In ancient times, men and women would move out into the wilderness, living in caves or small structures that they had built for themselves and observing a life of prayer, silence, fasting and sacred reading. These people were known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers, and they were the first recorded Christian monastics.
Their hermitages or clusters (also known as a Laura) were often visited by pilgrims seeking wisdom and those seeking to take on the eremitic life for themselves. Newcomers would be tested to see if they could handle the often harsh conditions of this way of monastic life, and many would fail. For more about the Desert Fathers and Mothers, see "Desert Fathers and Mothers".
Today hermits live a very different lifestyle than their earlier predecessors. Many hermits nowadays live in cities, with their homes serving as their hermitages. Some work secular jobs while others are retired or disabled, but all of them share in a holy solitude as much as is possible given their circumstances.
Very few modern hermits receive visitors. Some belong to religious orders that are dispersed (meaning they live apart from one another), and some are simply solitaries who have professed monastic vows. Whatever the case may be, they all share in the historic life of prayer, meditation, solitude, study, and work.
I myself belong to a small dispersed community. I have the luxury of living out in the country in a rented house that serves as my monastic enclosure, which I do not leave unless it is absolutely necessary (for reasons such as procuring groceries or doctors appointments). I am disabled, so I am free to devote all of my time to the monastic life. The gentle rhythm of pray, eat, and work dictates my days, and there is a high level of environmental silence with the exception of the noise from the farm on which my house sits.
In some ways, the life of the modern hermit is much, much easier than that of the desert fathers and mothers, and in some ways it is more difficult. Holy solitude and environmental silence are hard to find if you live in a city, and for many modern hermits, secular work is necessary for their sustenance.
Whatever the life circumstances of the modern hermit may be, the driving force of their vocation is the same: a deep and consuming desire to serve their Creator.
Question for reflection: How might I better serve my Creator?
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