Concluding reflection Text: I felt inspired by the frescoes I had seen in San Maurizio outside the village of Roccaforte Mondovì. I wish I had more time. But there is always something to work on, some lecture to prepare, some script to revise, some catechesis to record. There remains little leisure to maybe develop skills, take courses, recover what I have lost by not practicing. I have started this canvas 25 years ago and not touched it since. I don't know if I will ever finish it. It is just meant to be an exercise. I remember those days sitting in my little room under the roof of the library building at the institute where I was a student. It was there that I also first discovered G.K. Chesterton. The books by no other author have I re-read so many times. It may be evident from how often I quote his thoughts that I have difficulty hiding my joy flipping through his pages. Here is one last pearl, that I want to quote in length - if for no other reason than to get maybe some of you interested in reading him: “Much has been said, and said truly, of the monkish morbidity, of the hysteria which as often gone with the visions of hermits or nuns. But let us never forget that this visionary religion is, in one sense, necessarily more wholesome than our modern and reasonable morality. It is more wholesome for this reason, that it can contemplate the idea of success or triumph in the hopeless fight towards the ethical ideal, in what Stevenson called, with his usual startling felicity, "the lost fight of virtue." A modern morality, on the other hand, can only point with absolute conviction to the horrors that follow breaches of law; its only certainty is a certainty of ill. It can only point to imperfection. It has no perfection to point to. But the monk meditating upon Christ or Buddha has in his mind an image of perfect health, a thing of clear colours and clean air. He may contemplate this ideal wholeness and happiness far more than he ought; he may contemplate it to the neglect of exclusion of essential THINGS; he may contemplate it until he has become a dreamer or a driveller; but still it is wholeness and happiness that he is contemplating. He may even go mad; but he is going mad for the love of sanity. But the modern student of ethics, even if he remains sane, remains sane from an insane dread of insanity. The anchorite rolling on the stones in a frenzy of submission is a healthier person fundamentally than many a sober man in a silk hat who is walking down Cheapside. For many such are good only through a withering knowledge of evil. I am not at this moment claiming for the devotee anything more than this primary advantage, that though he may be making himself personally weak and miserable, he is still fixing his thoughts largely on gigantic strength and happiness, on a strength that has no limits, and a happiness that has no end. Doubtless there are other objections which can be urged without unreason against the influence of gods and visions in morality, whether in the cell or street. But this advantage the mystic morality must always have-it is always jollier. A young man may keep himself from vice by continually thinking of disease. He may keep himself from it also by continually thinking of the Virgin Mary. There may be question about which method is the more reasonable, or even about which is the more efficient. But surely there can be no question about which is the more wholesome. I remember a pamphlet by that able and sincere secularist, Mr. G. W. Foote, which contained a phrase sharply symbolizing and dividing these two methods. The pamphlet was called BEER AND BIBLE, those two very noble things, all the nobler for a conjunction which Mr. Foote, in his stern old Puritan way, seemed to think sardonic, but which I confess to thinking appropriate and charming. I have not the work by me, but I remember that Mr. Foote dismissed very contemptuously any attempts to deal with the problem of strong drink by religious offices or intercessions, and said that a picture of a drunkard's liver would be more efficacious in the matter of temperance than any prayer or praise. In that picturesque expression, it seems to me, is perfectly embodied the incurable morbidity of modern ethics. In that temple the lights are low, the crowds kneel, the solemn anthems are uplifted. But that upon the altar to which all men kneel is no longer the perfect flesh, the body and substance of the perfect man; it is still flesh, but it is diseased. It is the drunkard's liver of the New Testament that is marred for us, which we take in remembrance of him.” Where do we look? Where do we direct our gaze? This world is an imperfect one. It is fallen. We are fallen. But the whole idea of pilgrimage is to recognize that this world is not our home. I have lived in many places, passed as a traveler through others. I still go out there, when I join groups, go on adventures with scouts or undertake another long pilgrimage in search of a story to be told. But I'm getting older and I find myself attached to this little patch above the cliffs. I miss my garden when I'm away for longer and wonder about the things that grow, the birds that sing, the wolfs that howl and the chamois as they grazes undisturbed. I feel more attached while at the same time I must recognized that this tiny slice of alps isn't really mine. It belongs to me in a legal sense. There is a title. But things are passing. I am passing. In what sense does the large chestnut tree behind my house belong to me. I was not the one who gave it life, let it grow. I do not sustain it. I'm not really its owner. If anything I may call myself its custodian. I may be allowed to use it for a time. I don't want to sound like one of those a romantic. Don't get me wrong, I am a romantic, but I try to avoid the superficial that infects much talk about nature. I do not call the earth my mother. She is too wild for that. Too dangerous. Too careless. But with St. Francis of Assisi I'm willing to call her a sister, for we have the same father. St Francis is a saint who was instrumental in my conversion. He was a gift. Before he was taken away again through shallow political biographies and an insane amount of kitsch. I still shudder when I see red poppies, because every time I half expect Franco Zeffirelli to send his 1972 Francis actor running through the field with a soft camera filter. I bite on my tongue when someone starts singing Laudato Si. Don't get me wrong. The canticle of the sun, that Francis wrote, is a marvel - even more so, because the saint was on his way to going blind. But it is not silly, flippant or trivial. St. Francis may have been a fool for God, but he was no fool. He ought not be robbed of his depth. I consider it a crime that many renditions of the canticle leave out the last verses: Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no living man can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin. Blessed are those who will find Your most holy will, for the second death shall do them no harm. Death, which we are wont to push out of our thoughts whenever possible, should not be treated thus. If death is a sibling much like earth and moon, as St. Francis sang, it ought to have a place of respect in our lives. The finality of this existence is what gives meaning to our limited time and the actions we choose. We may be afraid of dying. But we ought not to be. Billions before us have died quite successfully. Rather we should concern ourselves with the art of dying - which our forbearers called ars moriendi. It is an art to be acquired while we still happily walk this earth - or more likely as we struggle and stumble through life. Whether our thoughts about death are morbid or joyful - whether we call death an unspeakable horror or, as St Francis, our sister - will be shaped by what we direct our focus to: the highest good beyond or the worst thing in this life. If it should be the ultimate perfection, all things fall into place. With this object of our contemplation comes first the right desire and then the proper ordering of things. We will distinguish the important from the unimportant. We will still be able to appreciate the things of this world but also recognize their finitude. We will not demand of them, what they cannot give. We will have, as if we had not; We will own, as if things weren't ours. If not perfectly so, we will at least be always reminded by the perfection we have before us. For we are but pilgrims and wander this world for a short few years. Our home is not here, not even on a beautiful mountain like this, but somewhere yet to come.
