The Irish Catholic Hermit

T he Holy Fire of Madness and Mercy. A h, sure, they’ll be callin’ it madness, won’t they? The world’ll scratch its head and whisper about it behind closed doors, but the man in the habit, he’ll be callin’ it clear-mindedness. They’ve a name for it too, the Fathers, they say it’s “sober drunkenness,” the kind of drunkenness that don’t come from the bottle, but from the heart. When the soul tastes the sweetness of God’s love, it’s like being caught in a whirlwind of contradiction. What the world would call daft, grace turns on its head and calls wise. What folks see as a loss, the monk will find, is the very gain of his life. W hen he steps into his cell, don’t go thinkin’ it’s just some tiny, quiet room. Oh no, it’s a place where the heart is squeezed tighter than a grape in the press, till it bursts open, and out pours the sweet wine of repentance and love divine. The door closes, and that’s when the storm begins. He’ll cry, and sure, it’s not just a few tears. It’s like the sea itsel...

  Gregory of Nyssa on Prayer This quote speaks for itself. It is from Gregory of Nyssa's first Homily on the Lord's Prayer We must learn first of all that we ought to pray and not to faint. For the effect of prayer is union with God, and if someone is with God, he is separated from the enemy. Through prayer we guard our chastity, control our temper, and rid ourselves of vanity; it makes us forget injuries, overcomes envy, defeats injustice, and makes amends for sin. Through prayer we obtain physical well-being, a happy home, and a strong, well-ordered society. Prayer will make our nation powerful, will give us victory in war and security in peace; it reconciles enemies and preserves allies. Prayer is the seal of virginity and a pledge of faithfulness in marriage; it shields the wayfarer, protects the sleeper, and gives courage to those who keep vigil. It obtains a good harvest for the farmer and a safe port for the sailor. Prayer is your advocate in lawsuits. If you are in pris...

                                            Taming the Beast: How a Bit o’ Humility and a Lot o’ Gumption Can Muzzle the Wildness of the Soul. Now, let me tell ye, battling them wild notions of the flesh with nothin’ but pure sweat and aching limbs is like trying to tie up a wild bull with baling twine—sure, it’ll hold for a minute, but give it a snort and a kick, and he’s off again, mad as ever. There’s many a fella gone down that road thinking they could wrestle themselves into sainthood with a cold floor and no supper, only to find the rogue inside just waitin’ for a soft bed and a bit o’ stew to come roaring back. But there’s a craftier way to go about it, boyo. You see, when a man takes up the arms of temperance—keeps himself sharp, watches the twilight, and doesn't let the candle burn for idleness—that's when the rogue gets yoked like a young ox in spring. It’s not about s...

Stillness, Saints, and the Holy Balancing Act: A Bit of Gospel Wisdom with a Twist of Tea. Ah, now gather in close, pull up a chair by the fire, and let me spin you a tale that’s equal parts confusion, contemplation, and divine craic. You see, once upon a prayerful moment, I stumbled upon a holy homily that gave me such a spiritual whack across the brow, I had to sit down and take a proper think. It’s from none other than the venerable St. Isaac the Syrian—a man who thought silence was golden and neighbours were, well… perhaps better appreciated from a respectful distance. And sure, while I’m no stranger to the occasional raised brow for following Christ, this bit of spiritual wisdom from St. Isaac had me twisting and turning like a sheepdog in a field full of rabbits. So let’s unpack it together, in five full hearty servings, with a generous side of Irish sense and a dollop of humour for good measure. The Fool’s Honour Now, don’t get me wrong—I’ve no bone to pick with being called a f...

  The Incarnate Mystery: Flesh and Spirit Wedded in Divine Union The most grievous foe of our holy faith, from its first dawning till this hour, hath ever been the attempt to sever Christ from the flesh. This dark deception, sown by the spirit of antichrist, would make void the glory of the Incarnation. St. John hath declared, "Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God." Herein lies the great battle: whether Christ shall be worshipped as God in the flesh, or whether the flesh shall be scorned as a hindrance to the spiritual life. Christianity is no ethereal vision, hovering in the clouds, detached from the earth below. Nay, it is the marriage of heaven and earth, the Eternal Word made flesh. To divorce the spiritual from the physical is not only error but heresy most vile. For the same God who breathed life into Adam hath condescended to take flesh of a woman, making the human body a temple of the Divine Presence. The apocalyptic vi...

  The Grandness of Being Small: The Humble Road to Holiness Now listen here, lad or lassie, if there's one thing to be getting into that thick skull of yours, it's this – humility is the very heart and soul of Christ Himself. ‘The Lord is clothed with majesty,’ they say, but sure, would you believe, His majesty is His very humility! The Prophet Isaiah had it spot on when he painted the picture of Our Lord as a wee lamb, led to the slaughter, not a word out of Him. That’s the kind of humility a true monk chases after like a man lost in the bog seeking solid ground. He knows well that if he can get even a taste of it, the Lord’s own grace will come pouring down over him like rain on a parched field. Now, you’d think humility would be a handy thing to have, but let me tell you, it’s no easy road. Saint Sophrony, the wise old lad, put it plain as day—pride is the root of all our trouble, and by God, it runs deep, right into the very bones of us. From the minute Adam and Eve went ta...