A Living Example

The two richest periods of spiritual development in Christian history were the periods of eremitic movements – eremitic, from which we get the word hermit. The first was the time of the desert fathers and mothers – the desert spirituality of 200-400. The second was the eremitical movements of roughly 1000-1300, which brought us religious orders.

It is important for us, today, to note several things. First, the leaders of these movements, from Saint Anthony in the Egyptian desert in 285 to St. Francis (1184-1225) were laypeople like us. The institutionalization of the desert movement led to the founding of monastic orders as a way of being apart from the world in community with others. The gradual integration of monastic orders into the church hierarchy introduced the idea of monks as clerics, a practice established by the time of St. Benedict in the early 6th century. Nonetheless, the Benedictines began as a lay movement and St. Benedict was a layperson.

How does all this apply to us in 2021? Can our hermit forebears help us deepen our spiritual practice and grow closer to God? Can we look at their example as an ideal toward which we grow, much as we do with Jesus? To focus on living out the message, which is part of all our ministries. In his Epistle, James reminds us “If actions don’t show it [belief], it’s dead by itself” (contemporary translation by Andy Gaus).

Let us pray: Be with me, Lord, as I turn my will and my life over to your care this day. Help me to manifest you in word and deed. Help me to be a living example of your example in all I do. For as Saint Benedict reminds us, “the Lord waits for us daily to translate into action his holy teachings.” May it be so. Amen.