One Year in the Life of a Part Time Hermit - November - Of trading rusted metal for wood shingles

[@donjojohannes]

AFTER NEXT WEEK'S EPISODE I will do a a Q&A. If you still have any questions, please put them in the comments below. Now, on to the CONCLUDING REFLECTION: In 2010 the British folk rock band Mumford & Sons released their third single and best song: “The cave”. They may have won awards for other things but I'm of course right with my very objective assessment. For “The cave” is a song that borrows from G.K. Chesterton's first book he had written as a catholic convert, after abandoning atheism, which happens to be also my favourite biography of St. Francis of Assisi. Chesterton describes Francis as a jongleur de Dieu - a joyful fool for Christ certainly capable of standing on his hands. And that may be an exercise quite meaningful: “Whereas to the normal eye the large masonry of the walls of Assisi or the massive foundations of its watchtowers and its high citadel would make it seem safe and permanent, the moment it was turned upside down the very same weight would make it seem more helpless and more in peril. It is but a symbol; but it happens to fit the psychological fact. Saint Francis might love his little town as much as before, or more than before; but the nature of the love would be altered even in being increased. He might see and love every tile on the steep roofs or every bird on the battlements; but he would see them all in a new and divine light of eternal danger and dependence. Instead of being merely proud of his strong city because it could not be moved, he would be thankful to God Almighty that it had not been dropped; he would be thankful to God for not dropping the whole cosmos like a vast crystal to be shattered into falling stars. Perhaps St. Peter saw the world so, when he was crucified head-downwards.” The Christian story is the story of the upside down; the reversal that reveals true reality, the paradox that is more reasonable than what humans would devise. The short of the Christian story is this: There is one God uncomposed, unlimited, being itself, goodness, truth. The one God knowing and loving himself is a Trinity - an eternal communion of love: denoted as Father, Son and Spirit. His Creation is no necessary emanation. It does not add anything to Him. It is not for His sake. It is a gift, a free sharing of the goodness that is God in himself. The adequate response of the creature, capable of a response, is to return God's love with its own. That love will never be proportionate. It does not have to be. All it has to be is whole. The tragedy of man after his creation was that his response was not such. It was deficient. Evil, we need to understand, is not an opposing force in the universe. Evil is much like darkness. Darkness has no being but rather is the absence of light. In this case it is not a simple absence but a deficiency. It is a privation, the lack of what ought to be. Deficiency in action is call sin; It is a deficiency in love that is owed. So, the universe is not dualistic. That means there is no actual duel between good and evil. There may be at times duels between creatures, who love and sin. But evil itself has no ontological standing. That means, it is real but not as existing by itself. It cannot create. It can only corrupt. Man after his creation sadly followed the path of corruption. The book of Genesis recounts the story full of pregnant imagery. Genesis also contains the promise of redemption and the first steps to restore man after his fall. For the punishments for Adams sin, that are recounted, are not vengeance but ordered to man's salvation. Experiencing his own frailty, man is reminded that as a created being, he is not self-sufficient but ordered to his creator. There is nothing deserved or necessary in God's salvation history that follows. Like creation itself it is a gift from his goodness. The path of this story is windy, full of setbacks, betrayal, sin. Love requires freedom and the same freedom always includes the possibility of rejection. Love cannot be forced and still be love. In the story of God and man, man had to be reminded that there is only one God - and that this God doesn’t reside in fire, lightning or thunder, but is completely different from the world. Man had to realize that this God did not reside in images of wood and stone, manipulated through food offerings and sacrifices. Man had to understand that communion with God comes about by love - from which then follows a certain way of life -, and not through voodoo rituals or shamanism. People had to come to an understanding that the change of human heart was something interior, and could not be brought about by external laws, regardless of how good those laws were in themselves. Man had to acknowledge that a true conversion of the heart was beyond his own powers and that he needed divine intervention - a redeemer, who would restore mankind. God accomplished much of his divine pedagogy through the people of Israel, which in the fullness of time he would make a blessing unto the nations. After having spoken through his creation to all and through the prophets to his people, he spoke through his own word, through the logos, through the eternal Son who from eternity expresses the Father fully. This eternal word was made flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus the Christ. But he did not come to merely give us light and a path to follow - with instructions along the way. He came to restore what man had lost in the first man. He came as a new Adam, from whom new descendants would be born not according to the flesh but to the spirit. He restored what the first Adam had lost. He gave himself to the Father in love, where the first Adam had refused. Christ did not restore us, as Martin Luther thought by serving as a lightning rod for the just anger of God that he had held against us as sinners. He restored us by act of love. This act was made visible dramatically on the cross so as to move our hearts - even if a much lesser act would have sufficed. For the love of Christ was not merely human but that of the second person of the Holy Trinity. It was greater than all the lovelessness of sin of all men of all times. It restored in the new Adam the love what was owed to God by humanity- not because God would be lacking otherwise, but because thereby God not only manifested his mercy but also his justice - which in Him are one and the same. The cross is no accident but called by John the Evangelist the hour of glory - meaning the hour in which God reveals himself in the fullest way. ... Continued in Comment below:

[@donjojohannes]

