Solitude and the Soul

Very Early in the Morning

Mark's account is spare: Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

The disciples found him and said: everyone is looking for you. There were demands, needs, people to help. And Jesus had gone to be alone.

The Replenishment of Solitude

For people who are oriented toward others, solitude can feel selfish. But what Jesus models is that giving from emptiness is not sustainable. The solitary prayer was not withdrawal from service — it was the source of it.

If your life has no solitude in it — no space that is simply yours, with God, away from demands — consider what a small version of that might look like. Not an hour on retreat. Five minutes before the house wakes. The soul needs it.