What does God know about loneliness?

Courtesy of Servant of God 'Archbishop'

Fulton J. Sheen

In this age of psychiatry, there are two or three conclusions that our world is drawn which are false. One is that we never have a tension. Certainly we have tensions, we must have them! We've got body & spirit, and they go in opposite directions; we have two different landing fields. Certain tensions are normal, if we didn't have them we would be abnormal. And then...we're lonseome! Sure...there's a metaphysical loneliness, perfection is not here, this is not our home! I've got soemthing that I want in my heart that nothing on this Earth can satisfy...and nothing can satisfy you either. And we know it very well.

So what's this...what's the cause of this loneliness? What are we looking for? Well, we say we're looking for God...yes! And I know what you will answer..."What does God know about loneliness?" Now that's a good question...that's a good question. What does he know about loneliness?

Does he know anything about the loneliness, for example, of a babe in Judea, who has no better home than just straw? Does God know anything about the loneliness of a mother who has to gather up a child, in order to escape a dictator, and fly halfway across Africa? Does God know anything about the loneliss of a man who's born on the wrong side of the tracks...who was isolated socially from people, simply because his hands are callous from common labor...and is denied decent society.

Sure, does God know anything about that kind of loneliness, for example in which one is expelled from a city, disowned by one's own people. Does he know anything about the loneliness of being deserted by friends? Does he even know anything about the loneliness, of feeling doubts, doubts even about religion, doubts even to when cries out, "Why hast thou abandoned me?" Does God know anything about these things? Yes, those are good questions.

Now suppose there was a figure that came into all of this loneliness...and so immersed himself in it, that he would not immunize himself from it, that he would not cut himself off from it. Would for example be the only one on the battlefield that was whole, and not help any of the wounded? And so if there was a figure that came into this world of ours, and refused to isolate himself from loneliness, and felt it so much that blood poured out from his body...felt loneliness so much, that as if all the robberies of the world were thrust into his hands, as if he himself were guilty...and felt all loathsome carnality so much, that his flesh was hanging from him like purple rags.

Suppose someone came into this world, and went into all this loneliness, took it all! And was not overcome by it, but conquered it all!