What is a hermit?
A hermit is a person who lives apart from society. Traditionally, this has meant living alone and self-sufficiently, but not always. The word “hermit” is derived from the Greek eremia for “desert,” in reference to the Desert Fathers of the fourth century; and eremos came to mean solitary. The Latin equivalent is solitarius.
A hermit is a recluse that lives in isolation from society. The term is derived from the Greek word eremos, for desert or desert-dweller. In Christianity, hermit refers to the 40 years of eremitic life, wandering in the desert, bringing about great change and religious conviction. A person can be a religious, secular or spiritual hermit. The commonality is that he or she lives a solitary life of seclusion. Most spiritual hermits have withdrawn from society completely whereas many religious hermits live the life of a monk within the confines of a hermitage. In modern times, anyone living outside society is considered a hermit, independent of his or her motivation or goals. Roman Catholic hermits are referred to as monks. They live in harmony within their monastery, often in silence and focus their efforts on sacred texts and mindful work. Oftentimes their daily activity is in service to all of humanity. Simplicity creates an environment for a life of contemplation, prayer and Gregorian