PART II: It is through Christ as the new Adam, that this love reaches us. If we are united to Christ it not only restores us to God, but also begins in use our transformation into new creations. We are made anew. That is what baptism signifies which is not a nice welcoming ceremony but a dramatic action. The old man drowns in the waters as they cover our head and the new man emerges to life. We are conformed to Christ - his death and resurrection. On the whole Christian life is not so much about learning what to do and then labouring intensely from your own strength, but being united to Christ through the love that he has poured into our hearts. The law doesn't save precisely because it relies on our strength. But what strength is there? We will always seek the way of least resistance, the easiest way. We will break laws, when we fear no consequence. We justify breaking them quibbling over their wording and their letters. Love is different. Its question is not: what must I do as a minimum? Rather it asks: what can I do? How can I bring joy to my beloved? - a joy that will indeed also be my own, but only - paradoxically - when I do not first seek myself in it. The Christian life is about being conformed and united to Christ in love. This is what the sacraments accomplish. They make us a new creation, give the strength of the spirit and the new manna from heaven to nourish us along our exodus through the desert of this world. They restore us to life when we have died the death of sin, they sanctify us in order to sanctify others, they increase in us the life that flows from the cross. Christianity is not a cerebral ethical religion of do's and dont's. It is about the grace given to conform us to Christ - so that in the eternal son, we become sons and daughters of the Father. By being united to Christ as a body is to its head, we are taken through him and with him and in him into the divine life - into the communion of love that is the triune God. This is the essence of Christianity - or at least the Christianity we have received from the apostles. More could be said. More should be said. But I thought it would worthwhile to say at least this little. For there are many - even Christians - who have no understanding of what they are called be: It is not a life of laws and rules to please some capricious, overbearing God. It is a life of love, enabled by the very love with which God loved us into existence and by which he redeemed us on the cross. It is a love rarely devoid of suffering - which as painful as it is, may mature our love. Christianity unlike its modern and ancient substitutes is not about wellness, self-care or the promises of the preachers of prosperity. These things may be goods and good to have. But if they are ordered to the self, they get us nowhere. They let us circle around the “me”. Love on the other hand is not about the self but about the other. Love seeks first the beloved. It goes beyond the self and thus is an adventure - if not into the unknown, then into the greatest light. It is difficult but rewarding. It does not think in terms of what is owed but marvels of what is given. That is why it is joyful. It is not about what it thinks is due to it, but it understands itself as loved for no other reason that the lover so chooses. Gratitude flows from it which sweetens the years, months or days that we are given. Such is Christianity, if anyone asked me to sum up its story. Is it just a beautiful story we tell ourselves or is it really true? Arguments about that cannot fit into this format - but I suggest you seeking out the figure of Christ. If you seek, you will find. Or better, he will find you.

[@hmhmoinsdk]

@@donjojohannes if i may ask a question: imagine this: 1st, a universe in which everyone is good and no one is suffering - this is an obviously good universe 2nd, a universe in which everyone is tortured all the time and people "sin" in action and thought : it is an obviously evil universe 3rd, a universe in which people are good, but illness exists - there is no "evil" but still suffering 4th, a universe in which people are neither good nor sinners - they simply don't care about others - they don't intend to do harm, but they also don't intend to do good, if they have to harm someone they will, but they don't go out of their way to do it - we could very well imagine everyone living on his own little farm only interacting on a transactional basis with others completely amoral (or a more dystopian late-stage of capitalism in which even relationships are always only temporary and everyone is just waiting for the better "fit") 5th, a more or less empty universe - no good no evil only stars planets etc. no humans no one who has a concept of morals (with the possible exception of a god) If evil was like darkness the absence of goodness than universe 2, 4 and 5 should be equally "evil" since goodness is absent in all of them. But I think we can all agree that isn't the case : even the quasi empty universe seems like a "better" version compared to the endless suffering and sin of universe 2, doesn't it?

[@donjojohannes]

