October 11 – Alone, Yet Not Lonely
In solitude the heart converses with God as with a friend. John Cassian
Gregg’s Reflection
When we first moved full-time into our cabin in Colorado, there were days when the silence felt heavy. The absence of city noise, daily meetings, and constant interactions could, at times, feel like a void. Yet as I stayed with the silence, I began to sense that this emptiness was not barren but spacious — an opening where God’s presence could be felt in ways I had never known before.
In solitude, what feels like loneliness gradually shifts. Instead of filling the void with activity or distraction, we discover that God is already there, waiting in the quiet. Slowly, the ache of loneliness is softened by communion, and the silence becomes a living space where love speaks without words.
Over time, I have come to see solitude not as isolation, but as invitation. Alone, I am not abandoned — I am met. The inner void becomes holy ground, and in that stillness I learn to live face-to-face with Love itself. This transformation turns what was once a burden into a gift, deepening my capacity to be present with God and others.
Scripture
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
Psalm 25:16
Ancient Quotes
In solitude the heart converses with God as with a friend.
John Cassian, Conferences
It is possible to be a solitary in one’s mind while living in a crowd, and it is possible for one who is solitary to live in the crowd of his own thoughts.
Amma Syncletica, Sayings of the Desert Fathers, trans. Benedicta Ward, p. 234
Modern Quotes
In solitude we find that we are never truly alone; we are always in the presence of the One who gave us being.
Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation, p. 82
Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self.
May Sarton, Journal of a Solitude, p. 65
Journaling Prompts
- How do you typically respond when you feel lonely?
- Can you recall a time when solitude shifted from emptiness to communion for you?
- What practices help you rest in God’s presence when you are alone?
- How might God be inviting you to embrace loneliness as a pathway to Love?
Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 41 Reflection: Solitude