Aloneness or Loneliness?
One morning I heard a priest at Mass on T.V. saying that loneliness is a gift from God. My first reaction, he must be crazy! However, the more I thought about it I became convicted. Living alone has never been something I ever had to deal with before, because I have always lived with other people, beginning with my family, then a roommate and then communities in religious life. It was never something that I thought I would ever have to experience in my life for a prolong period, especially after entering religious life. However, I here I find myself alone since the beginning of this year. It got me thinking about aloneness and loneliness- what's the difference? In Luke 5:16 it says, "Jesus often withdrew into lonely places and he prayed." Does this necessarily mean that he was alone or lonely? I believe yes to both. I also know that you can experience aloneness and loneliness in the midst of a crowd. The tru...