Hi. great question. First, one could add of course more scenarios, like 6) something closer to our universe, where moral and physical evil exists. Yet if these evils did not exist certain goods would also not exist. In the case of moral goods: there would be no love all the greater for overcoming evil, patience, bravery, and other virtues or heroism which can exist only in so far as some prior evil is overcome. Or regarding physical evil: if you felt no pain when you touched fire and thus withdrew from certain "physical evils" (as fire could be considered relating to your concrete physical nature) you would die of burns. So physical suffering is at times the instrument that preserves life (both physical - or inasmuch as it directs to ends other than the physical ends, it may be a catalyst for searching the spiritual end). It is also a necessary corollary to having sensory creatures - i.e. creatures possessing touch and thus belonging to the animal kingdom. Ok. Now to your questions, if I understand it right: As for evil comparing to darkness: here is a distinction that maybe was not expressed by me clearly enough or maybe it was overlooked by you (you may recognize it now if you look at the text again). Darkness is the lack of light. It is an absence. On the plain of being (what is called "ontology" with a fancy word) evil is lack of being and thus like darkness. Ok. But it is also different from the example that darkness illustrate. Darkness is a simple absence. But evil is not a simple absence, but the absence of something that "ought to be there". It is a privation. As stated in the text it is not simply the lack of love, but the lack of love that is owed! What does this distinction mean and how does it bear on your thoughts? Well, all of your 5 universes (and my 6th) are good inasmuch as they exist. Existence itself is a good. In fact even an evil person or the devil himself are considered good, inasmuch as they "are" (have existence). For through their existence - which they cannot give to themselves as creatures - they participate in the one who is being itself (God). So, your 5th universe I would not consider evil. For good is not absent. The other universes (2,4) too are good inasmuch as they exist, but they may contain evils. They contain moral evils if moral agents - i.e. free agents with the capacity for good (which is a good in itself) act not in accordance with their ultimate end (God) loving God and his creation in the appropriate way (i.e. do not give something the love it is owed). So you would be right that a world without free moral agents (like your 5th) would have less evil. Because there would be no moral evil. But would it also have less good? Yes. Because it would have no moral good. Now, which would be better? Difficult to say for someone who does not hold to a belief in God. But if we put God into the picture, a universe with free moral agents would more fully - richer - representing the greatness of its creator. And that seems true enough, right? A gallery with 1000 paintings of an artist shows more of who the artist is, than a collection of only 3 paintings. Ok. But if you concede my point, maybe you now wonder: Would a perfect God not have to create the best possible universe? And a better universe is not hard to imagine. Take one with less suffering or at least with a fewer number of mosquitoes. That would seem a better universe, doesn't it? Well the answer may surprise you. According to catholic theology we do not live in the best possible world and a perfect God does not have to create the best possible universe. Why? That is another good question (one my university students in fundamental theology usually ask, but which goes beyond this comment).

[@hmhmoinsdk]

@@donjojohannes Hello Thanks for your answer - it made some points clearer for me. However if i may: to say certain evils lead to greater goods seem a bit weird when put into certain contexts : I may very well say it's good a Dr. cures a patient - wouldn't it have been better for the patient to not be ill from the start? regarding the broader argument : i am fine with assuming god does not have to create the best possible universe (although i`d love to hear the answer to the "why?" - maybe in a later reflection?) i am also fine with assuming a universe with free moral agents is richer than one without - although it somewhat bothers me to compare the greatest evils mankind has done (and the possible moments of bravery people showed in order to defy those works of evil) to the e.g. 999th picture in the gallery of gods works of art - after all in the act of painting a horrible thing the paint never had to suffer. but if i consider both those assumptions (god creating an imperfect universe, and humans being free moral agents) and the third implicit assumption that we make when we are talking about good; there is good in the world (and god being good): why can we not really agree on what "good" is - even within on view of the moral world (be it religious or philosophical) we usually see contradicitions - e.g. "you shall not kill" vs " if you finde a witch you shall not let her live" (roughly - I did not read the bible in english and it's been a while). If there was an absolute good - we should be able to find it and - over time - bring people towards at least acknowledging it - just as now basically everyone accepts that the earth is round. however people who do evil deeds usually dont seem to see themselves as evil - e.g. communists who argue with "greater good" - or religions going on "holy wars" edit: I would also like to add that I am coming from a place of honest curiosity - I am aware discussions about religion can be a bit ... heated online - it is simply that I was raised catholic myself, and I was at some point no longer able to make sense of a religious worldview (this was in fact what led me to read through the bible). I am quite grateful for the time you put into your reflections and the answer you have already provided

[@donjojohannes]