Thank you for all your reflections Johannes, there has been a lot to ponder and I hope to listen or read them again. I wonder if you would consider putting them together for those who want them to download? I could copy and paste them myself into a document but I think there were some videos where the text of your reflection wasn't in the comments - unless you've maybe put it there since and I've missed it. I appreciated your reminder this week that our rest isn't here. Thank you again.
Just wonderful. Thank you Father Johannes, for sharing this year with us and if possible, don't stop with the videos. Following your journey and your wise thoughts has truly been a gift. God bless your life.
I have so enjoyed your videos and look forward to them each Saturday. They will be greatly missed. I hope, if you're able, that you might continue on with sharing more. Thank you for sharing your life,experiences, and contemplations. . Much appreciated. I find myself reflecting back to them during the day.
Please continue to serve your online congregation in anyway that is possible for you Father. The peace and grace we find watching you in your simple, beautiful, sane life on the side of the mountain. The beauty in your garden, home and incredible chapel bring Christ alive in such a beautiful way. In the meantime I will replay every episode and listen to your prayerful voice and words. May God continue to bless you and us, in every way. Peace Father and thank you for sharing your beautiful year.
So good to spend these moments with you. I, too, sit in solitude by the fire and, while you paint, I stitch a blanket for a wee, new baby boy. My sons and their friends have grown and now they are starting their own families, and so I welcome each one with the crafts my mother taught me. A continuation of motherly love spanning the generations, each stitch a prayer. I contemplate your message and the wonderful connection we share across the oceans. Please, you reach so many, touch so many, please continue to express your faith and your pilgrim's progress as you do so beautifully. All praise is God's, yes, and you faithfully remind us reverence and faith are key. Much love from the snowy highlands of Virginia. ❤️
Thank you for sharing a year of your life with us. I understand how you have such a busy life and recording content on a weekly basis can be very time consuming. You will never be too far away from our minds as we can easily access all these episodes again at the click of a button. So we can listen to your reflections when we feel the need. Continued success in all your future endeavors. You are a truly special person.
This is one of the most beautiful and profoud pieces of contemporary filmmaking I have ever seen. Every detail has been lovingly crafted, each month unfolds a life of simplicity close to nature, presented with humour and humility, preparing the mind for reflection on some great question about life, spirituality and the purpose of being. Thank you so much Fr Johannes. Like many I will return series to this time and again when in need of refreshment.
I wouldn't be surprised if your chestnut tree bears sweeter fruit because you have made a connection with it. Trees also have a lot of humor if you get on their wavelength.
I have often thought after watching each of your videos, how can you leave your mountain top hermitage, your gardens, the fresh air and all the sounds of nature, for lecturing and teaching, for a month here and there. I would never want to leave. So I was glad to hear you say in this last video how you miss your mountain top home when you're gone, and how with getting older you seemed to infer you would rather like to stay home more. And I hope you can. Because life is too short to defer our hearts desires. Wishing you all the best on your journey, and hope we hear from you again. ❤
Yes, as he gets older, perhaps he can find other ways to spread the messages of God, and spend more time there...or perhaps, he has already found and is already developing those skills... :)
Thank you. I think this format is a success because the long calming video of you working in the garden or in the house makes it possible to relax. The relaxation makes it possible to hear your reflection in the end. Thank you for sharing parts of your life with us.
My Great Grandfather was a fan of Chesterton and my father also. I have his scrapbooks with clippings about Chesterton. I don’t come across many who know of or appreciate him often. Thank you.
Ft.Johannes, you master several crafts, including cinematography! And what a satisfaction, that green salad with your own produce in December in your hermitage in the alps! Truly remarkable
I appreciate the reflection at the close of this video, Father. I too live in a place I love, and it does me good to be reminded that I am only here temporarily. There is a greater Home that I need to keep my eye on. I need to strive to be worthy of God and to be pure enough to enter His domain some day. Thank you. 🙏✝️
I have rewatched this episode this evening. After a particularly stressful day it has brought a since of peaceful reflection. I hope that you do more of these in the future. I would be lovely to have one for Easter.
I truly enjowed every one of these videos. If you never do another one, these will remain a special blessing and celebration of life. Cheers, Johannes!
Thank you Father for letting us into part of your life in he mountains. I have watched all the parts and hope there will be more in the future. Greetings from Australia
I've become a hermit or a recluse because of circumstances. To much hurt, to much pain. I have severe trust issues. It's very difficult to be around people. I don't expect this to ever change. I'm blessed to have a small homestead that will be totally self sufficient next year. Then I won't have to see people anymore. I'm having a hard time believing in God . " Those" are the people that have hurt me so bad. I'm a 68 year old female with no one. This is not a pity party just my life.
Deeply touching reflection, Father Johannes. 🙏🏼 Thank you for all you share, your wisdom, your beautiful world, and your all your amazing talents. I do hope you'll continue to make videos even if they aren't on a weekly or even monthly schedule. We all benefit from your expressions. God bless you.
Thank you. Your videos have become a welcome respite during each week. I pray that you will continue with your videos and reflections - they are so uplifting and nourishing for the soul. Whatever you feel called to do, may the Lord bless you and keep you as you draw others to Him.
This is most beautiful! Oh, how glad my soul is to know that people like you exist. Please, I beg of you - give us more... more videos, more art, more reflections...Please, father!
Thank you Johannes for your videos over the last 12 weeks. Have thoroughly enjoyed watching you transform your little patch on the side of the mountain and also the meditation at the end. I especially loved seeing the sewing machine come out in this episode.....you are a man of many talents. I am hoping that there will be more videos to come. Wishing you God's blessings.....
