In Solitude I get Rid of my Scaffolding

From the Daily Office that comes with the study (Peter Scazzero):

~Henri Nouwen~

"Solitude  is the furnace of transformation.

Without solitude we remain victims of our society

and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self.

Jesus Himself entered this furnace,

and there He was tempted with the three compulsions of the world:

to be relevant ("turn stones into loaves"),

to be spectacular ("throw yourself down"),

and to be powerful ("I will give you all these kingdoms").

There He affirmed God as the only source of His identity

("You must worship the Lord your God and serve Him alone").

Solitude is the place of the great struggle and the great encounter--

the struggle against the compulsions of the false self,

 and the encounter with the loving God Who offers Himself

as the substance of the new self.

In solitude I get rid of my scaffolding:

no friends to talk with,

no telephone calls to make...

The task is to persevere in my solitude,

to stay in my cell until all my seductive visitors get tired of pounding on my door

and leave me alone."

Prayer: (P. Scazzero)

"Lord, help me to turn down the volume of the voices that tell me I have little worth unless I am wealthy, influential and popular. Grant me the grace today to experience Your voice, which tells me: "You are my son/daughter whom I love. With you I am well-pleased." (Matt. 3:16-17)

In Jesus' Name. Amen.