You are welcome. Concerning the follow up, I would say: for us it is sometimes difficult to determine what is "better". Too many variables. Take your example of the doctor and the patient. Is it really true that it is better for a person to be never sick than to be cured? I understand what you mean. I seems a no-brainer. But experiencing frailty and sickness may turn my life around. Given that my existence in this world is finite, a sickness may be a wake up call to ask myself how I want to spend the few years that I have. Or if I believe myself to be self sufficient - I may come to appreciate community, human relations, service and charity through needing a doctor, nurses, family taking care of me. I may look at my own potential to be of service to others in a new light after having benefited from the service of others. What is really better? How do we judge it? So in the concrete universe in which we exist, clear evils - though not good in themselves - may occasion growth in goodness. I would not say that "certain evils lead to greater goods" unless you mean a) this kind of temporal sequence of evil and good or b) the fact that in some cases the existence of certain evils is just the "other side of the coin": you want a creature capable of love freely given? You get a creature capable of failure to love, since you cannot force love and still call it love. As for the image gallery. I see what you mean and agree that it appears to not work as nicely extended to our deeds. The analogy meant to relate to the number and kind of creatures that reflect the divine (case in point: the existence of free moral agents making the world richer). I was not conceiving of the "paintings" as a historical depiction of the creatures' departure from the good to which they are called. But writing this, I think you could press the point against me and insist: If God is who I say He is, then all that must not escape at least his permissive will. And then even the most evil deeds - while not willed by him directly but only permitted - must in the end serve his purpose. And I would say: yes. Hence the crucifixion, which at the very same time constitutes the peak of evil (theologically speaking indeed the greatest possible evil due to the dignity of Christ), but also is the "hour of glory and greatest divine revelation" according to the Christian reading. It would mean that horrible evils - though only permitted - cannot escape to serve a purpose in God's plan though it may be unknown to us when they happen. And I realize there are many evils that you could name that I cannot see "the good" of that God could want. All I could do is point to the fact that as a creature I do not have such a vantage point (which is incidentally the whole argument of the biblical book of Job) As for why we apparently cannot agree on what good is: 1) Sometimes we might not agree and see contradictions because we are not being precise (language always carries that danger). The contradictions in such a case really are only apparent contradictions. Such is the example you give from the Old Testament. The very same book that contains the 10 commandments within a few chapters lays down rules on capital punishment. That is not a contradiction in this case because the commandment as you quote it is not very accurate (not your fault - just a question of language use). You quote "Thou shalt not kill" and intend "kill" as "taking a life". However it ought to be phrased as "Though shalt not murder". What is murder? Murder is the taking of an innocent life. This is not the same as taking the life of a guilty man. This is a distinction that not only found in the Old Testament. Virtually all governments make the same distinction: Murder is always wrong. Killing on the other hand, may be permissible to preserve public order (hence capital punishment is argued for in some countries for different offenses) or it is allowed in self defense (or a defensive war, to rebuke an invader who threatens "the innocent"). So we need to be precise. 2) The second, most common reasons why we disagree, is actually not that we disagree on principle - but in fact. Consider abortion. People advocating against abortion do so because they hold the baby in the womb to be a human person and thus worthy of protection. Most defenders of abortion do NOT argue: "it is ok to kill babies". They argue that there "is no baby, but just a clump of cells". Both groups can probably agree that killing innocent people is wrong. They usually disagree on whether the infant in the womb is a human being/person. That is where the actual argument needs to happen. a) Abortion is a moral evil if the infant in the womb is a person. b) It is also a moral evil if we are not sure if it is a person (on the principle that in an important matter we ought to err on the side of caution - like when driving over a lump on the road that looks like a person but might be just a heap of cloths - which in law would change the deed from murder to manslaugther, which is still an evil). c) if it is just a clump of cells than abortion harms no child but is a mere action of woman on her own body. So this is really what the abortion argument should be about. Its about determining this fact. It however in practice rarely is, and this brings us to the third reason why people disagree on moral issues: 3) we disagree on "the good" because we pursue a particular good that is in fact a subordinate good and we pursue that good over and above a superior/proper good. The underlying truth is that our will can only pursue the good. That is the kind of thing the faculty of the will is. It is a "good-seeking-power". The will may pursue something that is objectively evil but it cannot pursue evil as such. If I "will" it, it is because of some "good". Now I might be wrong about it being the proper (higher) good but it is always a good that I seek - which makes it difficult to realize sometimes that it is in fact an objective evil that I pursue. Take "murder out of revenge". The one who does it will say: "the guy I killed deserved to die". So by killing he really was looking for "justice" (a good) - though it may be a warped sense of justice in a particular case, lacking due process and authority and subverting the common good and order of a society that cannot properly function based on such self styled "justice". All of this (1-3), I hope, explains why we often seem to disagree on the good. If we want to argue for an objective good that binds all people and universally calls certain things just and others unjust we can do so only by a standard that is outside man. We can argue for a natural law = law based on objectively given nature and end of man. This was the argument at the Nuremberg trials when the NS defense was rejected which had argued that the Nazi-crimes were no crime because it actually had been legal to kill certain people in NS-Germany. But natural law in turn can only be defended by an underlying divine law - because otherwise human nature in the end is arbitrary. And that brings us to the 4th option (we have not named yet): One could say we disagree on what is good because there is no actual good. All there is, is struggling wills for power. Might makes right. While some atheists are oblivious to the fact that their ideology necessarily leads this way (like Dawkins) and others try to escape the horrible consequences (like Sam Harris) they necessarily fail because they either have no leg to stand on (like Harris' impossible attempt to start from "minimum suffering" which is impossible to determine for any human being that cannot judge every consequence much less across time!) - or they in fact continue to "lean on a leg" they have amputated and inherited from the remnants of a religious culture (true for Dawkin's silly moral outrage about e.g. Mother Teresa or the "God of the Old Testament" but more profoundly for the entire non-theist and non-deist enlightenment). The only really honest Atheist I ever read was Nietzsche. And he went mad. He went mad because he thought things through. He despised the silly atheists who in his own day as much as ours continue to live in the "shadow of the God they had killed". Yet if you leave that shadow, death and destruction of struggling wills is all that remains. Hence Nietzsche's call for the super-man. And a guy with an ugly little beard in Germany tried to answer.

[@karenwestbrook2352]

I sincerely hope that you continue these videos into this year 2024. I so want to see all those bulbs in bloom. I enjoy your videos with your talents, all of the flora and fauna, your comments and knowledge. Thank you for sharing.

[@davidprazynski6045]

Ditto

[@TGTree]

... On a silly note o/~ I sometimes use CC, for translation, and so, when rocks are being put into a bucket, or the floor is being swept, nobody's talking But the translation pops up as: "APPLAUSE". I don't clap or anything... it's just funny, plus appropriate FOR ALL THIS HARD working labor. 😂

[@lynsmith2698]

I agree, I was willing to resort to begging him to continue making this kinds of videos. It’s one of the highlights of my week.

