22 As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. 23 With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.
Jesus finally is alone. Finally he has a moment to catch his breath, gather his wits about him, and just be with God in silence, praying.
This is no game he is playing. He needs this time away in prayer.
It takes silence to ‘see who we are’, for it is in silence we touch the deepest part of our humanity as well as God’s divinity.
Thomas Szasz, an American psychiatrist has said;
“(Humans) cannot long survive without air, water, and sleep. Next in importance comes food. And close on its heels, solitude.”
Faith cannot exist without solitude either.
“Only in silence, in the space between noise, speech, and activity, is there room for a person to become focused, to achieve gravity and centeredness. Only in waiting before the mystery of existence itself, in brooding upon the world and eternity, does one become endowed with true worldliness and true everlastingness.” John Killinger
“(Humans) cannot long survive without
air, water, and sleep.
Next in importance comes food.
And close on its heels, solitude.”
Thomas Szasz
Prayer thoughts for the week:
Lord,
…help me to find the “sound of silence” in my daily noisy life.
…give me “spaces in my togetherness” where I can be still, and find solitude.
…help me to remember that You often speak in a still small voice which can only be heard by being quiet and listening.
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