so because we want some space, some rest, some escape from what we
consider as drudgery of life, or from some problem that we want to
sort out, or simply that we want to ruminate...
Very often, we want to be alone just to be by ourselves,
which is actually a dangerous thing to do. That’s because we are and
should be never alone. The objective reality about ourselves is that,
whether we are aware of it or not, we are always with God and with
others. That’s how we are designed by nature. We should try our best
to correspond to that truth about ourselves.
It’s certainly wrong to think that we can be by ourselves.
That would start the process of building our own world, our own
fantasies, our own reality that becomes detached from the reality
outside.
That’s when we put ourselves to be easy prey to the tricks
and wiles of our wounded flesh, our doubts and fears, and the many
erratic and unreliable conditionings around us. That’s why we need to
do everything to avoid falling into this predicament which can come to
us sneakily and easily.
These days, for example, we have to be wary of our
tendency to be carried away by all kinds of interests that cause
obsession, activism and workaholism that practically snuffs out our
desire for prayer, contemplation and spirit of recollection. This
tendency would push us to self-centeredness.
Our need for solitude is actually meant for us to be alone
with God, our Father and Creator, who is the source of all good
things. It’s when we are with God that we can be with ourselves and
with the others in the proper way. About this we should have no doubt.
That’s why we have to strengthen our conviction that to
get and to keep in touch with God is not only possible but also highly
doable. What’s more, it is necessary and not meant to be optional in
our life.
We have to hone up our skills in maintaining a living
contact with God, aware of his presence always and somehow also aware
of his will for us and his ways with us.
To be sure, to be alone with God does not detach us from
our temporal and worldly affairs and concerns. On the contrary, it
will make us more aware of them and of what we can do about them.
It will make us more identified with God’s will and ways,
his wisdom and power, his charity, justice and mercy, his abiding love
for us. It will sharpen and deepen our knowledge of persons, events
and things.
That’s what we see in the example of Christ. Before
starting his public life, he spent 40 days and nights in a desert to
pray and to be alone with his Father. Throughout his public life of
preaching, he would often go to an isolated place, waking up early in
the morning just to pray.
He would come out of this solitude invigorated and eager
to do the tasks ahead. Just before his passion and death, he went to
the garden of Gethsemane to pray. He begged his Father to “let this
cup pass by me,” but eventually rectified himself by saying, “not my
will but yours be done.”
We can somehow do all this if we follow Christ in seeking
that solitude to enter into intimate communion and conversation with
God. We have to learn how to organize our day such that we can find
time to be alone with God.
To be sure, to be alone with God does not mean that we
leave behind our reason and our senses and the other natural human
powers and faculties we have, as some people claim. No. Rather we will
feel the need for the full use of these powers, but infusing them with
faith and devotion.
That’s when we can see things in a much better perspective
and with greater depth. There we can make more considerations that
often are ignored when pure reason and mere senses and emotions alone
are used.
When our reflections are soaked with faith and piety, we
can see many other consequences and implications that our reason and
senses cannot get. In fact, many times, not only are they ignored.
They are most likely also rejected and ridiculed.
We have to disabuse ourselves from the thought that
spending time to be alone with God is a waste of time.
consider as drudgery of life, or from some problem that we want to
sort out, or simply that we want to ruminate...
Very often, we want to be alone just to be by ourselves,
which is actually a dangerous thing to do. That’s because we are and
should be never alone. The objective reality about ourselves is that,
whether we are aware of it or not, we are always with God and with
others. That’s how we are designed by nature. We should try our best
to correspond to that truth about ourselves.
It’s certainly wrong to think that we can be by ourselves.
That would start the process of building our own world, our own
fantasies, our own reality that becomes detached from the reality
outside.
That’s when we put ourselves to be easy prey to the tricks
and wiles of our wounded flesh, our doubts and fears, and the many
erratic and unreliable conditionings around us. That’s why we need to
do everything to avoid falling into this predicament which can come to
us sneakily and easily.
These days, for example, we have to be wary of our
tendency to be carried away by all kinds of interests that cause
obsession, activism and workaholism that practically snuffs out our
desire for prayer, contemplation and spirit of recollection. This
tendency would push us to self-centeredness.
Our need for solitude is actually meant for us to be alone
with God, our Father and Creator, who is the source of all good
things. It’s when we are with God that we can be with ourselves and
with the others in the proper way. About this we should have no doubt.
That’s why we have to strengthen our conviction that to
get and to keep in touch with God is not only possible but also highly
doable. What’s more, it is necessary and not meant to be optional in
our life.
We have to hone up our skills in maintaining a living
contact with God, aware of his presence always and somehow also aware
of his will for us and his ways with us.
To be sure, to be alone with God does not detach us from
our temporal and worldly affairs and concerns. On the contrary, it
will make us more aware of them and of what we can do about them.
It will make us more identified with God’s will and ways,
his wisdom and power, his charity, justice and mercy, his abiding love
for us. It will sharpen and deepen our knowledge of persons, events
and things.
That’s what we see in the example of Christ. Before
starting his public life, he spent 40 days and nights in a desert to
pray and to be alone with his Father. Throughout his public life of
preaching, he would often go to an isolated place, waking up early in
the morning just to pray.
He would come out of this solitude invigorated and eager
to do the tasks ahead. Just before his passion and death, he went to
the garden of Gethsemane to pray. He begged his Father to “let this
cup pass by me,” but eventually rectified himself by saying, “not my
will but yours be done.”
We can somehow do all this if we follow Christ in seeking
that solitude to enter into intimate communion and conversation with
God. We have to learn how to organize our day such that we can find
time to be alone with God.
To be sure, to be alone with God does not mean that we
leave behind our reason and our senses and the other natural human
powers and faculties we have, as some people claim. No. Rather we will
feel the need for the full use of these powers, but infusing them with
faith and devotion.
That’s when we can see things in a much better perspective
and with greater depth. There we can make more considerations that
often are ignored when pure reason and mere senses and emotions alone
are used.
When our reflections are soaked with faith and piety, we
can see many other consequences and implications that our reason and
senses cannot get. In fact, many times, not only are they ignored.
They are most likely also rejected and ridiculed.
We have to disabuse ourselves from the thought that
spending time to be alone with God is a waste of time.
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