prayer life versus the 'world'
When i read of hermits and solitaries of the past, I sometimes feel quite envious. Despite the sparsity of their existence and almost continual fasting, there were fewer interruptions and obligations than we have today. Hermits or solitaries these days, rarely live in caves or even remote log cabins. We often live in the middle of society, in villages, towns and cities and that affords a greater degree of comfort and varied diet.
It also brings an increasing number of distractions though (including modern distractions such as TV!) and this is where I almost envy the older hermits. Their life allowed naturally for long periods of prayer and silence, something modern hermits may well find more difficult. There are always bills to be paid, people to stay in contact with and 'things' to do.
I sometimes find that I am questioning whether I am a solitary who lives by necessity in 'the world' or whether I live in 'the world' and become a solitary in my spare time. It is largely a matter of priorities I guess. Finding the right balance can be difficult and some days feel more 'solitary' and others more 'busy'.
What I have found though, over time, is that I virtually always feel 'better' when I put my solitary prayer life first. I may still have to do other things but when prayer and silence take priority, there is no doubt in my mind that this is the place I should be. And so the battle continues I suppose, but it is good to have the realisation that, even on 'busy' days, the focus of my day should be upon prayer and silence.
