"And it happened, as He was alone praying..." (Luke 9:18)

Our Lord routinely showed how vital solitude is to spiritual life as He, Himself, often withdrew from the crowds to seek a lonely place to pray. Therefore, we must follow His example and learn to "retreat" from the world in order to spend time alone with God; not that God cannot be experienced amidst the bustle of life, but He is much easier to find and discern His subtle message when we tune everything else out.

Fr. John