St. Francis's Rule for Hermitages
"Those brothers who wish to live a religious life in a hermitage are to be three or at most four in number. Two of them are to act as mothers and are to have two sons or at least one. The two who perform the role of mothers are to follow the life of Martha, the other two that of Mary.
Those who follow the life of Mary are to have a cloistered space within which each one is to have his own cell in which to pray and sleep. And let them always recite compline of the day immediately after sunset. And they are to strive to preserve silence and to recite the hours, rising even for matins, and let them seek first the kingdom of God and his justice. And at the proper hour let them say prime, and after terce they may break silence, in order to speak or have recourse to their mothers; and when they wish, they may ask alms of them for the love of God, just as little poor ones do. And afterward they are to say sext and none and vespers at the required times*" . . .
*Matins, lauds, prime, terce, sext, none, vespers, and compline are the hours of the Roman Breviary, the official prayer book of the clergy.
These brothers were to live as hermits. It's interesting to me that St. Francis would assign 2 of the 4 to be "mothers"and then break down their duties between being a "Mary" or a "Martha." I would probably be assigned the Martha role--unless God was forcing me to leave my natural bent. It highlights the importance of mothers. Mothers should take their roles in their children's lives very seriously. It saddens me that so many have to, or even want to, delegate it to someone else.
"Those brothers who wish to live a religious life in a hermitage are to be three or at most four in number. Two of them are to act as mothers and are to have two sons or at least one. The two who perform the role of mothers are to follow the life of Martha, the other two that of Mary.
Those who follow the life of Mary are to have a cloistered space within which each one is to have his own cell in which to pray and sleep. And let them always recite compline of the day immediately after sunset. And they are to strive to preserve silence and to recite the hours, rising even for matins, and let them seek first the kingdom of God and his justice. And at the proper hour let them say prime, and after terce they may break silence, in order to speak or have recourse to their mothers; and when they wish, they may ask alms of them for the love of God, just as little poor ones do. And afterward they are to say sext and none and vespers at the required times*" . . .
*Matins, lauds, prime, terce, sext, none, vespers, and compline are the hours of the Roman Breviary, the official prayer book of the clergy.
These brothers were to live as hermits. It's interesting to me that St. Francis would assign 2 of the 4 to be "mothers"and then break down their duties between being a "Mary" or a "Martha." I would probably be assigned the Martha role--unless God was forcing me to leave my natural bent. It highlights the importance of mothers. Mothers should take their roles in their children's lives very seriously. It saddens me that so many have to, or even want to, delegate it to someone else.
It saddens me too. However, with the economy the way it is, it takes two incomes to support a family. Therefore requiring a Mother to seek employment. At least that is the way it is for the majority, unless the Father has a high yielding position.
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