As for the women whose son became an aetheist. I would simply say to let it alone. Neither feel sorry nor mourn or in any way try to intervene.]]

Dear Jonas,
in the sense in which the Church uses the term hermit (which is not the same as the common sense) I don’t think narcissism is a particular problem. I say this because the heart of the vocation is love, not misanthropy, and the fruit of genuine eremitical solitude is a generous and authentic humanity. It might be the case that with lay eremitical life this is more of a problem than it is with diocesan eremitical life since lay hermits tend to self-identify as “hermits” and the church is not involved in the discernment or mediation of such a vocation. I think you are correct in identifying this as a danger, and something which should always be weeded out, however, — as much a danger to authentic eremitical life as to those touched by it. I would suggest too that every person is, to some degree or other monos or monachos (“one” or “solitary” from whence we get the term monk), but I would not use the term hermit for this. I say this because isolation or existential aloneness is not necessarily the same as eremitical solitude (isolation in particular is not the same thing).

Further, I think we need to be careful in defining our use of the term “the world”. Do we mean God’s good creation of time and space and all that is part of it, or do we mean, that portion of this creation which rejects or is resistant to Christ, for instance? We are always both in and of the world in the first sense, but of course, not in the latter sense. Thus, lay persons, or those belonging to secular institutes radically belong to and in this world (God’s good creation) while being even more radically from and of Christ as well. In fact, their belonging to and in this world is intrinsic to authentic discipleship for them.

best regards,
Sister Laurel O’Neal, Erem Dio
Stillsong Hermitage
Diocese of Oakland

Best,
Sister Laurel, erem dio
Stillsong Hermitage

I knew a young man who tried to kill himself. He was caught and taken to a facility, but he kept insisting if he left he would still kill himself (although to the psychologists he said otherwise.) My first thought was prayer and Mass.

Because it was an emergency, I knew contacting a local Church would not work – they have waiting lists that are far too long. Instead I called a nearby monastery and asked the priest to say a Mass, which he did the very next day. I also asked two congregations of nuns to pray him (I did not know one of the congregations, but figured it could not hurt to ask them. They were even out of state, but when I called were willing to pray.)

With all of these prayers, and the prayers of those in his family, etc., he began to say he wanted to get better and live. Thank God he is still alive today.

Prayer and Mass are both so powerful. And sometimes it can take time – maybe years. Saint Monica prayed for many years in regards to her desired conversion for her son, who is now known as SAINT Augustine

Enlist some spiritual aid, persevere as long as needed, and God will answer. There is a parable in the Bible of the woman who knocked at the door of a home, but the man would not answer. But she knocked so long and persistently that he finally got up simply because she would not let up.

As for the women whose son became an aetheist. I would simply say to let it alone. Neither feel sorry nor mourn or in any way try to intervene. Let He who is wiser than you or me or Sister Laurel or any other living person work things out as He sees fit. Never preach; never be angry; never be impatient; and above all never judge. Simply let it be. Let your faith and your love be your gift to your son. You can not know what is truly in his heart. I have known aetheists who were greater followers of Jesus than many who profess to be. Cast no stone; say nothing; simply give your son all your love.

Jonas

Sincerely,
Sister Laurel
Stillsong Hermitage
Diocese of Oakland