[@geoffupton]

these vids are now definitely part of the weekly calm down needs 😁 i hope they continue as they are so interesting to watch and listen to 😊

[@hmhmoinsdk]

or alternatively the exploding population of mice on that mountain ^^

[@gedreillyhomestead6926]

Carpenter, Gardener, Stone worker, Naturalist, Artist, Teacher, Philosopher, Priest. 🙏🏻 👍

[@leslierosslentz1988]

Saturday feels better knowing you are here.

[@fiberbeads]

Yes.

[@lynnmacleod1879]

Your videos give me a sense of tranquility while also reflecting upon your commentaries. I hope you consider continuing them. Thank-you!!!

[@douglasvincent5772]

I first encountered you in Kirsten Dirksen's video on KZbin. Later I found Martyn Dollard independently and was amazed to find you neighbors. When this series of yours presented, I have become an avid follower. As a "pulpit supply" preacher in upstate New York, I find your personal reflections theologically soothing, poetically articulated and profoundly inspiring. I want to thank you for your efforts on behalf of our faith which really needs your message in these trying days. I hope that you can continue to be that "voice crying in the wilderness" for the rest of us who aspire to keeping the light on.

[@terris6322]

Amen!

[@TGTree]

Oh Y.E.S. si, hanji, yes. Beautiful to see others that saw Fr. Johannes even before Martijn. Amazing grace, that they're neighbors. 😊

[@barbararoman2945]

I would never have thought I would enjoy watching a roof being built and shingles being positioned “just so” on a Saturday night-yet here I am. How I love your masterful work in all that you do. And the very best are your reflections. What a gift to listen without being preached at! You’re gifted & real and have managed to stay grounded in nature. Oh please don’t let these videos end🙏

[@luigit.3428]

Please Father Johannes, do not stop, we truly need these weekly videos, particularly to "unplug" from the weekly routine and hustle by relaxing our mind immersed into this heavenly and calm environment; and at the same time to nurture our spirit by meditating through your weekly reflection, prelude of the Sunday service. God Bless you Father.

[@paul-ks3jt]

👍

[@ArtVeritasFineArt-ls1ex]

Dear Father, your videos are beautifully and artistically made - it speaks to my heart and enriches my imagination. Your theological and philosophical reflections are deeply penetrating through my soul - it is truly God's inspired. Your knowledge is remarkable and well incorporated into all your reflections. Please, continue as it is greatly needed! Numerous Catholics today are looking for traditional priests and liturgy. I feel deeply, that unless we will come back to the reverence towards Holy Eucharist - the only true Presence of Christ on earth - the situation in the church and the world will only get worse. It's such a blessing to have you through these inspirational videos - you are True Priest!

[@teresaoftheandes6279]

Amen.

[@paul-ks3jt]

Well said👍🙏

[@karenrobinson2618]

I will miss you if you stop after filming each month of the year. I sure do hope you continue. I love your reflections at the end of each episode. Thank you!!

[@sebastian46808]

Best reflection yet. It is so easy to get distracted by so many issues and actually forget the over arching story. Your summation was a wonderful reminder and an inspiring call back to what really matters. Thank you and may God preserve you in all the grace you need to love him as he loves you.

[@Patrbrid1]

Amen, Amen, Amen Johannes. What a beautiful reflection during our Lenten journey. As a Secular Franciscan thank you for bringing our beloved Francis into your reflections. #proclaim the gospel & when necessary use words!

[@mozdickson]

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ shall come again. What unspeakable joy. Thank you J.

[@ferdlamclassics2100]

Amen 🙏

[@joyweidental1227]

Thank you for your kindness🥰

[@joyweidental1227]

Wirklich, selber Schindeln machen! Ein Traum geht in Erfüllung:))) Glückwunsch! Das schaut wunderbar original aus!Liebe Grüße aus Wien❣️

[@Opdeweegh73]

Johannes, hope you get a bigger hammer soon for future projects. Thank you and well done.

[@donjojohannes]

You are right, I should. It's one of those things. I put it back in the drawer and forget it until I hold it in my hands again and say "I should get a bigger hammer" :-)

[@CountryCampers]

Blessed by the scenery of where u reside. Your thoughts on matters of the spiritual life are very insightful. Thank you for these weekly videos and I hope you will do more.

[@blacksheep_77]

So glad Kirsten came up that mountain and found you and Martjin. Your reflection is so well articulated. “Such is Christianity…” Like you, I see such amazement in the second Adam. And it always takes me back to the intent of the carpenter/creator. He made the first Adam naked. I have pondered this many years and have come to the conclusion that the purpose of that nakedness was a poetic flourish that explained fully the whole purpose of being human. Paul called Jesus the second Adam, and we are like him if we are in him, naked before the Father, having embraced nakedness and yet finding the fullness of strength in our unity to the community of the God-head, that Trinity of Love you speak of so well. There is no greater thing to find than the resurrection of nakedness in Him. And you have articulated that doorway so well in the person of Jesus. “If you see me, you see the Father…”; “What you see me do, I learned from Him and I only do what I He has shown me…”. Like others here…I hope you continue this video journey. The digital space is a better place for your sacrifice of love.