Thank you, Father Johannes for these relaxing and meditative videos of yours. I had the privilege of meeting you, for an administrative matter, several years ago now, as soon as I arrived in the Italian Alpine valley. It is admirable how much you have managed to do, with mastery, in these years!! God protect you!!
Thank you, Father Johannes, for sharing your thoughts, your interests, and a year of your life. May our good Lord bless and keep you in His loving care.
Thank you, Fr. Johannes, I will also miss your videos and reflections. It is a great comfort to observe your example of stewardship and piety. With gratitude and divine friendship.
I have loved watching these beautiful, contemplative videos. It's been such a pleasure getting to know you and sharing a year in your life. I hope you'll consider making more videos, but in any case, I wish you a very happy Easter! with all good wishes from Canada
Your life experience recorded in these videos is very hopeful. Thank you from Cuba, Mr. Priest, for sharing your experience as a hermit. May God keep you always. Dominus tecum, et pax tecum.
Father Johannes, Thank you for the meditative and thoughtfully produced video of your life and activities. You were very humble when you introduced this series. I know you understand how you are reaching a broad audience around the world from your perch on the mountain. It's wonderful what one can do with a connection to the world. Peace! 🕊️ 🕊️ 🕊️ Tim P.S. In full disclosure of my imperfection, I consumed the entire year of video as soon as they were available!
I am so thankful to have stumbled across these amazing videos. The beauty you capture and the messages you share have brought a much needed peace to my life. While I fully understand your need for a personal life away from the camera, please consider the moments of peace and joy you are able to bring into the lives of others. Few have the ability you are blessed with. Gift us again with your presence and your well thought out words. Thank you.
It would be a blessing to many if you could find time to make more videos similar to this. We know you are a busy man, and have many other duties, but you truly have a gift for this..a God given gift, along with the many others you have been given. Every other week, once a month, or whatever is possible, would be a blessing.
Father, if you can, please keep these videos coming. This is UA-cam at its finest. Your reflections sink deep. They provoke thought, examination of oneself and the world around us and they inspire. Thank you for providing us with hours of peace, beauty and inspiration. If you had to stop this, you would be thoroughly missed. These videos reach many people and do good work. I hope your good Bishop also recognizes that. Deo gratias!
It has been a joy to travel through your reflections of 2023 with you Johannes, thank you so very much for sharing your home, your beautiful chapel, your greenhouse, your labors, and your very thoughtful closing comments. Please check in with us every now and then! Sending you light and love, bright blessings!
December and death.. and yet there is beauty in the season, a clarity. Ironic that we celebrate the birth of Christ in winter, and his death in Springtime. Thank you for the videos. I wait your next creative endeavor.
Lieber Johannes, 1000 Dank für diese Serie. Bitte hör nicht auf und nimm dir Zeit für uns in der Zukunft. Wie du siehst, brauchen die Menschen dich. Liebe Grüße.
I would also like to encourage you to continue these videos. Hopefully, the burden isn't too heavy to bear, even if they need to be shorter or released much less frequently. Thank you for these, grateful that I have been able to experience them.
Hi Johannes, 😉 November & December 2023 Inside your Walipini @ 7:56 Is That Dandelion Leaves, Next to the Lettuce❓ I Love seeing the Lizard!!🦎 Having So Many Flowers in Bloom in November is Marvelous, Here None of that. November Means Fall Season every dies back! @ 8:41 What Is Leaves You Pull Off, for Salad Later❓ I`m glad You Love Winter, I don`t , I feed birds, squirrels & animals that come in the night..but it is all cat food scraps. Wow You & Martijn Sew & Paint, that is Great!! You will Finish that Gorgeous Painting Someday!! Taking a Trip to Province of Cuneo to see San Maurizio Church & get Cork Sheets...Love It!! Love the Idea of Cork Sheets to Insulate Your House, I never heard of it, but then to Cover Cork with Wood Pile Optic on top!! Take care & have a Wonderful Blessed Evening!! ❤ Love Barb from Central Illinois USA❣
Thank you Father Johannes. I'm sad to see this series come to a close. It would be wonderful if you were able to continue sharing these videos. They have become a part of my Sunday. Au revoir...
So many delightful nuggets in this video. Your method of scooping leaves into the bag between your legs gave me a chuckle because my husband used to laugh at me for doing the same thing when we had a landscape maintenance business. It's efficient after all!! To see (again) the name tags for the lizard houses is so cute. I belly laughed when you said "So many millions have died with success". Why would that cause me to laugh out loud? Because at my age I think about goin home more often. When family members tell me to change my habits or I'll die ... I say, "what's wrong with that? None of us gets out alive after all." We are here for a relatively short time in the grand scheme of things. We are here to learn what we can, contribute what we can, experience what we can. Then, when we have done enough, we move on. It is the way of things. Even our death experience is ... an experience. Death should not be feared. Fear should not rule our lives. Love should. To be honest, I did not think about any of these words before I typed them. They came from somewhere inside. While this is the December video ... I hope there will be more. They are a joy. Thank you.
Thank you Father Johannes for sharing some of your world with us. Such a lovely gift, beautiful, encouraging and inspiring. Like many others I hope you have the space to continue your presence here. Your warmth and character and love of the outdoors, the humble way you take care of your surroundings has been a privilege to see. Whatever you decide it's good to know I can revisit your 12 'days' here. Sending love and gratitude from New Zealand.
I have watched your videos with great joy & all of them twice through. They are a wonderful ministry that will reach many through your channel. I will miss them very much. Thank you & and travel well on your next endeavor.
