Living as a hermit: practical issues

Brer Fox

This is a light-hearted thread.

I was thinking about the practical issues should one decide to become a hermit and live in a cave, cabin, or other such dwelling place.

Feel free to suggest ideas or propose problems and difficulties.

D1stant

Make sure you can get high speed broadband to the cave

Onesimus

Brer Fox wrote: »

This is a light-hearted thread.

I was thinking about the practical issues should one decide to become a hermit and live in a cave, cabin, or other such dwelling place.

Feel free to suggest ideas or propose problems and difficulties.

A person has to be mentally and spiritually prepared before going into isolation. Are you speaking of absolute isolation or as a hermit living with other monks such as the benedictines? Or are you talking about being a more isolated and being alone like an anchorite?

Anyway as I said you need to be prepared. You cannot just jump into it. Yet St.Anthony of the desert jumped right into it yet he went through much physical and spiritual hardship, but the rule of thumb today is that you need to direction and preparation before going in.

In a nutshell, one of the biggest difficulties you face is spiritual delusion. Much better off starting in a Monastery settlement with brothers first. Take baby steps up that ladder of spiritual heights.

Onesimus

PDN

I've often wondered about St Simon Stylites sitting on top of a pillar for 37 years. His toilet arrangements must have been pretty icky. :eek:

You could follow the example of tenzin palmo: 12 years in her cave and never lying down

http://www.terawarner.com/blog/2012/02/meet-jesunma-tenzin-palmo-12-years-in-a-cave-for-a-lifetime-lived-in-love/
remarkable stuff

Manach

TV licence inspectors.
Basically all the modern support staff of a state, will not lose interest in a person once they move off-grid and will continue to ensure any taxes owed are paid.
Also this forum might be of interest : link :

martinedwards

PDN wrote: »

I've often wondered about St Simon Stylites sitting on top of a pillar for 37 years. His toilet arrangements must have been pretty icky. :eek:

I strongly suspect that after a few weeks he looked over the edge and said "I'm not climbing down into THAT"......

Brer Fox

PDN wrote: »

I've often wondered about St Simon Stylites sitting on top of a pillar for 37 years. His toilet arrangements must have been pretty icky. :eek:

I think that has to be a myth. I don't think it would be possible. He'd have been scorched by the sun and if the pillar was so small he would have fallen off when he fell asleep, unless they say he never slept in which case I'd say sure... it is a myth.

PDN

Brer Fox wrote: »

I think that has to be a myth. I don't think it would be possible. He'd have been scorched by the sun and if the pillar was so small he would have fallen off when he fell asleep, unless they say he never slept in which case I'd say sure... it is a myth.

Well, it's your church that recognises him as a saint because of it, not mine! http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13795a.htm

Brer Fox

PDN wrote: »

Well, it's your church that recognises him as a saint because of it, not mine! http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13795a.htm

I see there was a safety stake involved. And also a ladder. I'm sure, in the interests of decency, he did descend from the ladder to go to the toilet. Also he'd have had to attend Mass. And also go to confession. And sleep. Nobody can do without sleep for as long as it seems is being claimed for this man. So I'm thinking he was up and down his pillar quite a lot rather than up it the whole time.

Onesimus

Katshki Pillar today in Georgia.

Brer Fox

Onesimus wrote: »

Katshki Pillar today in Georgia.

Is that a pillar? Cos to me that is a nice little house on a pillar. That's a much more realistic penitential prospect.

Perhaps St. Simon really lived in a little house on a 'pillar'?

You wouldn't be able to get much exercise unless you ran up and down the stairs!

Onesimus

It is a monastery on top of a pillar. The monks get food hauled up to them from the locals and nuns etc etc. They often come down so it's not like they stay up there. Yes I would say they had huts on pillars. But there has been accounts of Saints with no huts on pillars and just standing up there so either is possible.

But its a hard penitential life to choose I must admit.

Brer Fox

I don't agree with doing hard, unnatural penances. I don't really think it is pleasing to God and I think that a person risks spiritual pride in doing them. The body has legitimate needs. St. John Mary Vianney admitted in later life that he had overdone it. St. Francis, who fasted for 40 days, did take a bite out of the loaf he had because he didn't want to match the penance of the Lord in the desert.

