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Were the Lonely Ascetics Excused from Obligations?
Topic Started: Thursday, 24. January 2013, 21:17 (166 Views)
Derekap
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Since I don't know when The Church has obliged Catholics, wherever possible, to attend Holy Mass on Holydays of Obligation (including Sundays). Recently I read an article about St Anthony, a lonely ascetic in the Egyptian Desert. And there were other lonely ascetics. Did they go to Confession, attend Holy Mass and receive Holy Communion? If they didn't, how come they became Saints?
Derekap
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Rose of York
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I had not thought of that before.

Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days, he missed the Saturday prayers and rituals at the synagogue!

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5616

What about St Simeon the Stylite? For 34 years he lived 65 feet above the ground, on top of a pillar.
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As a thirteen-year-old shepherd of Sisan, Turkey, Simeon heard a Gospel reading of the Beatitudes that greatly affected him. Entering a nearly monastery, he learned all the Psalms by heart and began to manifest the extraordinary spirit of self-denial that was to become a hallmark of his spirituality. Thereafter Simeon lived as a hermit. In the year 423 he imposed on himself the unusual mortification of living atop a pillar only a few feet in diameter and about ten feet high. Later a much taller pillar over sixty-five feet high was built for him. The local bishops and abbots tested his virtue by commanding him to come down from the pillar, a command they immediately rescinded after the hermit demonstrated his humble willingness to obey them. One bishop even brought him Holy Communion. Simeon devoted himself to prayer, but also gave exhortations twice daily to those who gathered around the pillar to hear him. His words won the conversion of pagans in the audience. Simeon would urge his listeners to pray for the salvation of souls. Following his mother’s death, he offered particularly fervent prayers for her.


One bishop took him Holy Communion. What a strange thing to do for a Catholic who deliberately misses Mass every Sunday and has no intention of amending his ways!
Keep the Faith!

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Emee
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What an odd tale as you say Rose...

Under the letter of the law he missed Mass for 34 years of his life and yet the clerics of the day obviously deeply respected the faith of this man and he was later declared a Saint.

Very interesting indeed. As the dear departed Richard Whiteley would have once said: "...a conundrum".
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OsullivanB

Perhaps in the early Church it was believed that there were many ways of keeping holy the sabbath day. I do not know when Sunday Mass was made obligatory under pain of mortal sin.
"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance - that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer
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Rose of York
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I have a friend who is very sociable in a small group, but not in a crowd. He chooses to live in an isolated home in a private wood, because he feels the need for seclusion and natural surroundings. He is a deeply spiritual person, of a non Christian faith. He prays and meditates. His moral principles are similar to those of Christianity. If that man converted to Catholicism his religion would change, but his personality would not. I doubt whether he would be able to pray in a crowd of people following set prayers. This man is not mentally ill, or "odd", he just does not feel comfortable in a large group where everybody is doing the same thing at the same time. I suppose he would be obliged to be physically present at Mass and try to join in the prayers with the community. What if he did become a hermit, cutting himself off from other people, in a quiet place on the edge of a town that has a church? He would be under an obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holidays of Obligation. It would be interesting to know if there are any Catholic hermits alive now, who are excused the obligation.
Keep the Faith!

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paul

There are many "man-made rules and regulations" introduced by the church. eg. Holy days of obligation,sunday mass,contraception,etc etc.

These rules were introduced by the church for the common good in accordance with scripture teaching and church development and understanding over the ages.

We consider the church to be the body of Christ, we are therefore, obligated to observe the guidance offered by the church in these rules and regulations. We have a Father and Son of infinite love and care, of course they would not condemn a person for not observing one of the church rules or regulation. But I feel, would be saddened if we totally ignored church advice and guidance. The church is guided by the Holy Spirit in its direction.
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Penfold
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I think it worth pointing out the the Ascetics of the early church, just as the ascetics of today, were not lonely. Though they lived apart they were often sought out and consulted by people and would give sound spiritual advice and comfort. As a result many of these hermits became recognised as saints. The mass was often celebrated in their presence and we have no reason to doubt that they were fully involved in the celebration.
As for being excused obligations they were in the same position as any of us, if you are a traveller you are dispensed from many obligations and the journey of the soul is perhaps the greatest journey any of us can undertake so if one wishes to give up everything and embark upon the ascetic life you may find yourself dispensed from some of the burdens that the rest of us are still obliged to carry.
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Emee
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Sorry Penfold, are you saying if you go on an internal spiritual quest / journey you are excused from Church obligations..?

Reference: "...the journey of the soul is perhaps the greatest journey any of us can undertake so if one wishes to give up everything and embark upon the ascetic life you may find yourself dispensed from some of the burdens that the rest of us are still obliged to carry."
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Penfold
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Emee
Saturday, 26. January 2013, 21:17
Sorry Penfold, are you saying if you go on an internal spiritual quest / journey you are excused from Church obligations..?

Reference: "...the journey of the soul is perhaps the greatest journey any of us can undertake so if one wishes to give up everything and embark upon the ascetic life you may find yourself dispensed from some of the burdens that the rest of us are still obliged to carry."
Perhaps you should give some thought to the sacrifice the ascetic of old made, not sure its an easy swap to make. Compared to going to mass once a week and confession once a year do you really wish to live the life of a hermit living on a very simple diet and of course being totally chaste of mind and body.
Also any journey of the soul that begins from a position of avoiding going to church on Sundays is a rather odd journey.
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Emee
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Thanks for clarifying that Penfold.

As a married woman presumably being chaste in mind and body would consist of only having sex with my husband? Chastity being a different state to celebacy...
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OsullivanB

Yes, but double-hermitages are unusual.
"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance - that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer
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Deleted User
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I misraed that as "chased" Emee at first reading and was relieved to discover my mistake

John
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Emee
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Location permitting I could never cut myself off from going to Mass anyway as these days I actually love going to Mass - gosh if the teenage Emee could hear me now!

And my nasty sin of pride ensures that I need to attend Confession more than once a year.

So I could never be one of those detached Ascetics in reality. Plus OsB I think it probably wouldn't be quite what my husband was considering as his next house move if I told him we were going to live in a cave... ;)
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