The Mountain and Solitude
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about the importance of solitude, quietness, and contemplation during the Great Fast, explaining that fasting is not merely abstaining from certain types of food, but an opportunity to dedicate our time and lives to God. The Lord Jesus Christ provides a clear example of this, as He used to go to the mountain to be alone with the Heavenly Father and spend long periods in prayer and contemplation. He explains that the mountain in Christ’s life was a place of fasting, prayer, temptation, and teaching, away from the noise of the world and its distractions. He also points out that solitude helps a person stay away from useless conversations and encounters that waste time or harm spiritual life.
Spiritual Message
The Pope explains that solitude is not simply physically distancing oneself from people, but rather an inner state in which a person lives with God even when present among others. He explains that a person needs to control his senses, especially his eyes, ears, and tongue, so that he does not become occupied with people’s news, conversations, and personal affairs. He also emphasizes the importance of filling the heart and mind with prayer, contemplation, and the Word of God, because inner emptiness makes a person constantly seek occupation with external matters. He affirms that true fasting must be holy in thought, heart, and senses, and not only in the body.
Educational Lesson
The Pope teaches us that visiting monasteries should have a genuine spiritual purpose, rather than being for trips, entertainment, or exchanging news and conversations. He advises those who visit a monastery to maintain their quietness, respect the monks’ way of life and privacy, and bring a spiritual program that includes prayers, the Agpeya, Psalms, readings, and contemplations. He also explains that those who cannot visit quiet places or monasteries can train themselves in inner solitude even while among people. He warns against curiosity and becoming occupied with other people’s news, and encourages a person to use his time and senses in what is spiritually beneficial.
Practical Application
The Pope invites us to prepare for the Great Fast before it begins by establishing a clear spiritual program that can be practiced and maintained. He encourages us to dedicate times for prayer, reading, and contemplation, and to choose spiritual exercises that help us abandon certain mistakes and acquire new virtues. He advises us not to make unrealistic decisions that are difficult to carry out, but rather to choose practical exercises such as reducing unnecessary speech, speaking useful and blessed words, and avoiding conversations that offer no benefit. He also encourages us to practice repeated inner prayer, even while among people or during studying and working. The ultimate goal is for the Great Fast to become a distinctive period in our lives, in which we live with God, occupy ourselves with spiritual and eternal matters, and taste the joy of being in His presence from now on.
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