🇺🇸 Thank you .. oh how this blesses me and touches me deeply . I’m in stage 4 cancer. I chose no treatments was given 2 months. It has been 2 years. What a testimony of My Savior’s will for me. Again Thank you 🙏✝️
The sewing machine give me flashbacks to my childhood. I remember when being a little boy my grandma and many other grandma's all had a sewing machine and when things were broken they were being repaired. I miss those days. Thanks Johannes for the videos, I hope you enjoyed making them just as much as I did watching them ! 🙏
Father Johannes, Thank you for these videos with the reflections. They bring more than peace, but a special peace only the author of life can bring which is love itself. A presence i think you brought to mind for many to take with them; a seed put in each heart. We all hope to hear from you in the future❤🙏
My wife and I are hoping you might offer a video every month or six weeks, even if it's only a peek into your experiences. Thanks for the 12 months. Although we could have binged them we decided to make them a weekend viewing event. Top shelf UA-cam viewing. Thank you Father Johannes.
Thank you so much Johannes for the wonderful gift you have given us, of your year on the mountain. So much content, I’m sure I will be revisiting it again and again, your reverence and care for everything in your life , the tools, plants, home , food, wildlife, the mountain, all the people you meet, all met with such respect and love, you must please keep posting as there is no other person sharing what you share. 🙏🏴
I am saddened with the knowledge that I won’t be listening to your reflections, but joyful in having to hear them. I know the filming and editing are a lot to do. Many Tubers are quitting or cutting back on content. I will stay subscribed so that when you surprise us all with a new video, my smile will be from ear to ear. Stay a mystic. God bless. Tom.
Ich habe deine wunderschönen Videos sehr genossen, Johannes. Vielen Dank dafür. Ich hoffe doch, wir bekomen die Früchte deiner gigantischen Blumenzwiebelpflanzaktion noch zu sehen.
Ha Ha Father, yes, the earth is not our mother. Thank you for sharing the great Christian mind of Chesterton. Great to see you started painting again. You clearly have a gift.
I hope there is plenty of money to send to your friends in Ukraine. May the Lord bring and give peace. I will enjoy re-watching your series. Thank you for the time you spent away from chores in order to provide us all with such serenity and hard work. Again, thank you.
JOHANNES, SUCH A WONDERFUL, CLOSING REFLECTION!!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS UPLIFTING & SO TRUE!!! WE ARE BLESSED W/WHAT GOD GIVES US & TO BE GOOD STEWARTS OF THOSE BLESSINGS! THE WALL TURNED OUT SO COOL!!! *IN GOD'S PRECIOUS LOVE. Do take care. Fl., USA
Fr. Johannes, greetings from Canada! Thank you for these twelve episodes, for sharing glimpses of your life as a hermit, and for sharing your reflections. Even though I am a practicing Catholic, your reflections were helpful. Lately I’ve been suffering from some stress, and watching your episodes, especially during Lent, helped reduce stress and reflect on my faith. Your chapel is beautiful. Producing these kinds of videos requires a special skill and a sacrifice of your time. I hope you may consider releasing more videos in the future, even if only a few times a year or so.
You went to all of that trouble to take up the floor and insulate under the stones and then never told us if it helped. Would like to know if you really felt a difference. Thank you, Father Johannes, for sharing some of your life. I hope you will continue. Blessings.
Your reflections always tug at something that needs to be aired in the dusty, cluttered corners of my consciousness. "Sielskos", as we say in Afrikaans, is so unique from your point of view. Living, while preparing for death and Beyond, isn't always easy, but this little Life of ours are all worth it. Speckled livers and all 😊. Because of His Love for us. Blessings, Johannes. And Thank you.
...our home is not here... not even on this beautiful mountain... (or at the seaside, where I live...) its in a place, still to come... thank you Johannes 🙏💖🌟
I’m am late to watching this last video of a year in your life. Thank you for a brilliant series, I loved it. I will miss you terribly as you always made me think and made me feel calm. Thank you. 🇦🇺🦘🦘🇦🇺
Danke für Deine Worte - unsere Heimat ist nicht hier - nachdem wir unsere Aufgabe beendet haben gehen wir wieder HEIM zu ❤ GOTT ❤ ich freu mich drauf ❤
Lieber Johannes, tausend Dank, dass wir ein Jahr an Deinem Leben als "Eremit auf Zeit" teilnehmen durften. Deine Videos hinterlassen möglicherweise mehr Spuren als es Dir bewusst ist.
Concluding reflection Text:
I felt inspired by the frescoes I had seen in San Maurizio outside the village of Roccaforte Mondovì. I wish I had more time. But there is always something to work on, some lecture to prepare, some script to revise, some catechesis to record. There remains little leisure to maybe develop skills, take courses, recover what I have lost by not practicing. I have started this canvas 25 years ago and not touched it since. I don't know if I will ever finish it. It is just meant to be an exercise. I remember those days sitting in my little room under the roof of the library building at the institute where I was a student. It was there that I also first discovered G.K. Chesterton. The books by no other author have I re-read so many times. It may be evident from how often I quote his thoughts that I have difficulty hiding my joy flipping through his pages. Here is one last pearl, that I want to quote in length - if for no other reason than to get maybe some of you interested in reading him: “Much has been said, and said truly, of the monkish morbidity, of the hysteria which as often gone with the visions of hermits or nuns. But let us never forget that this visionary religion is, in one sense, necessarily more wholesome than our modern and reasonable morality. It is more wholesome for this reason, that it can contemplate the idea of success or triumph in the hopeless fight towards the ethical ideal, in what Stevenson called, with his usual startling felicity, "the lost fight of virtue." A modern morality, on the other hand, can only point with absolute conviction to the horrors that follow breaches of law; its only certainty is a certainty of ill. It can only point to imperfection. It has no perfection to point to. But the monk meditating upon Christ or Buddha has in his mind an image of perfect health, a thing of clear colours and clean air. He may contemplate this ideal wholeness and happiness far more than he ought; he may contemplate it to the neglect of exclusion of essential THINGS; he may contemplate it until he has become a dreamer or a driveller; but still it is wholeness and happiness that he is contemplating. He may even go mad; but he is going mad for the love of sanity. But the modern student of ethics, even if he remains sane, remains sane from an insane dread of insanity.
