Introduction
The gospel of Luke is filled with many themes on prayer. In Luke 6:12, we find Jesus withdrawing from the crowd, and going out to the mountain to pray (Luke 6:12). There are three reasons Christ did this: (1) to make a very important decision, (2) to commune in prayer with the Father, (3) and to restore His energies after a tiring ministry with the crowds. This spirit of withdrawing from apostolic activity, and entering into a state of solitude and prayer, is the beginning of a Christian tradition with Jesus setting an example. In the history of the Christian faith, this movement became strong and popular during the early centuries. It began when the persecution of Christians began to wane. Since the Christians were now integrated into urban lifestyles, they were immersed in the vices and sins of the cities. Thus, some faithful Christians felt the call to go into the desert for a solitary life of prayer and quiet. The leader commonly known to have influenced this movement to the desert, was St. Anthony the Hermit, or St. Anthony of the Desert. St. Anthony lived a solitary life for about twenty years. Then, he emerged from solitude and formed a community who wanted to follow his way of prayer and life. He died (as tradition reports) at the very ripe age of 105 years old.
A stage in the Christian life of some saints
There were very few in our Church history who really lived a totally solitary life. The majority who sought God in their way of life often enter into solitude after a conversion experience. They do this to deepen their relationship with God. St. Athanasius made retreats into the desert. St. Jerome did the same. And so did St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil, and St. Gregory Nazianzen. St. Benedict of Nursia led a solitary life or prayer and penance in a cave in Mt. Subiaco, before establishing the Benedictine monasteries that dotted the landscape of Europe. St. Ignatius of Loyola spent a year in retreat at Manresa, where he experienced a spiritual vision that led to the writing of of his Spiritual Exercises, and the establishing of the Jesuit Order. Prayer, but more specifically, prayer in solitude, is one tradition in the life of the Saints. Note what Christ said in Matthew 6:6, "Whenever you pray, go to your room, close your door, and pray to your Father in private" (Matthew 6:6).
The Christian life of the laity
Unlike priests and religious, the lay faithful are more engaged in the world, with a job or profession, building a family and home, growing a business, or having political commitments in public service. Like priests and religious, the lay faithful also are called to remove themselves temporarily from the political, economic or social-cultural noise of their world of life and work. They also discover at some time or another, a deep need to seek God in solitary prayer. This is important since it strengthens their commitments in life and work. They are recharged, so to speak, with the spiritual energies to persevere in the responsibilities of their respective states of life.
Recluses, hermits and anchorites
In the desire to seek God in solitude, one can learn from the wisdom of those who have began early in the history of the Church. These series of blog posts will mention a few recluses, hermits, and anchorites, whose example can inspire (though not necessarily imitate literally) anyone to discover God's presence in a retreat. The blog posts will mention: St. Conrad of Piacenza, St. Nicholas of Flue, St. John of Egypt, Sts. Gundleus and Gwladys, St. Francis of Paola, St. Fiacre, Blessed Julian of Norwich, St. Paul the Hermit, St. Simeon Stylites, and St. Martinian the Hermit.
Description of terms
Recluse
A recluse in the religious sense, is often a monk who lives in a cell or hut of his own, apart from the community, or one who is part of a monastic community that is located far away - like in the mountains of the Monastic Republic of Mount Athos in Greece.
An example of a recluse is St. Theophan the Recluse. St. Theophan is a great Russian mystic of the nineteenth century. He made a translation of the Rule of St. Benedict into Russian. He is also known to have translated the Philokalia - an important collection of writings of the Church Fathers of the East.
Hermits or solitaries
Hermits in the religious sense are those who do not profess the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, but publicly, "devote their life to the praise of God and salvation of the world thru a stricter separation from the world, the silence of solitude and assiduous prayer and penance." (Catechism #920). Those who write about these solitaries and desert hermit-saints, present a description of how they lived in the early Christian eras. Throughout the week, they live and pray alone. Then, every Sunday, these scattered solitaries would make their way to the church where they met for Mass. If any brother was absent, they would go and seek him out, knowing he was sick.
Anchorites and anchoresses
An anchorite in the religious sense, is a person who sets up his hut or cell, outside the walls of a church. The person is thus identified with the church in which he anchors his Christian life. An example of an anchorite is Blessed Julian (or Juliana) of Norwich. She became an anchoress outside the walls of St. Julian's Church in Norwich, England. Many of these anchorites and anchoresses devote their lives not only to prayer and solitude but also to writing valuable spiritual works like translating classic spiritual writings.
A form of witnessing in the Church
When Christians were faced with a very hostile world, the martyrs witnessed to Christ by the very sacrifice of their life. When the Catholic Church was made one of the official religions of the Roman Empire, a new threat soon assailed the Christian faith - the influence of vice and worldly values in the cities. It was the rise of this threat that many Christians in the early centuries became aware that the Christian faith must be purified. The hermits and solitaries provided this witness. The affirmation of eternal life is vital to the Christian soul in the world. The martyrs affirmed this truth by dying; the recluses, hermits, and anchorites affirmed it by living in solitude.
To be continued.
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