[@paulinewilson613]

Father Johannes, you never cease to amaze with your abilities to build beautiful structures and garden. Your videos are very inspiring and calming, I particularly love your reflections you share at the end of each video, thank you so much and God bless you and all that you do

[@adelheidsnel5171]

Thank you so much for reminding me what faith is all about. Christ said: I am LOVE. Bless you and your neighbours on that beautiful mountain.

[@barrydoxseyuk]

I love to see the numbers of followers, go up. It means a message is being shared. A message that people want to hear. O and I love the new shingles on your roof. A new sound in the rain, more pleasing to the ear. Peace and calm.

[@ShaunOconnor-e5p]

I very much enjoy turning off from my life. To see you living a peaceful and fulfilling one. I wish you all the best and god bless.

[@JohnRAstolfi]

My wife and I watch faithfully each week. Please continue doing these videos and sharing your thoughts and homily. When I listen to your thoughts, I feel like I am reading a book by Francis Shaefer. And I wonder... all this talk about the eternal, yet personal creator - when will you pray with us to actually receive Christ, to surrender our lives to him and invite him into our hearts? john the plmbr - ohio

[@josiematthias3780]

Love your videos of your life as a hermet in a beautiful rugged place. A place that appears to be closer to God as the scenery seems close to heaven. But hearing you speak your thoughts of what it means to be a Christian, what the truth is of what love means having His love for us was so peaceful, calming and thought provoking. I would like to hear more of your "teachings" in video or pod casts that are strictly for that purpose. Especially living a life full of too much to do. Hearing your words in this video made me think twice of slowing down and being more Christ like. Showing love as He has shown His love for me. Thank you!

[@malcpkim8]

I really enjoyed seeing you at work, Johannes. Your home is a place of peaceful contemplation. Your sharing of the good news compliments your everyday life. Overcoming the distractions of life only comes when you receive God's grace to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Love is the key when you discover God wants us to live our lives with him, not just for him. Thank you for sharing it is very much appreciated.

[@elizabethlampi7667]

Closing reflections, a beautiful reflection of Gods love and truth. Words well said. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@АнтонинаРязанова-ы1ч]

Этот Ваш домик в горах, просто райское место...Эдем... мне очень нравится бывать у вас здесь вертуально...

[@lieselotte521]

Das Schindeldach ist sehr schön geworden, Sie arbeiten sehr genau , Pater Johannes. Und das in schwindelerregender Höhe ! Dafür aber mit wunderschöner Aussicht. LG aus der Steiermark ! 🌲

[@johnmfroehlich2915]

Dear Father Johannes, We discovered that if you can peacefully coexist with a "few" wasps, you will never be plagued with flies. : ) God bless and keep you in all you do.

[@hans215]

Watching you’re video again after a few months you triggered me by what you said in last 15 minutes of this video. Since a few months I am awakening for the things you said about Christ, Adam, incarnation and the holy Trinity. Especially what’s been said in the gospel according to John. Chapter 17 verses 20, 21 and 22. Also John 14: 20. God bless you. Also you’re neighbor who is from the Netherlands like me. Ciao.

[@LoreleiHome]

Would you consider continuing to post a monthly or bimonthly video? I not only enjoy your projects, the seasonal tasks and changes. the nature information and notes, and your tranquil views of the alps, but the conversation your comment section starts in my soul is healthy, meaningful and productive. I believe this is a useful exercise for both teacher and student. And thank you for these beautiful videos and your spiritual journey you share and advise us with.

[@Godwinsjc]

Such a beautiful teaching thank you so much!! With the political climate hear in US I feel we are in a precipice , I have let my heart harden while watching evil destroy our country and other countries. I seek Jesus daily , but hearing your voice helped me remember the essence of the Love of God thank you I will listen again ❤

[@marilyns6043]

I look forward to your videos and reflections. Much appreciated.

[@gloriagodfrey3899]

As with everything.............just beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing. Take care.

[@patriciasmith8031]

Some of these ladder shots seem very precarious. I pray that you stay healthy and safe. I hope they will let you continue to stay at the hermitage at least part time and that you will continue to video your experiences. I love your cameos in Martjin's videos.

[@yvonneferguson5205]

It scares the heck out of me. I pray for his safety.

[@donjojohannes]

No worries. The 4 orange straps were doubled and arranged to hold 800lbs. I might be a little chubby, but I stay well under that :-) I then used a climbing harness to clip into those loops. You can see me clip in for example at 30:36

[@BenPickett-f7m]

Beautiful reflection. Your words warm my spirit. God bless you.

[@williamwillow9868]

Your sharing is the bright spot of my week, I find myself dreading December video as it means the end. Thank you for all you do.

[@robshepherd2974]

Nothing online is greater than thee,, save Adoration online. Thanks be to God. ☘️🔥

[@fathertomoutdoors6579]

I could listen to your reflections all day.

[@flaxandfibrefarmhouse]

“How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

[@TheMistertimelapse]

Danke für dein Sein und Schaffen. 🤍

[@EighteenandCloudy]

My husband and I are thoroughly enjoying this series of videos you've created and shared, you film and tell stories so beautifully, and your videos are a joy to watch. I would love to see you continue after the original 12 are finished, and wanted to add my voice of encouragement as I see many others are hoping you might continue too. That said, there's obviously no pressure and I know you have other commitments and may not wish to make it a regular thing.