The anchorite rolling on the stones in a frenzy of submission is a healthier person fundamentally than many a sober man in a silk hat who is walking down Cheapside. For many such are good only through a withering knowledge of evil. I am not at this moment claiming for the devotee anything more than this primary advantage, that though he may be making himself personally weak and miserable, he is still fixing his thoughts largely on gigantic strength and happiness, on a strength that has no limits, and a happiness that has no end. Doubtless there are other objections which can be urged without unreason against the influence of gods and visions in morality, whether in the cell or street. But this advantage the mystic morality must always have-it is always jollier. A young man may keep himself from vice by continually thinking of disease. He may keep himself from it also by continually thinking of the Virgin Mary. There may be question about which method is the more reasonable, or even about which is the more efficient. But surely there can be no question about which is the more wholesome.
I remember a pamphlet by that able and sincere secularist, Mr. G. W. Foote, which contained a phrase sharply symbolizing and dividing these two methods. The pamphlet was called BEER AND BIBLE, those two very noble things, all the nobler for a conjunction which Mr. Foote, in his stern old Puritan way, seemed to think sardonic, but which I confess to thinking appropriate and charming. I have not the work by me, but I remember that Mr. Foote dismissed very contemptuously any attempts to deal with the problem of strong drink by religious offices or intercessions, and said that a picture of a drunkard's liver would be more efficacious in the matter of temperance than any prayer or praise. In that picturesque expression, it seems to me, is perfectly embodied the incurable morbidity of modern ethics. In that temple the lights are low, the crowds kneel, the solemn anthems are uplifted. But that upon the altar to which all men kneel is no longer the perfect flesh, the body and substance of the perfect man; it is still flesh, but it is diseased. It is the drunkard's liver of the New Testament that is marred for us, which we take in remembrance of him.”
Where do we look? Where do we direct our gaze? This world is an imperfect one. It is fallen. We are fallen. But the whole idea of pilgrimage is to recognize that this world is not our home. I have lived in many places, passed as a traveler through others. I still go out there, when I join groups, go on adventures with scouts or undertake another long pilgrimage in search of a story to be told. But I'm getting older and I find myself attached to this little patch above the cliffs. I miss my garden when I'm away for longer and wonder about the things that grow, the birds that sing, the wolfs that howl and the chamois as they grazes undisturbed. I feel more attached while at the same time I must recognized that this tiny slice of alps isn't really mine. It belongs to me in a legal sense. There is a title. But things are passing. I am passing. In what sense does the large chestnut tree behind my house belong to me. I was not the one who gave it life, let it grow. I do not sustain it. I'm not really its owner. If anything I may call myself its custodian. I may be allowed to use it for a time.
I don't want to sound like one of those a romantic. Don't get me wrong, I am a romantic, but I try to avoid the superficial that infects much talk about nature. I do not call the earth my mother. She is too wild for that. Too dangerous. Too careless. But with St. Francis of Assisi I'm willing to call her a sister, for we have the same father.
St Francis is a saint who was instrumental in my conversion. He was a gift. Before he was taken away again through shallow political biographies and an insane amount of kitsch. I still shudder when I see red poppies, because every time I half expect Franco Zeffirelli to send his 1972 Francis actor running through the field with a soft camera filter. I bite on my tongue when someone starts singing Laudato Si. Don't get me wrong. The canticle of the sun, that Francis wrote, is a marvel - even more so, because the saint was on his way to going blind. But it is not silly, flippant or trivial. St. Francis may have been a fool for God, but he was no fool. He ought not be robbed of his depth. I consider it a crime that many renditions of the canticle leave out the last verses: Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no living man can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin. Blessed are those who will find Your most holy will, for the second death shall do them no harm.
Death, which we are wont to push out of our thoughts whenever possible, should not be treated thus. If death is a sibling much like earth and moon, as St. Francis sang, it ought to have a place of respect in our lives. The finality of this existence is what gives meaning to our limited time and the actions we choose. We may be afraid of dying. But we ought not to be. Billions before us have died quite successfully. Rather we should concern ourselves with the art of dying - which our forbearers called ars moriendi. It is an art to be acquired while we still happily walk this earth - or more likely as we struggle and stumble through life. Whether our thoughts about death are morbid or joyful - whether we call death an unspeakable horror or, as St Francis, our sister - will be shaped by what we direct our focus to: the highest good beyond or the worst thing in this life. If it should be the ultimate perfection, all things fall into place. With this object of our contemplation comes first the right desire and then the proper ordering of things. We will distinguish the important from the unimportant. We will still be able to appreciate the things of this world but also recognize their finitude. We will not demand of them, what they cannot give. We will have, as if we had not; We will own, as if things weren't ours. If not perfectly so, we will at least be always reminded by the perfection we have before us. For we are but pilgrims and wander this world for a short few years. Our home is not here, not even on a beautiful mountain like this, but somewhere yet to come.
Fantástico Padre hermosas palabras. Saludos 🇦🇷🇦🇷
Thank you for all your reflections Johannes, there has been a lot to ponder and I hope to listen or read them again. I wonder if you would consider putting them together for those who want them to download? I could copy and paste them myself into a document but I think there were some videos where the text of your reflection wasn't in the comments - unless you've maybe put it there since and I've missed it.
I appreciated your reminder this week that our rest isn't here. Thank you again.
I hope you finish your painting. It is beautiful.
@@yorkshirenomeHi. Sorry, yes, the text was late on some videos. But by now all of them should have the text in the pinned comment.
@@donjojohannes that's brilliant, thank you. I should have checked before asking 🤭
I will miss these peaceful videos. Thank you for sharing a year in your life.
Yeah I'm sad as well
Agreed. I hope this is not the end.
Just wonderful.
Thank you Father Johannes, for sharing this year with us and if possible, don't stop with the videos.
Following your journey and your wise thoughts has truly been a gift. God bless your life.
I have so enjoyed your videos and look forward to them each Saturday. They will be greatly missed. I hope, if you're able, that you might continue on with sharing more. Thank you for sharing your life,experiences, and contemplations. . Much appreciated. I find myself reflecting back to them during the day.
Please continue to serve your online congregation in anyway that is possible for you Father. The peace and grace we find watching you in your simple, beautiful, sane life on the side of the mountain. The beauty in your garden, home and incredible chapel bring Christ alive in such a beautiful way. In the meantime I will replay every episode and listen to your prayerful voice and words. May God continue to bless you and us, in every way. Peace Father and thank you for sharing your beautiful year.
