Loving Isolation

  • Photo by Jason Antiquera SSC
I'm writing in isolation at Oakwood, our retirement home.  I find myself remembering one of my Jesuit friends in Chile telling me how hard being alone had been for him when he was arrested and put into solitary confinement.  His lawywer got a Bible to him and that saved him.

I have been solitary for months and have come to love many aspects of my solitude (but not the solitary Christmas dinner!) This room, a lovely bedroom, often seems full of people even when I am alone! Of course, Jesus and Mary are always here, but on many nights I have sensed the presence of the whole Communion of Saints. Sometimes it is a small group of friends, often the faces of family members long gone to God but who gather round me now to offer me support. My parents come and sit with me in silence. And then there is St. Philippine urging me to use this precious time well and to visit each continent in prayer! 
 
Yes, I love solitude, but am also grateful for all the prayer that will help me to get well and back to my community.

Helen Rosenthal rscj          

Province: 
United States and Canada
Our Spirituality: 
Reflections from Around the World