This Solitude Cannot Be Violated

'Always remember… to retire at various times into the solitude of your own heart 

even while outwardly engaged in discussions or transactions with others.  

This mental solitude cannot be violated by the many people who surround you 

since they are not standing around your heart but only around your body.  

Your heart remains alone in the presence of God.'

St. Francis de Sales 

Painting: Carl Larsson, 1904