Catholic eremtic life, consecrated virgins, hermits

Psalm 1

Happy those who do not follow the counsel of the wicked, nor go the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers. Rather, the law of the LORD is their joy; God's law they study day and night. They are like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; its leaves never wither; whatever they do prospers. But not the wicked! They are like chaff driven by the wind. Therefore the wicked will not survive judgment, nor will sinners in the assembly of the just. The LORD watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Psalms 51: 3 - 6, 12 - 14, 17

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight, so that thou art justified in thy sentence and blameless in thy judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will return to thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of thy deliverance.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As is was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. – Amen.

Psalm 111
Praise the LORD for All He Has Done Shout praises to the LORD! With all my heart
I will thank the LORD when his people meet.
The LORD has done many wonderful things!
Everyone who is pleased
with God’s marvelous deeds will keep them in mind. Everything the LORD does is glorious and majestic, and his power to bring justice will never end.
The LORD God is famous for his wonderful deeds,
and he is kind and merciful.
He gives food to his worshipers and always keeps his agreement with them.
He has shown his mighty power to his people
and has given them the lands of other nations.
God is always honest and fair, and his laws can be trusted.
They are true and right and will stand forever.
God rescued his people, and he will never break
his agreement with them.
He is fearsome and holy. Respect and obey the LORD! This is the first step to wisdom and good sense. God will always be respected.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm 8

O LORD, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth! You have set your majesty above the heavens! Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have drawn a defense against your foes, to silence enemy and avenger. When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place-- What are humans that you are mindful of them, mere mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them little less than a god, crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them rule over the works of your hands, put all things at their feet: all sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth!
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

LITERGY OF THE HOURS
Monastic and eremitical (hermit) practice as it developed in the early Church recognized in the Psalms the perfect form of prayer and did not try to improve upon it. The practices were quite individual from monastery to monastery. At first some tried to do the entire Psalter (150 Psalms) each day, but eventually that was abandoned for a weekly cycle built around certain hours of the day. Among the earliest Psalter cycles of which we have a record is the division given by St. Benedict in his Rule ch. 8-19 (c.550), with canonical hours of Lauds (Morning Prayer) offered at sunrise, Prime (1st hour of the day), Terce (3rd hour, or Mid-morning), Sext (6th hour or Midday), None (9th hour or Mid-Afternoon), Vespers (Evening Prayer) offered at sunset, and Compline (Night Prayer) before going to bed. In addition, the monks arose to read and pray during the Night. This Office of Matins (Readings) likewise had its divisions, into nocturnes, corresponding to the beginning of each of the "watches of the night" (Ps. 63:6), that is, 9 pm, midnight and 3 am. With the reforms of the Second Vatican Council the traditional one-week Psalter cycle became a four-week cycle.

Palm 119: Verses 1-32

Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk by the law of the Lord. Happy are they who observe His decrees, who seek Him with all their heart, And do no wrong, but walk in His ways. You have commanded that Your precepts be diligently kept. Oh, that I might be firm in the ways of keeping Your statutes! Then I should not be put to shame when I beheld all Your commands. I will give You thanks with an upright heart, when I have learned Your just ordinances. I will keep Your statutes; do not utterly forsake me.

How shall a young man be faultless in his way? By keeping to Your words. With all my heart I seek You; let me not stray from Your commands. Within my heart I treasure Your promise, that I may not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your statutes. With my lips I declare all the ordinances of Your mouth. In the way of Your decrees I rejoice, as much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. In Your statutes I will delight; I will not forget Your words.

Be good to Your servant, that I may live and keep Your words. Open my eyes, that I may consider the wonders of Your law. I am a wayfarer of earth; hide not Your commands from me. My soul is consumed with longing for Your ordinances at all times. You rebuke the accursed proud, who turn away from Your commands. Take away from me Your reproach and contempt, for I observe Your decrees. Though princes meet and talk against me, Your servant meditates on Your statutes. Yes, Your decrees are my delight; they are my counselors.

I lie prostrate in the dust; give me life according to Your word. I declared my ways, and You answered me, teach me Your statutes. Make me understand the way of Your precepts, and I will meditate on Your wonderous deeds. My soul weeps for sorrow; strengthen me according to Your words. Remove from me the way of falsehood, and favor me with Your law. The way of truth I have chosen; I have set Your ordinances before me. I cling to Your decrees; O Lord, let me not be put to shame. I will run the way of Your commands when you give me a docile heart.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Greetings, may the grace of our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ be yours.

I found this in Catholic Canon Law, and thought I would share:

Can. 603 §1. In addition to institutes of consecrated life, the Church recognizes the eremitic or anchoritic life by which the Christian faithful devote their life to the praise of God and the salvation of the world through a stricter withdrawal from the world, the silence of solitude, and assiduous prayer and penance.

§2. A hermit is recognized by law as one dedicated to God in consecrated life if he or she publicly professes in the hands of the diocesan bishop the three evangelical counsels, confirmed by vow or other sacred bond, and observes a proper program of living under his direction.

Can. 604 §1. Similar to these forms of consecrated life is the order of virgins who, expressing the holy resolution of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved liturgical rite, are mystically betrothed to Christ, the Son of God, and are dedicated to the service of the Church.

And there he came to a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him...

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end; - Amen.

Greetings:

It seems I "talk" to much for this group.,,

May the almighty Lord grant us a good life, quiet night, and a perfect death.
- Amen

Greetings and God's blessing to you all.

Today is the memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi.
(Monday of the 27th week of the year.)

St. Francis of Assisi, was born at Assisi in 1182. He renounced his father's wealth and committed himself to God. He led a life of poverty and preached the love of God. He established a rule with the approval of the Holy See. He also founded an order of nuns and a society of Laypersons who practice penance while living in the world. He died in 1226.

Lord, you made St. Francis of Assisi Christ-like in his poverty and humility.
Help us to walk in his ways, that with joy and love we may follow Christ, your Son and be united to you.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. - Amen