Hermit

The hermit is a person (generally a monk) who made the choice live in loneliness and meditation. The hermits in the beginning were called anchorites , the anachoretism (or eremitism) being the opposite of the Cénobitisme.

With the image of the Christ which was often withdrawn in the desert to request, the hermit seeks loneliness and silence to make a return on itself, to fight against temptations and to find the favorable conditions to meet God. The hermit generally shares his life between the Prière, the Méditation and work.

Origins of the Christian eremitism

The end of great Christian persecutions, under Constantin, also marks the end of the royal roads to reach holiness, namely martyrdom. Without the phenomenon being tiny room to this explanation, it is not foreign with the development of the Christian ermitisime, new means for the hearts of elites of reaching holiness. These anchorites (of the Greek anakhôrein , to withdraw itself) inflict hard deprivations in order to fight against temptations. The first known hermit of Christendom is Saint Antoine (towards 250-356), easy Egyptian who towards the 20 years age leaves to be established in the desert of High-Egypt, in the area of Thèbes. He will be popularized as of his death by Athanase of Alexandria (holy Athanase) which will write the account of its life and of many hermits will follow his example as of the end of the 3rd century while withdrawing itself in the desert. They will be called the Pères of the desert.

Medieval Eremitism

August 1st At the 12th century Guillaume de Conchamp founded the Abbaye of Fontdouce with a hermit called Aimar, monastery Benedictine in which it was withdrawn.

Rebirth at our days

August 1st At the 20th century Charles de Foucauld lived as a hermit with Tamanrasset while having many contacts with the local population.

Church of the East

The Church of the East knows only the monachism. Between monks and faithful, there is a difference of intensity but not in nature, the evangelic Conseils addressing itself to all.
Il arrives thus that from faithful withdraw social life (temporarily or permanently) to devote itself entirely to the spiritual life in a solitary way. In Russia they are called poustinikki or poustinik , which means hermit. The poustinia (hermitage of the poustinik ) is always opened to people who wish to meet the hermit. Where necessary, this one will help readily people of the community, because it was not withdrawn for him only but for all humanity. The poustinik which returns to the civil life is received with joy and attention because it makes share with the others of the fruits of its meeting with God in loneliness.

Monk gyrovague

The monk gyrovague (of ecclesiastical Latin gyrovagus ), that one can bring closer to the hermit, is a wandering and begging monk. In the beginning it acts wandering monks Greek who lived of Aumône S and did not have a fixed residence.

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