There are a number of occasions in the Gospels where we are told that the Lord went away by Himself to a lonely place, a quiet place, or a place of solitude. Often, these moments take place immediately prior to some great event. Two of the most important of these moments are Luke’s account of the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, where He spent forty days alone in prayer and fasting before beginning His mission; and that moment in Gethsemane where He withdrew from the Apostles – even from Peter and John – to pray. There are other occasions, too, where He invites the Apostles themselves to come with…