1 Kgs 11:4-13 / Mk 7:24-30
There are times when the world can close in upon us, and we can feel as if we may suffocate from the sheer numbers of voices competing for our attention and demanding our help. It happens to all of us at times, not just to the mothers of pre-school children. We need to be alone, to regroup, to remember who we are and where we’re going and why. If we are not to lose our way and fritter away our lives, we need time out regularly. We need to be quiet and alone, just as Jesus made certain that He was at regular intervals.
But God says very clearly in today’s reading from Genesis that “it is not good for man to be alone.” Isn’t there something of a contradiction there? Only an apparent one, for our times out, our alone times, are in fact directed toward communion, at oneness with God and God’s big family, which is the whole point and purpose of our lives, our very reason for being.
If we want true communion, either with God or with His family, we simply must invest in time alone, away from the madding crowd. Time alone is part of the price we pay for bringing our best selves to God’s big family. It’s not selfishness; it’s just necessary. So take that time out, whether you think you need it or not(!), and learn to listen through the silence. God has some important things to say to you. And the big family needs for you to hear them.
