Bede’s Life of Cuthbert: Chapter V
I love this chapter, with its reference to the Old Testament prophet and hermit – Elias. It celebrates the ancient tradition and heritage of hermitage and the grace of God’s providence throughout history- a way of living and serving and revealing God that has been a part of the story of Israel from the earliest stories and writings. I like to think of Cuthbert, staff in hand, musing on the same stories about Elijah as I find in my own bible. And perhaps resonating with them in the same way.
HOW, ON HIS WAY, HE WAS SUPPLIED WITH FOOD BY GOD
AND when he now began with care to meditate on his intended entrance to a more rigid course of life, God ‘s grace was revealed to him, whereby his mind was strengthened in its purpose, and it was shown to him by the clearest evidence, that to those who seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, the bounty of the Divine promise will grant all other things also, which are necessary for their bodily support. For on a certain day, as he was journeying alone, he turned aside at the fourth hour into a village which lay at some distance, and to which he found his way. Here he entered the house of a pious mother of a family, in order to rest himself a little, and to procure food for his horse rather than for himself, for it was the beginning of winter. The woman received him kindly, and begged him to allow her to get him some dinner, that he might refresh himself. The man of God refused, saying, ” I cannot yet eat, for it is a fast-day.” It was the sixth day of the week, on which many of the faithful, out of reverence to the Lord’s passion, are accustomed to extend their fasting even to the ninth hour.
A horse discovers food for the saint
The woman, from a motive of hospitality, persisted in her request. “Behold,” said she, “on the way you are going there is no village, nor house; you have a long journey before you, and cannot get through it before sunset. Let me entreat you, therefore, to take some food before you go, or else you will be obliged to fast all the day, and perhaps even till to-morrow.” But though the woman pressed him much, his love of religion prevailed, and he fasted the whole day until the evening. When the evening drew near, and he perceived that he could not finish his intended journey the same day, and that there was no house at hand in which he could pass the night, he presently fell upon some shepherds’ huts, which, having been slightly constructed in the summer, were now deserted and ruinous. Into one of these he entered, and having tied his horse to the wall, placed before him a handful of hay, which the wind had forced from the roof. He then turned his thoughts to prayer, but suddenly, as he was singing a psalm, he saw his horse lift up his head and pull out some straw from the roof, and among the straw there fell down a linen cloth folded up, with something in it. When he had ended his prayers, wishing to see what this was, he came and opened the cloth, and found in it half of a loaf of bread, still hot, and some meat, enough of both to serve him for a single meal. In gratitude for the Divine goodness, he exclaimed, “Thanks be to God, who of his bounty hath deigned to provide a meal for me when I was hungry, as well as a supper for my beast.” He therefore divided the piece of bread into two parts, of which he gave one to his horse and kept the other for himself; and from that day forward he was more ready than before to fast, because he now felt convinced that the food had been provided for him in the desert by the gift of Him who formerly fed the prophet Elias for so long a time by means of ravens, when there was no man to minister unto him, whose eyes are upon those that fear Him, and upon those who trust in his mercy, that He may save their souls from death, and may feed them when they are hungry. I learnt these particulars from a religious man of our monastery of Weremouth, a priest of the name of Ingwald, who now, by reason of his extreme old age, is turning his attention, in purity of heart, to spiritual things rather than to earthly and carnal affections, and who said that the authority on which his relation rested was no less than that of Cuthbert himself.
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Canon 603 does not seem to say much about the practicalities of living an eremitical life. Reliance on Providence as per Cuthbert’s experience might not impress a bishop looking for verifiable evidence of a commitment to a “stable form of living” (Canon 573 on Consecrated life). Waiting for a raven to deliver bread, or relying on a horse’s ingenuity to provide the next meal, might be considered a little too haphazard for the dicastery!
But much of the wisdom of c603 lies exactly in this sense of the providential care of God. The hermit, as part of their discernment process with the diocese, must form for themselves a “Rule of Life”. This will be individual, and will be the framework for their mode of living. Each rule is very different!
Each candidate must reflect on their own particular circumstances and present a plan – both practical and spiritual – which will inspire and guide their living from that place of actualisation. Even in these early days of discernment, there is an element of the providential – the candidate can only begin to explore and work things out from the circumstances in which they find themselves now. The “hidden lunch” of a solitary work-opportunity, or accommodation, or insightful spiritual guidance are all greetings of God’s providence which will make our journey easier. A hermit often needs to abandon ideas of romantic isolation, and to be prepared to recognise opportunities to realise their vocation upon a less exalted terrain. An ambition to spend their days weaving (and unweaving!) baskets, in silent and psalmic prayer might well limit their vision of other more realistic prospects. God’s providence is certainly effective, but the hermit (as was Cuthbert) must be prepared to receive it, surprising and unexpected though it might be when it appears.
And the journey doesn’t end at admittance to the hermitage. Throughout our incumbency we will be receiving grace upon grace, of gifts and opportunities to find new depths of understanding, new expressions of our life. Most recently I was (accidentally almost!) invited to join with a small group of c603 hermits to study together some of the most recent literature on the hermit life. Of course, conversation does not always come readily, but as we explore and uncover and are inspired by our reading and discussion, new vistas open up. We see another way forward. We have been fed on the journey. An unexpected grace!
This capacity in Canon 603 to respond to the particular circumstances of the aspiring hermit by requiring them to discern a personal Rule of Life, is unusual in the process of petitioning a commitment to the Consecrated Life. Of course the Rules of most monastic and apostolic orders allow for adaptation to the needs of the individual as they arise, but this invitation to, and requirement of the work which will give a framework for life – quite different to that discerned by any other hermit – is quite unique in its individuation. It embeds the providential journey which has led the candidate to this point of petitioning, into their way of being in the hermitage. That it was written into the New Code of Canon Law in 1983 was indeed a courageous move on the part of the Roman Church. And that courage imposes a strict responsibility on those discerning the vocation (both candidate and diocesan representative) to ensure that the integrity of the Canon in its wholeness, is safeguarded, whilst welcoming the personal freedom of particular ways of living it.
A hermit is recognised … as one who … observes a proper program of living under the direction of the bishop. from Canon 603
This text is part of the Internet Medieval Source Book. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history. Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use. © Paul Halsall June 1997 halsall@murray.fordham.edu