It's one reason why I feel no desire to do Lough Derg as this involves doing without sleep. Doing without sleep is not a good idea from a health point of view.

Run_to_da_hills

I would expect that there would be quite a number of Christians living in caves or where ever else they can find a way to escape the mainstream godless secular society during the forthcoming tribulation period.

Just make sure you have a good safe / strong box full of food.

D1stant wrote: »

Make sure you can get high speed broadband to the cave

No point on having Broadband or any communication device if can pinpoint your whereabouts and reveal your identity during this period.

I would also expect the internet to be censored of any Christian material.

Brer Fox

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

I would expect that there would be quite a number of Christians living in caves or where ever else they can find a way to escape the mainstream godless secular society during the forthcoming tribulation period.

Just make sure you have a good safe / strong box full of food.

No point on having Broadband or any communication device if can pinpoint your whereabouts and reveal your identity during this period.

I would also expect the internet to be censored of any Christian material.

Bring it on I say! It would certainly liven things up a bit.

I may not last very long though, as I have a medical condition which requires Western medicare! Once the drugs run out, I might run into some problems.

Northclare

John Moriarty was described as a hermit who loved crouds.
He lived a simple life in Connemara and in Kerry in his latter years.
There is a lot to be said for it if you need to withdraw from modern day living and live within your needs,but you would need to be single and have no family commitments.

John Moriarty wrote his first autobiography called Nostos and followed it up with "What the Curlew Said" before he passed on to the departure lounge.

I read his books they are very insightful,not to everyone's taste Tommy Tiernan is a fan of Johns books.

Tommy described Johns books as impenetrable lol

Run_to_da_hills

Brer Fox wrote: »

Bring it on I say! It would certainly liven things up a bit.

The church (Believers) would certainly get stronger during times of persecution.

I wouldn't say it is too far away.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2162608/Police-chaplains-told-invoke-Jesus-fear-upsetting-religions.html

Brer Fox wrote: »

I may not last very long though, as I have a medical condition which requires Western medicare! Once the drugs run out, I might run into some problems.

Stock up now.

Brer Fox

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

The church (Believers) would certainly get stronger during times of persecution.

I wouldn't say it is too far away.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2162608/Police-chaplains-told-invoke-Jesus-fear-upsetting-religions.html
Stock up now.

Well the government will only give me two months supply at a time! There is no way round that. Though I could ration them by reducing the dose.

I would love a bit of persecution. Are you listening, liberals and communists!!!???

Sonics2k

The hell is wrong with you two?

bonniebede

Brer Fox wrote: »

I don't agree with doing hard, unnatural penances. I don't really think it is pleasing to God and I think that a person risks spiritual pride in doing them. The body has legitimate needs. St. John Mary Vianney admitted in later life that he had overdone it. St. Francis, who fasted for 40 days, did take a bite out of the loaf he had because he didn't want to match the penance of the Lord in the desert.

It's one reason why I feel no desire to do Lough Derg as this involves doing without sleep. Doing without sleep is not a good idea from a health point of view.

Matt.5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

Roms 8:17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him :eek: in order that we may also be glorified with him.:D

Doc Farrell

I do enjoy survivalism documentaries like the great Ray Mears, blessed be his name, and I love post apocalyptic fiction but I believe Boards have forums for both.
Brer take proper care of yourself first and foremost.

HamletOrHecuba

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

The church (Believers) would certainly get stronger during times of persecution.

I wouldn't say it is too far away.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2162608/Police-chaplains-told-invoke-Jesus-fear-upsetting-religions.html
Stock up now.

We do live in times of persecution.

Mention that you believe in the Biblical doctrine of the fall and the origin of death and corruption and watch what happens. So many people who say they are Christians hate the very doctrine thought by Christ clearly- and Im not talking about Catholic,Orthodox and Protestant divisions, I mean people who say they are Christian and yet openly spit on the Gospel. It takes psychological strength to go against everything the society around you is saying.

The deceptions of the Antichrist also will such that even the elect would be taken in if not for Divine Grace. They will not be crude or obviously demonic. Remember that the Antichrist will solve all the earthly that Christ refused to solve- he will fill all the hungry bellies, he will give man all his temporal needs, he will bring peace to this world but in doing so he will utterly separate it from God and condemn it to the abyss when Christ reveals His Glory, the Glory of the Truth men have spat upon and scorned.