When I came to the Lord 30 years ago at the age of 18, I was GREATLY ministered to by your album "New Earth". I came out of a lot of darkness and was attacked on and off by spirits of fear for the first 2 years of my walk. Your music on that album really helped me through some sleepless nights in the beginning of my walk. I would pop that tape in and listen to it and the Spirit of God would minister to me as I worshipped Him.

Beautiful and it is a blessed gift to know such a humble soul

Thank you so much. I am a newly vowed Benedictine, contemplating becoming an Anchorite. God bless you.

I am grateful for this video of sharing about the cell, the early fathers and you are own personal walk to be in silence and solitude.

Thank you, bless you.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and reflections via video, Brother JMT, and please continue. I feel that through them, and from your solitude, you will become a spiritual father to many hungry and searching souls. May God continue to bless and strengthen you, Viola and the Little Portion Community.

God Bless you!

What a profound blessings to me this day. May our Lord, Jesus Christ,in power of His Holy Spirit and Will of our Heavenly Father continue to Annoint your speech and music! Amen. Praising God!

John looks healthy & happy. At 15 I discovered Mason Proffit, There is an obvious spritual longing even in that body of work. Best to John & his life now.

Thank you John. So refreshing to hear of this concept spoken of in a positive way. The word recluse is usually applied negatively. The phrase hermit-like has been applied to me at times with a slight air of derision. But I have found that I have felt more REAL than ever on retreat and exploring the sometimes brutal, but refining exposure of solitude. PS Thank you for your 30+ years of music, I till listen to your CDs, and share them with my groups.

Pax et Bonum Praying for you and your community.

The old saying is true: Those who are afraid of community should beware of solitude. Those who are afraid of solitude should beware of community. Those who have experienced authentic Christian solitude know it to be a rugged encounter with the Ultimate reality. - JMT

Thank you JMT and Little Portion Hermitage- we pray to drive up from Florida on pilgrimage to you and pray on retreat but as also we have-an aircrete (www.domegaia.com) machine and would love to help and rebuild anything needed in group effort

I am an anchorite, very strict. I keep my blinds closed and rarely look out except to strengthen my vision. I only go out shopping. I plan to have others do that for me in the future so that I might be totally solitary. I watch videos and play the best in praise and worship music for the Lord all day long. I also write books and I have designed a curricula and texts for an online university in Sanctity by Corllins University. These texts will soon be available for the public.

Studio room=prison cell. Total acceptance and love. ;)

Dear brother, could you expand on what you said about a "rugged encounter" with the Ultimate reality?

My books that are published include, 'Satan's Final Confession", "The Agony of Exposure", both published by PublishAmerica and "The Valley of the Shadow of Death", published by Westbow Press. All the seventeen or so others will be published soon. I live a very strict life, eating and praying and reading alone. I eat not much more than two meals a day and a lot of beverages for good health. Pray for me, that I may persevere. May the Lord bless you and keep you!

I believe that God calls some pople to this and there are accounts in scritpture where people were put in these situations..Like John. and people were in prison too. God uses what we are capable of and I admire this man because of his determination. God will reveal himself to this man. He is no means full of self. He has a calling

Those who say that solitude is selfish are correct for many who use it as an escape. This is called false contemplation. They are incorrect regarding authentic contemplatives. This argument is an old one from those who have never experienced the contemplative dimension of the life of Jesus. -JMT

I have always loved your music. I thought you were married. How does your wife like this? Is this kind of reclusion Biblical? How can we go into all the world and preach the Gospel if we are in reclusion?

John Michael is a third order secular Franciscan monk. I can be a third order Franciscan and live in the world, teach high school, etc. Third order Franciscan monks can be married. Nicholas VI approved this order 1289, and it includes monks in reclusion. If I were not a teacher, I would certainly be attracted to the 3rd order, but we each have our own vocation. I cannot convey how much I have been blessed by this 3rd order monk. To Jesus Christ be the praise, now and forever.

How can a married man spend great deals of time in seclusion? Doesn't he have an obligation to his wife? Does John Michael want the best of all worlds (husband, monk, solitude, performing, ect.). The rest of us have to make a choice John Michael. I love your music by the way.

How do you reconcile married life in common life with reclusion? This seems to be like a prolonged continent life akin to Orthodox priests. All this seems too confusing in light of the Sacraments.

I am a profound solitary/anchorite. I never leave my cell. People bring me what I need. I am not allowed to pray aloud on pain of arrest by the police because it is a tenement style apartment building. So, I pray through the music I play. I maintain silence for the most part, deep in the "Cloud of Unknowing", listening to God and writing and getting doctoral degrees. I don't socialize, go to parties or the cinema. But

I hardly see anyone at all. I watch some religious films and play secular music for my neighbors. I try to keep an occupied monstrance at all times. I cannot yet afford communion wafers, so I use ordinary bread. I will find something better when I can afford it; for the Good Lord deserves it.

But what of your wife? Where is she? Are you still married? I believe in spending a lot of time, alone, with Jesus, just being in HIs Presence, so he can change our life...but how do we influence others around us if we are secluded all the time?

Have a Joyous Christmas. A † Deus Caritas est † Ω

i find that so called christians are the first to make nasty comments when they cannot understand a diff perspective as it challenges thier brains and hearts too much...same thing happened to Christ and other genuine pioneers who thought differently to so called convention

The religion of religious experiences. There seems to be an addiction issue here. Is there a promotion in the works here? Maybe eventual sainthood. Notice references to reclusive saints as his model. Life out of balance. How about a Terminator movie once in a while? Self interest and altruism need not be mutually exclusive. Reclusion is not self dying, it is done because it seems the best for one's self. Let's get real.

@42BETWO I bet you are don't like people who are "judgmental". Why then are you judgmental of John Michael?

He is spending time with the Lord and I can't believe all the nasty comments by professing Christians. I seem to remember that Jesus went off into the wilderness for 40 days. What is the matter with you people?

JMT the recluse. We are the same age. JMT is definitely a product of the 60's and early 70's. Now morphed into a sort of holy man on some secluded mountain top. Christian music can be a tough gig. A more lucrative approach with the Catholics. Not bad, a married monk. But, what kind of marriage? I think JMT has been married more than once.

Dude this guy lives off of his career as a Christian musician... 30+ albums, and books. Perhaps you should research before you judge....