[@swegho]

That was the first time I witnessed Martijn not being serious ;)

[@gennyromeril]

The drone and music shots were so peaceful I almost fell asleep watching it!

[@SusanBentz-f2s]

Loved the beautiful orange of the mountains.

[@pgregory6357]

I've enjoyed these installments, especially the relections. Thank you!

[@rogerp6903]

Watching you work with wood reminds me how much I enjoyed that over my life and I will get back to it soon enough.Thanks for sharing and producing high quality content and your thoughts and perspectives .Fantastic drone views.We are blessed

[@joannasirusas2578]

Please continue making videos with your beautiful reflections.. watching and listening has been true refreshment... thank you so much, Peace and Blessings dear Fr. Johannes

[@PornVonZombiestein]

Mich wundert es doch sehr, als Atheist, das mein Highlight am Sonntag darin besteht mir als erstes morgens, dein neues Video anzuschauen!😂So hast du es sogar geschaft mit deinen Abschlußworten mich jede Woche in die Sonntags Messe zu locken! Jetzt wo es sich dem Ende nähert, macht es mich sehr traurig das der Kanal wieder in den Schlaf verfallen soll oder sind da noch andere Projekte in Planung! Tolle Serie, mehr davon! LG Peter

[@KarenFarris-o1e]

Your videos are a place of quite, beauty and contemplation. I look forward to each new video and revisit past videos when I need a moment to spark quite peace in this complicated world. Thank you for sharing your beautiful world and wise and comforting message. I hope you continue the videos for they are a ministry. You have a gift to reach souls that otherwise would not listen to God’s message. Thank you and I hope to see more in the future.

[@nativetexson]

I hope you continue these videos. I enjoy them tremendously. Thank you Fr. Johannes.

[@Gnuddelunke]

Bitte höre nicht auf nach dieser Serie, Johannes.🙏 Wir brauchen dich und sinnvollen Content wie diesen. Du und Martijn, ihr gehört schon zu meiner Familie. Ich möchte das nicht missen.

[@lelearts]

Sei una persona meravigliosa Johannes..sarebbe un sogno per me vivere in una baita in mezzo alla natura...un giorno forse anch'io riuscirò...buona vita padre

[@tracygagnon9912]

I live in Arizona on the grid, so I am just in awe watching you and your friends living a simple, but at the same time much harder life it is very inspiring with everything I do in my life

[@cassiamonteiro988]

A vossa benção, Padre🙏❤️🙏

[@theresaniemann3899]

Thank you Fr. Johannws. Please keep posting your videos. Would love to see the ftuit trees in blossom and the bulbs you planted flowering. Love your little Hot House. God Bless

[@adenivelle7256]

If you seek He will find you ! Yes it is like that ! Thank you 🙌🏻

[@MOSSFEEN]

Stairway to Heaven 🤣 By the way you cant end these POWERFUL videos now they are so enjoyible

[@panagiotakonstantopoulou962]

Indeed Father Johannes, He does find you if you seek Him.

[@Diamondsintherough-zd5vo]

God Bless You Johannes, I send love to you and your home. May you be well and happy and content in the blessings of Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. You explain soties so well Ive learned a lot. Please continue to share your thoughts. Good Night!

[@markalexander5124]

The work you do speaks more powerfully than the word you utter. This is a compliment to you not a diminishment of what you say.

[@marjoriepatterson6987]

We are sorry to see these videos come to an end. These 11 weeks of videos have become part of our Sunday routine. We go to church, come home and make our coffee/tea and sit down to watch your video and then Martin's. We will miss you and your messages. Looking forward to future videos.

[@beealll3475]

I eagerly await the magnificent beauty when Springs wonderful warmth and brilliant light blesses your mountain side nirvana🤗

[@Mandalor_the_Lonely]

What a perfect way to wrap my Sabbath observing than with a video

[@albertbusscher4270]

Thank you Father for this episode, like Jesus, you have become a carpenter while preaching the Word. This morning after mass I saw our new curate in his soutane and made me think about you, as well as my uncle who always wore a soutane in Holland. Greetings from Australia

[@judithslawter372]

Again, thank you for the great words of life.

[@KathyHarmer-h9o]

Absolutely besutiful words. You put it over in a way I could understand…thank you🙏❤️

[@sylvester2294]

To add to the drama when the roof came down....you should have said...."catch it Martin"!! :-)

[@andrewhutchings1966]

Thank you for your closing reflection on Grace,Mercy and Gods great Love for mankind in the story of Christ Jesus .Blessings from New Zealand ❤🙏🏻🙌🏻

[@casey9020]

I hope these videos continue, they're great

[@celesteaida48]

Belli i tuoi video Padre. Anche la tua voce pacifica e gentile è un regalo ….grazie mille. Wonderful reflections …YES He does find us. Pax et Bonum

[@Dennisvollebregt]

Great video. I hope you continue creating content. Greetings from Holland

[@ecc84]

The only question I have is will you please continue to do these videos, I look forward to them every Sunday as well as Martjins, it offers a little bit of peace in a hurried world.

[@prairiesky1144]

Thank you for sharing your life and work with us Fr. Johannes. You are truly one who "Does all things with zeal as unto the Lord" . Much appreciated!

