We are all pilgrims here on Earth. In our everyday journey, loneliness can be inevitable. We can oftentimes feel alone and deserted in various instances. We might have no available family members to rely on or friends to consult with. We seek companionship, especially during the important events of our lives, such as our birthdays, our big career break, or simply celebrating the presence of one another.
Does being alone make us lonely? It may seem to, but for us Christians, it is an opportunity to meet and to talk with Jesus more intimately. In our silence, we allow ourselves to listen more intently to His Words. In the stillness of our hearts, we allow the Spirit to work in us. And in our loneliness, Jesus will accompany us in prayer.
Prayer for feeling lost and alone
Lord Jesus Christ,
You were alone when you set out to begin your mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God to the whole of Israel. It must have also been painful for You to leave Your mother behind, who prays for Your safety and wellbeing. And it must have been heartbreaking for Mary, your beautiful mother, to see you all alone fulfilling what God intended for You to do. Through it all, God called generous hearts to accompany You in fulfilling God’s plan for His people.
I come to You, Lord Jesus, in the loneliness of my heart to accompany me today. I may have sought Your consolations and joys in the blessings You have given me, forgetting You as the source of it all. I may have neglected Your presence through the people I meet, especially the poor and the needy. I may have become too self-reliant and forgotten the sufficient graces that You bestow on me every day. In the humility of my heart, I seek Your forgiveness.
I am grateful for granting me the inspiration to pray before You in my loneliness. I might have succumbed to my sadness, and yet You draw me out from it. I might have drowned myself in anxiety, and yet You took me out from under it. I might have become paralyzed in my loneliness, and yet You are present here with me; You are here with me, You are listening to me. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for not giving up on me.
May this humble prayer of mine reach the ears of Our loving Father in Heaven. May His providential guidance lead me throughout my earthly pilgrimage. I seek the grace of awareness of the presence of Jesus in the graces I receive, within the people I meet, and in my everyday life. I hope to see life through the lenses of my faith: with a heart full of gratitude.
I beg this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Short prayer for loneliness
Lord Jesus Christ, accompany me in my loneliness. May I know You more in the graces I receive. May I see You more in the people I meet. And may I feel Your presence more fully through this humble prayer of mine. Amen.
The Word of God
Do not fear, for I am with you;
Isaiah 41:10 NRSVUE
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you; I will help you;
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
Luke 11:1 NRSVUE
Prayer to Saint Rita of Cascia for consolation in loneliness
Saint Rita of Cascia, patron of lonely souls, I ask for your prayers in heaven to gain consolation in my loneliness. Your tumultuous life of domestic abuse, loss of your children, and denial of pursuing a religious vocation made prayer your singular thread of hope. Your unwavering patience and faith in God allowed you to push through, even in the most impossible situations. I come before you to accompany me in my loneliness as I continue to follow God’s plan for me.
I come to you, Saint Rita of Cascia, with my lonely heart seeking the grace of being steadfast in prayer and of being patient in following God’s plan. Oftentimes, my impatience and choices in life have led me astray from what God wills for me. May your example be my guide towards the fullness of life with God.
I also pray for the lonely souls, who also continuously seek consolation through prayer. May you accompany them, and they may eventually be filled with the grace of hope as they continue their journey on earth. May my prayer reach them and become a faint light to lead them through the darkness that they are experiencing in their lives. Let perseverance in prayer be our beacon of hope.
Saint Rita of Cascia, pray for us.
Amen.
Further Reflection
Sometimes being alone can make us lonely. It may seem dark and cold, but it is an opportunity for us to know ourselves more through an intimate prayer time with God. At the beginning of the ministerial life of Jesus, He went to the desert to be tested. He was all alone. From there, the devil tempted Him. The devil, who even quoted the scriptures, challenged Jesus to stray away and not follow what God wants Him to do: to offer His life on the cross. And yet, Jesus triumphed in the end.
There are also other moments in Jesus’ life that He would go away from the crowd towards a quiet place to pray. Praying in solitude was His way of preparing Himself for the fulfilment of God’s plan for Him. It was not easy for Jesus to accept such a fate; even Saint Peter objected to the decision of Jesus to enter Jerusalem only to be crucified. Jesus’ moment at the Garden of Gethsemane showed us how He bargained with God to spare Him from the looming horror of crucifixion, and yet, Jesus willingly submitted Himself to the will of the Father for us.
Our being alone should not dampen our mood nor our faith in God. In our solitude, God invites us to be with Him in the stillness of prayer. Whenever we feel lonely, may we become aware that we are never truly alone. Jesus is always with us.