Thank you! I hope you continue to post.
So good to spend these moments with you. I, too, sit in solitude by the fire and, while you paint, I stitch a blanket for a wee, new baby boy. My sons and their friends have grown and now they are starting their own families, and so I welcome each one with the crafts my mother taught me. A continuation of motherly love spanning the generations, each stitch a prayer. I contemplate your message and the wonderful connection we share across the oceans. Please, you reach so many, touch so many, please continue to express your faith and your pilgrim's progress as you do so beautifully. All praise is God's, yes, and you faithfully remind us reverence and faith are key. Much love from the snowy highlands of Virginia. ❤️
Such beauty in your heart 🙏📿🙏
And now a new year begins...Please allow us more of the beauty of your company, videos and wisdom. Thank you. 🙏
Thank you for sharing a year of your life with us. I understand how you have such a busy life and recording content on a weekly basis can be very time consuming.
You will never be too far away from our minds as we can easily access all these episodes again at the click of a button.
So we can listen to your reflections when we feel the need.
Continued success in all your future endeavors. You are a truly special person.
Thank you, You can't stop now, you have started something very calming in this mad world, you are needed by many.
This is one of the most beautiful and profoud pieces of contemporary filmmaking I have ever seen. Every detail has been lovingly crafted, each month unfolds a life of simplicity close to nature, presented with humour and humility, preparing the mind for reflection on some great question about life, spirituality and the purpose of being. Thank you so much Fr Johannes. Like many I will return series to this time and again when in need of refreshment.
Your videos cause me to slow down & reflect, I enjoy the peace & beauty of the world you share with us. What a talented artist you are.
Thank you! Please start a new series.
I wouldn't be surprised if your chestnut tree bears sweeter fruit because you have made a connection with it. Trees also have a lot of humor if you get on their wavelength.
Thank you very much, Johannes.
I would very much welcome more video creations from your channel. I find them nourishing.
Thank you for these reflections, guidance, and inspirations. I hope you continue with more.
I have often thought after watching each of your videos, how can you leave your mountain top hermitage, your gardens, the fresh air and all the sounds of nature, for lecturing and teaching, for a month here and there. I would never want to leave. So I was glad to hear you say in this last video how you miss your mountain top home when you're gone, and how with getting older you seemed to infer you would rather like to stay home more. And I hope you can. Because life is too short to defer our hearts desires. Wishing you all the best on your journey, and hope we hear from you again. ❤
Yes, as he gets older, perhaps he can find other ways to spread the messages of God, and spend more time there...or perhaps, he has already found and is already developing those skills... :)
Thank you. I think this format is a success because the long calming video of you working in the garden or in the house makes it possible to relax. The relaxation makes it possible to hear your reflection in the end. Thank you for sharing parts of your life with us.
My Great Grandfather was a fan of Chesterton and my father also. I have his scrapbooks with clippings about Chesterton. I don’t come across many who know of or appreciate him often. Thank you.
I truly enjoyed your videos. Thank you
Ft.Johannes, you master several crafts, including cinematography!
And what a satisfaction, that green salad with your own produce in December in your hermitage in the alps! Truly remarkable
I truly enjoyed your peaceful videos. Hope you continue to make new ones.
I appreciate the reflection at the close of this video, Father. I too live in a place I love, and it does me good to be reminded that I am only here temporarily. There is a greater Home that I need to keep my eye on. I need to strive to be worthy of God and to be pure enough to enter His domain some day. Thank you. 🙏✝️
I have rewatched this episode this evening. After a particularly stressful day it has brought a since of peaceful reflection. I hope that you do more of these in the future. I would be lovely to have one for Easter.
Beautiful - what a heavenly spot - still, raw nature can test your resolve on wanting to live at that elevation you and Martijn have chosen.
I truly enjowed every one of these videos. If you never do another one, these will remain a special blessing and celebration of life. Cheers, Johannes!
Thank you Father for letting us into part of your life in he mountains. I have watched all the parts and hope there will be more in the future. Greetings from Australia
Thank you so much for these wonderful videos. If possible please continue. Beautiful reflections after each video.
The Latin Mass made tears...I miss that greatly. Soul stirring.
Thank you for the visuals and the teasings of philosopy...you touch people.
Beautiful words. Thank you for peaceful moments.
Mahalo for the gentle and inspiring journey with you in 2023. I will certainly miss the videos on Saturdays. Aloha and God Bless.
I've become a hermit or a recluse because of circumstances. To much hurt, to much pain. I have severe trust issues. It's very difficult to be around people. I don't expect this to ever change. I'm blessed to have a small homestead that will be totally self sufficient next year. Then I won't have to see people anymore. I'm having a hard time believing in God . " Those" are the people that have hurt me so bad. I'm a 68 year old female with no one. This is not a pity party just my life.
Deeply touching reflection, Father Johannes. 🙏🏼 Thank you for all you share, your wisdom, your beautiful world, and your all your amazing talents. I do hope you'll continue to make videos even if they aren't on a weekly or even monthly schedule. We all benefit from your expressions. God bless you.
Thank you. Your videos have become a welcome respite during each week. I pray that you will continue with your videos and reflections - they are so uplifting and nourishing for the soul.
Whatever you feel called to do, may the Lord bless you and keep you as you draw others to Him.
Beautifully stated, I agree ❤
Another beautiful video. Please don’t make it end. You are gifted human, both in what you do and what you say. Thank you for this peaceful moment. 🇨🇦🌷
This is most beautiful! Oh, how glad my soul is to know that people like you exist. Please, I beg of you - give us more... more videos, more art, more reflections...Please, father!
Thank you Johannes for your videos over the last 12 weeks. Have thoroughly enjoyed watching you transform your little patch on the side of the mountain and also the meditation at the end. I especially loved seeing the sewing machine come out in this episode.....you are a man of many talents. I am hoping that there will be more videos to come. Wishing you God's blessings.....
Thank you, Father Johannes for these relaxing and meditative videos of yours.
