Solitude and Silence: Desert Mothers: Amma Syncletica on Solitude

Amma Syncletica of Alexandria (d. c. 350) was one of the most prominent Desert Mothers. She taught with the same authority as the Desert Fathers and was deeply respected for her wisdom on solitude. She said: "In the beginning there are a great many battles and a good deal of suffering for those who are advancing towards God and afterwards, ineffable joy. It is like those who wish to light a fire; at first they are choked by the smoke and cry, and by this means obtain what they seek."

Syncletica warned against superficial solitude: "There are many who live in the mountains and behave as if they were in the town, and they are wasting their time. It is possible to be a solitary in one's mind while living in a crowd, and it is possible for one who is a solitary to live in the crowd of his own thoughts." True solitude, she taught, is interior.

Practical application: You do not need to retreat to a monastery to practice solitude. Begin with five minutes of interior silence during your lunch break. Close your eyes, let go of the morning's concerns, and simply be present to God. Amma Syncletica teaches that solitude is first a quality of attention, not a geographic location.