Hermit or Anchorite A thing of the Past?

Much of my life's journey has been one weaved throughout with the silence that I was born with.  As

window in littlehermitage studio

an autistic child I had difficulty "grounding" in the everyday life that everyone else seemed to find so easy to live in.  I took me literally over 20 years before I was able to finally integrate better into the "normalcy" of life.  Still, the silence calls me and pulls me as a fish that has learned to walk on land but feels most at home in the water.
A confessor I had in the past, a monk himself, commented after knowing me for sometime that he could recognize that I need the silence like others need air and to be careful not to get so involved in "the world" or I might have the danger of harming my inner self.  He was right, for as much as I try to interact as "normal" as possible, my spirit at times feels as if its drowning not for lack of air, but for lack of silence.  This might be attributed in a big way to my autism but I feel that it is also due to the relationship Jesus fostered with me as a child.  I say He fostered it because it was he who allowed me to sense him, to feel his quiet presence within my own silence.  It was his grace that led me then and still now, "out" little by little to a world he chooses to have me live in and interact with as best as I can.
So why the title of this post?  Is the hermit life or anchorite life a thing of the past?  I think not.  I also realize that it is a life that only the Holy Spirit can inspire.  It is a life that is not meant for me because I am autistic, but because through the autistic silence and view I learned to listen for and appreciate the small whispers of the presence of God who always waits for us to turn toward him as he gently turns toward us in his loving presence.

Window in my littlehermtage Studio

As a music minister for many years in the Eastern Byzantine side of the Catholic church I studied and read some writings of the Church Fathers and Doctors of the Church (some of whom are woman).  I wrote the background music to excerpts from a very ancient manuscript that describes the lives of the Early Church "Fathers", some who were not even priests or deacons as we know, but rather lay people, who had a burning need to look toward the Godly realm much like a deer stares at headlights.  It is here in this modern day that I find myself.  Standing like them, as a "deer" staring into the Glory and Light of God that I cannot let go of and I am ever grateful for. 
There are many others being called to "pay attention" to the inner whispers of the Holy Spirit.  Calling them to the quiet.  Maybe not necessarily to become a hermit or anchorite but at the very least to be still, to take a breath, to slow down, to listen.  This is something each of us can do, with his help.   For more information on the modern call to the life of a hermit or anchorite visit this link below which will take you to an interesting article on Lay Monasticism and the anchorite or hermetical life.
How I became A Medieval - Style Anchorite?

Read about other "Lay" people who were called by the Holy Spirit to a more intimate walk with God.

The Call of The Desert By Bishop Francis M. Zayek,

The Life Of Mary of Egypt 

St. Francis Imitator of Jesus 

Joshua's Story

    

Every interesting story begins somewhere.  That somewhere regarding Joshua, who he is and what he is about, would have to be his music.  In order to share about his music though, one must also know about how and why his music is what it is.


Joshua is autistic, (higher functioning). He was 15 years old before he was able to socialize and interact in somewhat "normal" way.  Born with very unusual physical anomalies and through a history of silence and difficulty communicating and socializing the triumph of the Holy Spirit in this unusual life are all evident in this music which stirs the soul and moves the spirit.

 Most of his music is inspired by deep meditations concerning the life of Christ and our ability, with His help and grace, to walk in his footsteps.

Below is a small snippet taken from a song called Shepherds Lullabye on the Album Glory. Joshua wrote the original piece when he was around 11 years old.  Later in 2009 he rearranged it for the album, "Glory". The full length song is over 7 minutes long. Joshua says the inspiration was a meditation on the night that Christ was born, from the point of view of the Shepherds in the fields as the Angels were heard.  Hence the name of the song.  Click the link below to hear a short snippet which according to Joshua is symbolic of the moment the shepherds heard the angels sing on the night Jesus was born.