I had the privilege of meeting you, for an administrative matter, several years ago now, as soon as I arrived in the Italian Alpine valley. It is admirable how much you have managed to do, with mastery, in these years!!
God protect you!!
Thank you Father Don Jojohannes ,beautiful videos…
Thank you, Father Johannes, for sharing your thoughts, your interests, and a year of your life. May our good Lord bless and keep you in His loving care.
THESE ARE THE BEST VIDEOS TO ENJOY TIME AWAY FROM THE GARBAGE WE SEE EACH DAY. WE HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO POST FATHER JOHANNES. DANKE AUS USA.
Thank you for these 12 episodes. They have been thought provoking and inspiring. I have really enjoyed watching them.
Thank you, Fr. Johannes, I will also miss your videos and reflections. It is a great comfort to observe your example of stewardship and piety. With gratitude and divine friendship.
I have loved watching these beautiful, contemplative videos. It's been such a pleasure getting to know you and sharing a year in your life. I hope you'll consider making more videos, but in any case, I wish you a very happy Easter! with all good wishes from Canada
Your life experience recorded in these videos is very hopeful. Thank you from Cuba, Mr. Priest, for sharing your experience as a hermit. May God keep you always. Dominus tecum, et pax tecum.
Thank you Donjojohannes 😊
Thank you for sharing your year and thoughts with us.
Ich bin sooo froh, dass es neue Videos/Nachrichten von Ihnen gibt.
Thank you for your quiet contemplative words.
Father Johannes,
Thank you for the meditative and thoughtfully produced video of your life and activities. You were very humble when you introduced this series. I know you understand how you are reaching a broad audience around the world from your perch on the mountain. It's wonderful what one can do with a connection to the world.
Peace! 🕊️ 🕊️ 🕊️
Tim
P.S. In full disclosure of my imperfection, I consumed the entire year of video as soon as they were available!
I am so thankful to have stumbled across these amazing videos. The beauty you capture and the messages you share have brought a much needed peace to my life. While I fully understand your need for a personal life away from the camera, please consider the moments of peace and joy you are able to bring into the lives of others. Few have the ability you are blessed with. Gift us again with your presence and your well thought out words. Thank you.
It would be a blessing to many if you could find time to make more videos similar to this. We know you are a busy man, and have many other duties, but you truly have a gift for this..a God given gift, along with the many others you have been given. Every other week, once a month, or whatever is possible, would be a blessing.
Father, if you can, please keep these videos coming. This is UA-cam at its finest. Your reflections sink deep. They provoke thought, examination of oneself and the world around us and they inspire. Thank you for providing us with hours of peace, beauty and inspiration. If you had to stop this, you would be thoroughly missed. These videos reach many people and do good work. I hope your good Bishop also recognizes that. Deo gratias!
Heartfelt thanks, Johannes, for sharing these magnificent videos from your heavenly mountainside perch. ❤️
It has been a joy to travel through your reflections of 2023 with you Johannes, thank you so very much for sharing your home, your beautiful chapel, your greenhouse, your labors, and your very thoughtful closing comments. Please check in with us every now and then! Sending you light and love, bright blessings!
December and death.. and yet there is beauty in the season, a clarity. Ironic that we celebrate the birth of Christ in winter, and his death in Springtime. Thank you for the videos. I wait your next creative endeavor.
Gods blessings upon you for all the joy and peace you bestow upon us through your videos. Thank you.❤
Lieber Johannes, 1000 Dank für diese Serie. Bitte hör nicht auf und nimm dir Zeit für uns in der Zukunft. Wie du siehst, brauchen die Menschen dich. Liebe Grüße.
That is true, we need Johaness and his words of wisdom are a blessing. Please continue with your beautiful work and sharing with all. ❤
I would also like to encourage you to continue these videos. Hopefully, the burden isn't too heavy to bear, even if they need to be shorter or released much less frequently. Thank you for these, grateful that I have been able to experience them.
🙏Thank you for sharing your many skills🥗⚒ and your peaceful life on a beautiful 🍂hillside in the mountains⛰🏔 in Italy.
Hi Johannes, 😉 November & December 2023
Inside your Walipini @ 7:56 Is That Dandelion Leaves, Next to the Lettuce❓ I Love seeing the Lizard!!🦎
Having So Many Flowers in Bloom in November is Marvelous, Here None of that. November Means Fall Season every dies back!
@ 8:41 What Is Leaves You Pull Off, for Salad Later❓
I`m glad You Love Winter, I don`t , I feed birds, squirrels & animals that come in the night..but it is all cat food scraps.
Wow You & Martijn Sew & Paint, that is Great!! You will Finish that Gorgeous Painting Someday!!
Taking a Trip to Province of Cuneo to see San Maurizio Church & get Cork Sheets...Love It!!
Love the Idea of Cork Sheets to Insulate Your House, I never heard of it, but then to Cover Cork with Wood Pile Optic on top!!
Take care & have a Wonderful Blessed Evening!! ❤ Love Barb from Central Illinois USA❣
You produce the most beautiful, serene videos on UA-cam. I wish you all the happiness in the world!
Thank you Father Johannes. I'm sad to see this series come to a close. It would be wonderful if you were able to continue sharing these videos. They have become a part of my Sunday. Au revoir...
thank you for these offerings . . . I shall miss them. Farwell from Ireland.
May God bless you father and thanks for these videos and reflections I wish there were more - see you again next year God sparing 🙏🙏
So many delightful nuggets in this video. Your method of scooping leaves into the bag between your legs gave me a chuckle because my husband used to laugh at me for doing the same thing when we had a landscape maintenance business. It's efficient after all!! To see (again) the name tags for the lizard houses is so cute. I belly laughed when you said "So many millions have died with success". Why would that cause me to laugh out loud? Because at my age I think about goin home more often. When family members tell me to change my habits or I'll die ... I say, "what's wrong with that? None of us gets out alive after all." We are here for a relatively short time in the grand scheme of things. We are here to learn what we can, contribute what we can, experience what we can. Then, when we have done enough, we move on. It is the way of things. Even our death experience is ... an experience. Death should not be feared. Fear should not rule our lives. Love should. To be honest, I did not think about any of these words before I typed them. They came from somewhere inside. While this is the December video ... I hope there will be more. They are a joy. Thank you.
