various situations to the needs of others. On these occasions, through prayer and discernment I aim to follow the Spirit's prompting.

Yes! That's the Spirit! And... "If the Spirit is our life, then let us be led by the Spirit!" Alleluia!

Sr. Mary Vogel, H.S.S.R.

Canonical and Legal Reflections

In an earlier article in MARABOU (Vol. 1. n.3), I noted that hermits are not considered per se members of an "institute of consecrated life." Of course, there are religious orders that follow an eremitical life style (Camoldolese, Carthusians, etc.), but they are governed by the canons proper to institutes of consecrated life. Nevertheless, canon 603 requires that a hermit publicly profess the three evangelical counsels, confirmed by a vow or other sacred bond..." And, once more we are confronted with the flexibility of the law in this matter. What do "the three evangelical counsels" mean in the context of eremitical life?

In the Code of 1917, the meaning of the vows was more strictly defined. In the new code, much is left to the constitutions of a particular religious order. For example, the evangelical counsel of poverty is defined in the new code as follows: (Canon 600) The evangelical counsel of poverty in imitation of Christ who, although He was rich became poor for us, entails, besides a life which is poor in fact and in spirit, a life of labor lived in moderation and foreign to earthly riches, a dependance and limitation in the use and disposition of goods according to the norm of the proper law of each institute." This is followed very shortly by the one Canon on eremitical life! Since the "proper law" for a hermit is their "own plan of life", the above values should be incorporated into it in some fashion! The individual hermnit would have to decide whether or not "poverty" means radical renunciation of ownership of property or any kind, or simply a very limited use. The canons on the counsels of "chastity" (n. 599) and "obedience" (601) presume a lifestyle of celibacy and a willingness to be subject to the authority of a "legitimate superior" (which in the case of a hermit is the local ordinary or his delegate.). The "plan of life" would have to show how a particular hermit intends to live the counsel of chastity "assumed for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, as a sign of the future world and a source of more abundant fruitfulness in an undivided heart." (Canon 599).

Although the exact language of the code is not required to be used in a "plan of life", the values are expressed in those articles. These are matters of public witness and will require that a hermit be willing to accept accountability for the way in which s/he lives these counsels in accord with the "plan of life." Although the code now gives religious congregations much leeway in defining the particularities of the evangelical counsels, it would appear that even more is given to hermits! "Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." (Luke 12:48).

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

Poet Tree

The Holy Name
"gustate et videte" Ps. 33:9

Let it resound and sound again
though all the deepest caverns
once my own --
light sparkling lasers
waiting deep in eyes,
delight the ears expectant tympani
beyond hearing, glory and satiate with milk and flowing honey
the hungry tongue and touch
beyond all sense and depth.

Let it resound, recall, re-echo, name the way
through heart and spirit-singing skull,
leaping up violet flame from arch
or auricle to golden brain and sky.

Let All Three embrace my inmost man
and all beloved without:
Themselves embraced in Godhead, lost
to be forever found: You
the Word made flesh, by God, by grace
in me the Name and all creation sounds.

C. Campbell
Ferdinand, Indiana

Bulletin Board

Hermit Chaplain needed for a laura of hermits. Room and board in exchange for daily Mass and manual labor. Please contact Sr. Kristine at Mount Carmel Hermitage, 897 Hwy 8, Amery, WI 54001. The same hermit Sisters offer hermitages for private retreats in three fully equipped hermitages an hour's drive from the Twin Cities. Infomtion, rates, reservations: phone (715) 268-9313.

Gilchrist, A Communion for Contemplation and Companionship: a place to share the silence and simplicity of nature. Five hermitages are being built and will be ready for use in March of 1996. Please write for information and most attractive brochure: Gilchrist, 56495 Day road, Three Rivers, Michigan 49093.

To submit articles for "Sounding Solitude," Hermits-Helping-Hermits, please write to Sr. Mary Vogel, H.S.S.R., Rural route 3, Box 3574, Palestine, TX 75801-9543. For change in address. or for submitting new addresses, kindly write to Karen Karper, P.O. Box 562, Hot Springs, NC 28743. Please note this is a new address for Karen.

"Sounding Solitude", Hermits Helping Hermits, would like to request for the next issue of MARABOU (January, 1996), a list of books or articles that have been useful for you in your pursuit of the eremitical life. Send these titles, authors, etc. to Sr. Mary Vogel, HSSR in Texas.

MARABOU would like to thank Fr. Clint Honkomp, O.P. for his generosity and time given to the printing and layout of MARABOU each quarter. MARABOU is very much indebted to him and very much appreciative of his expertise.

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. French 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.