Merriam-Webster Dictionary defined a hermit as “one that retires from society and lives in solitude, especially for religious reasons.” A Christian hermit seeks solitude in order to be “with Christ” (Col. 3:1-3).
The English word “hermit” is based on the Greek word eremos, meaning desert or wilderness. From this we get the Latin word eremite. The practice of being a hermit is called eremiticism.
Solitude is the defining spiritual discipline for the hermit. The difference for a hermit is the extreme solitude he or she seeks. No contact with people except upon necessity. I avoid all contact except for Sunday church.
Personally, I am married and have a cat, so I am not completely alone. But I spend most of my time in my cell. A cell is what hermits call their prayer room. The whole house is my heritage.
There are a number of married hermits. But as Paul and Karen Fredette warn, “Too much togetherness can destroy the original inspiration of solitude, silence, and independence that marks a genuine eremitical life.”