Amazing the small church with the ancient frescoes! And the fact that you could get in with the QR code...
Bravo! A perfect ending to a beautiful journey. God bless you.
Thank you Father Johannes for sharing some of your world with us. Such a lovely gift, beautiful, encouraging and inspiring. Like many others I hope you have the space to continue your presence here. Your warmth and character and love of the outdoors, the humble way you take care of your surroundings has been a privilege to see. Whatever you decide it's good to know I can revisit your 12 'days' here. Sending love and gratitude from New Zealand.
Beautiful garden plants and insects!
I have watched your videos with great joy & all of them twice through. They are a wonderful ministry that will reach many through your channel. I will miss them very much. Thank you & and travel well on your next endeavor.
🇺🇸 Thank you .. oh how this blesses me and touches me deeply . I’m in stage 4 cancer. I chose no treatments was given 2 months. It has been 2 years. What a testimony of My Savior’s will for me.
Again Thank you 🙏✝️
The sewing machine give me flashbacks to my
childhood. I remember when being a little boy my grandma and many other grandma's all had a sewing machine and when things were broken they were being repaired. I miss those days. Thanks Johannes for the videos, I hope you enjoyed making them just as much as I did watching them ! 🙏
Beautiful filming, Johannes! Beautiful life!
Father Johannes, Thank you for these videos with the reflections. They bring more than peace, but a special peace only the author of life can bring which is love itself. A presence i think you brought to mind for many to take with them; a seed put in each heart.
We all hope to hear from you in the future❤🙏
Sending loving and peace-filled thoughts to everyone.
Thank you. I hope to see you again one day and will enjoy these reflections in the meantime.
My wife and I are hoping you might offer a video every month or six weeks, even if it's only a peek into your experiences.
Thanks for the 12 months. Although we could have binged them we decided to make them a weekend viewing event.
Top shelf UA-cam viewing.
Thank you Father Johannes.
Thank you so much Johannes for the wonderful gift you have given us, of your year on the mountain. So much content, I’m sure I will be revisiting it again and again, your reverence and care for everything in your life , the tools, plants, home , food, wildlife, the mountain, all the people you meet, all met with such respect and love, you must please keep posting as there is no other person sharing what you share. 🙏🏴
Thank you very much Father for sharing these videos with all of us. I have looked forward to them every Sunday morning.
Thank you ,Go raibh maith agat ,in Gaelic ,, Beanacht Dé leat, God bless you , A ,G ,Ireland , ❤
Thank you as my sister is close to death and seeing her savior ❤
I am saddened with the knowledge that I won’t be listening to your reflections, but joyful in having to hear them. I know the filming and editing are a lot to do. Many Tubers are quitting or cutting back on content. I will stay subscribed so that when you surprise us all with a new video, my smile will be from ear to ear. Stay a mystic. God bless. Tom.
Ich habe deine wunderschönen Videos sehr genossen, Johannes. Vielen Dank dafür. Ich hoffe doch, wir bekomen die Früchte deiner gigantischen Blumenzwiebelpflanzaktion noch zu sehen.
Ha Ha Father, yes, the earth is not our mother. Thank you for sharing the great Christian mind of Chesterton. Great to see you started painting again. You clearly have a gift.
I hope there is plenty of money to send to your friends in Ukraine. May the Lord bring and give peace. I will enjoy re-watching your series. Thank you for the time you spent away from chores in order to provide us all with such serenity and hard work. Again, thank you.
Thank you Father. I pray we meet again. God bless
JOHANNES, SUCH A WONDERFUL, CLOSING REFLECTION!!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS UPLIFTING & SO TRUE!!! WE ARE BLESSED W/WHAT GOD GIVES US & TO BE GOOD STEWARTS OF THOSE BLESSINGS! THE WALL TURNED OUT SO COOL!!! *IN GOD'S PRECIOUS LOVE. Do take care. Fl., USA
Thank you very much for this series. We have enjoyed them very much. Inspiring.
Fr. Johannes, greetings from Canada! Thank you for these twelve episodes, for sharing glimpses of your life as a hermit, and for sharing your reflections. Even though I am a practicing Catholic, your reflections were helpful. Lately I’ve been suffering from some stress, and watching your episodes, especially during Lent, helped reduce stress and reflect on my faith. Your chapel is beautiful. Producing these kinds of videos requires a special skill and a sacrifice of your time. I hope you may consider releasing more videos in the future, even if only a few times a year or so.
Those videos were so peaceful and inspiring! Thank you!!!
You went to all of that trouble to take up the floor and insulate under the stones and then never told us if it helped. Would like to know if you really felt a difference. Thank you, Father Johannes, for sharing some of your life. I hope you will continue. Blessings.
Your reflections always tug at something that needs to be aired in the dusty, cluttered corners of my consciousness. "Sielskos", as we say in Afrikaans, is so unique from your point of view. Living, while preparing for death and Beyond, isn't always easy, but this little Life of ours are all worth it. Speckled livers and all 😊. Because of His Love for us. Blessings, Johannes. And Thank you.
Please don't stop the videos!
...our home is not here... not even on this beautiful mountain... (or at the seaside, where I live...) its in a place, still to come... thank you Johannes 🙏💖🌟
Danke für diese Einblicke in Ihre Person, Ihren Glauben und die Fundamente Ihres Lebens.
I’m am late to watching this last video of a year in your life. Thank you for a brilliant series, I loved it. I will miss you terribly as you always made me think and made me feel calm. Thank you. 🇦🇺🦘🦘🇦🇺
Danke für Deine Worte - unsere Heimat ist nicht hier - nachdem wir unsere Aufgabe beendet haben gehen wir wieder HEIM zu ❤ GOTT ❤ ich freu mich drauf ❤
Lieber Johannes, tausend Dank, dass wir ein Jahr an Deinem Leben als "Eremit auf Zeit" teilnehmen durften. Deine Videos hinterlassen möglicherweise mehr Spuren als es Dir bewusst ist.
Wonderful, as always. Take care.