Today’s Gospel from Luke has Jesus telling us that we have been entrusted with much, and much will be expected of us. By the grace of God, we are coheirs with Christ and the Apostles, Jews, and Gentiles, in the promise foretold. We are coheirs in the promise and the tasks and responsibilities given to us. Our eyes have been opened to see all of life differently because of who Jesus is. We are invited to become his light and love with him, through him, and in him. This life of Christ can be difficult. Our addiction to hurry and noise comes, in part, from a desire to keep painful, sometimes overwhelming emotions at bay. We think if we remain busy enough, distracted enough, and scheduled enough, then we don’t have to feel the hurt, the anger, the anxiety, and the grief inside of us. I don’t have to acknowledge how sad, lonely, or scared I am. So, how do we deal with this? Jesus’ reaction is one we should emulate. When faced with adversity, he slipped away to find a place of silence and solitude to be with the Father in prayerful communion. Silence and solitude strip away the masks we wear around others. All of the ways we strive for affirmation and recognition from others are gone when we step into the quiet. Our attempts to justify ourselves through hard work and achievement get tossed aside, and we are left with who we truly are before God. Henri Nouwen writes, “If we really believe not only that God exists but also that he is actively present in our lives—healing, teaching, and guiding—then we need to set aside a time and space to give him our undivided attention.” Silence and solitude create that space to give Jesus our attention, for this is where Jesus meets us with his love and grace.