[@shantil7764]

Beautiful ending thoughts. I enjoyed these videos beyond measure even if I didn’t always agree with your opinions - this ending reflexion is very touching and feels like truth to me. Thank you for the tremendous work put in it

[@adenivelle7256]

Humble meditation

[@philipvanderwaal6817]

Hi Johannes I just like to say I very much enjoy your videos ,one remark I would like to suggest is that you buy a bigger hammer it will make all the difference. Please keep going Kind regards Philip

[@colinlighten6700]

May I add my voice to those who hope you will continue, an oasis of calm in a troubled world.

[@caronadams4486]

Beautiful closing today.❤

[@maryannguess7115]

❤🎉😊🎉❤TY FATHER J, for ur beautiful thoughts..GOD please heal my body and help me to overcome all that is not LIGHT.. TY ,good to see MARTIJN, OLLIE, ISABELLA...NICE LUNCH...😊.. ENJOY YOUR WEEK, HUGS TO ❤MARTIJN❤.........😊

[@Eowyn3Pride]

God Bless you! Beautiful son of Mary! Always in my prayers. 🙏😊

[@hollyphillips7840]

Father, I hope you continue your videos you know how GOD created beauty.

[@BettinaJanenGalore]

Lieber Johannes! Ich weiß, dass das dieses Videoprojekt begrenzt ist, aber ich hoffe inständig, dass du uns weiterhin mit diesen wunderschönen Vlogs an deinen Projekten und Reflexionen teilhaben lässt. ❤

[@linobagnolo]

wow hai una casa meravigliosa...... una casa "Sobria" in un mondo di ubriachi ciaoooo

[@yatidaum7980]

Shingles look great, nice job

[@hikariiteza348]

Finally! Been waiting for this 😍

[@elisagiuliani-s3o]

Caro Padre Johannes, grazie per tutto quello che ci insegna.

[@pegsbarton6353]

Please press the like button, it really does help. Thank you.... and thank you Johannes for all the hard work in producing these videos for us. I'm amazed you have any time to do this in addition to all the building/garden projects you do. As well as your ministry...😊I really enjoy the content.

[@deborahbasel184]

I am really enjoying your videos. The labelling of plants and insects - I'm learning. I love the gentle background music. I admit to only watching to the end, once. The comprehension is beyond me. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoy them.

[@karenhantsche9270]

Such a pleasure to watch you engineer improvements!

[@robertfuller4721]

Be careful on that ladder Johannas!

[@anthonyi6572]

I love faintly hearing the bells on the goats in the distance.

[@jameswaterman2829]

❤ I hope you continue with your videos. I totally enjoy and look forward to each one.

[@philrulon]

Carry on Johannes. You are dismantling all my preconceptions about what constitutes a monastic lifestyle. So far, you are the only Priest I have come to know, with a chisel or a chainsaw in his hand.

[@robertogle3009]

At the very least, humanity is an interesting species - we are uniquely capable of reason and compassion. For Christians this is a reflection of God the creator, for Buddhists it's something to aspire to. Either way, let's do it -

[@danieladeutsch1708]

Sehr geehrter don Johannes, obwohl ich Jüdisch bin, mag ich Ihre Gedanken am Ende des der Videos sehr. Vielen, Dank für alles. Ich kucke jedes Ihrer Videos, wir sind ja Brüder. Ich wünsche Ihnen alles Gute. Daniela

[@donjojohannes]

Liebe Daniela, das freut mich. Viele von uns Christen kennen ihre jüdischen Wurzeln zu wenig. Und obwohl ich viele Jahre an der Uni Theologie studiert hatte, konnte ich später immer noch sehr viel von den Büchern von Brant Pitre lernen. Er hatte in seinem Studium eine jüdische Professorin (ich glaube Amy-Jill Levine) und dies hat nach seinen Angaben seine biblischen Studien stark bereichert. Sowohl sein Buch "Jesus and the Jewish roots of Mary" (besonders die Parallele zu Rahel) wie auch "Jesus and the Jewish roots of the Eucharist" (hier besonders die Schaubrote im Tempel) waren für mich wunderbare "Entdeckungen". Auch die Bedeutung des Buchs Daniel, das er in "The Case for Jesus" hervorhebt, ist bemerkenswert.

[@jornspirit]

...beautiful videos, Johannes, you make... they are like docus of what you do, but also of what you think and feel and believe in... nourishment for body and soul... have a blessed month of March! 🙏💖🌞

[@barbohanley3882]

Thank you for another great video!May God bless you abundantly today and always 🙏🏻

[@Sebreem]

My life had no meaning until I understood I was a vessel for the infinite love of a loving Creator and that I was invited to dance in the reciprocity of love found in the relational Trinity.

[@66NEETS]

Father that was a very precarious job up on that ladder ! The video was beautiful as usual pls continue on after next week , you bring me such peace and joy ❤

[@helennaug6702]

Thankyou for sharing your beautiful videos. My husband and I really look forward to Sunday evening to watch the next episode. We are totally transfixed for the 45 or so minutes while you build, plant, cook, pray.... We especially enjoy the spiritual reflection at the end. Its just the right amount of information.

[@terrisantiago9128]

You are also going to have a beautiful home