✙ comments & commentary
Test all things, hold fast what is good
"No one is good but One, that is, God" (see: Luke 18:19).
Therefore, we have to be careful in trusting ourselves. But also in trusting others. Because who can we really count on in times of need? Whose behaviour and actions speak louder than their words? In other words: how can we avoid the wolves and the charlatans in our midst that Apostle Paul warned us about (Acts 20:29-35)?
Jesus gave us the answer: you will recognise them by their fruits (Matthew 7:15-27). For this same reason, Apostle Paul advised us Christians to: “Test all things, hold fast what is good” (see: 1 Thes 5:21).
And even more so, the entire Bible - and also the living history of the Desert Fathers and Mothers (spanning from approximately 250 AD until 1400 AD) - are filled with numerous other examples and exhortations to thoroughly inquire, bring to light, and test (provided this is done with tact and loving kindness) both oneself and each other. Because: “No one is good but One, that is: God". Therefore, in regard to everybody else (including ourselves) it’s better to be always both friendly and careful at the same time.
This, then, is our Christian responsibility: to always hold on to God, while exercising our own good judgement without being judgmental. How and how well we do this will in many ways determine the direction, the flow, and the outcome of our life.
So please don’t judge me before you’ve gotten to know me, questioned me when you have questions or doubts about me, and in that way you’ve established the facts and the fruits of my life for yourself and from your own personal experience.
To that end, the comments and commentaries below - though often far too friendly - might provide you with a first step to getting to know me: a fool and an imperfect human being like everybody else.
“Bartholomew was there for me during the illness of my son, when he died, and afterwards. When necessary I could always reach him by phone, and he called and texted me when I needed it the most. With God’s help he effectively, unselfishly, and religiously consoled me throughout this difficult time and helped me to carry my unbearable loss. I value his friendship as a hermit immensely. And even though under normal circumstances we never really speak, I know he prays for me almost daily".
- widowed mother
“Having met Bartholomew by chance, I asked him about his life as a hermit. Then he listened to me as I told him about my current life's situation, and he gave me some advice. Though I still do not believe in a God, I found my conversation with Bartholomew inspiring. Maybe we actually will see each other in 'heaven’ again. If so, then I won't be afraid to admit my mistake."
- business executive
"My Christian upbringing was quite light. So I don’t particularly believe in the power of prayer. But after meeting Bartholomew, he promised me to pray daily for me during the next couple of months. Even though a part of me still refuses to believe this completely, I feel that I must perhaps thank Bartholomew for his intercessory prayers for me. Because I had a profound restorative experience after I happened to meet him at the parking lot. Since then, I’ve often thought back to this unlikely encounter."
- separated mother of two daughters
“Bartholomew managed to recognise my underlying dilemmas and managed to help me effectively conquer the conscious and subconscious defences that blocked my way back to true - heartfelt - prayer. He was effective by being to the point and by being straightforward with me despite my misgivings. His directness was needed, but I found it sometimes bordering on the uncomfortable. Though he was always truly sincere and attentive, I would have appreciated being less often interrupted while trying to formulate my arguments and feelings. Nonetheless, in letting me meet Bartholomew - who clearly and genuinely cared about me as if I was true family but as a hermit maintained somewhat of a social distance at all times - God gave me the forceful push I needed to finally and successfully overcome my inner obstacles. For this, I will be forever grateful."
- widow (retired)
“My gratitude to God for having received the trust and opportunity to read hermit Bartholomew’s Ratio Vivendi.
His clear decision, at only 14 years old, to search for God through the path of knowledge is remarkable. And so is his consequent life of collecting that knowledge through testing and experiencing various available roads. Ultimately his all-encompassing drive to go from seeing to understanding, and then from understanding to believing, brought him to the life-changing conclusion that Jesus is real, and really the Son of God. And - therefore - that Christianity is the most true and the most universal faith of all religions.
Having read brother Bartholomew's entire Ratio Vivendi, I wholeheartedly share his conclusion that he has a true vocation to the hermit life. And that he is not only called to the hermit life, but also qualified to live it.
Brother Bartholomew's daily schedule of prayer, study, fasting, penance, and work is a demanding one, but I think it's a good one."
- bishop emeritus
“For me personally, brother Bartholomew is the embodiment of sincere and non-judgemental wisdom. He points the way forward, provides us with spiritual nourishment, carries us in his prayer, and is reliable. We can always turn to him with our religious questions and dilemmas, even though he maintains his boundaries as a hermit."
- mother of two daughters
“Brother bartholomew is a very direct, honest, and upright person with a warm heart. He is a quick thinker and he will keep searching until he has gotten to the heart of the matter. Combined with his compassion and fundamental honesty, I found him sometimes to be too direct and impatient. Also, he is sometimes hard to reach. But he always returns any missed calls quickly. Personally, I’m very happy to have asked and received his advice."
- Roman Catholic priest
“Brother Bartholomew contacted me, after some thirty years, because he felt like he needed to call me. This happened exactly at a moment that I found myself in a difficult situation in my life without a clear way forward. For the next couple of years Bartholomew supported me with his intercessory prayers, his practical advice, and his mild admonitions. In the end, I made it through and found stable ground once again. I’m very grateful to God for the help Bartholomew provided me with during these difficult years."
- professional musician, father of two teenagers
“Some people appear in your life as a blessing. For us, brother Bartholomew is such a person. He left a worldly successful life for an uncertain life of prayer and study in silence and solitude. To be closer to God. And from that place of silence and seclusion he became a voice of peace, tranquility, and safety in our family life. Despite the storms and struggles he faced in building his own life as a hermit, he was there for us with his prayer, with his peace of mind, and with his confidence: all rooted in God. He was there for us when we were worried, when we were grateful, and when we were temporarily lost. He genuinely builds people up instead of breaking them down. We thank God for knowing him."
- father in a family of four, living in a 3-generation household
“Bartholomew's heart is in the right place. He's a very pleasant person to work with."
- the board of directors of a parish corporation
"Brother Bartholomew is a profound and deeply compassionate person of whom I think there are few. Looking back on our contact, I can say that I have never had such pleasant conversations before in my life."
- widow and former war orphan, retired
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