Sunday, April 2, 2017

Entering the Temple of Sleep

Father Jean LaFrance

“Walk resolutely in the evening and abandon yourself to the night’s rest; night, like prayer, is a trustful entrance into the realm of God’s love. … Learn not to put up with time but to master it, going into the night as if you were going into a silent temple. ... The night is shadowy with the silent presence of God. It is a time when you let in only what nourishes your prayer; all other unnecessary things must be mercilessly banished.

“The later it is in the evening, the more you must simplify yourself so as to be calm and peaceful in night’s rest: ‘In peace I lie down and fall asleep at once since You alone, Yahweh, make me rest secure’ (Psalm 4:8). Your body itself shares in this inward peace, for night should be entered as one enters prayer, relaxed and peaceful. Above all, be watchful and prepared to let God instruct you, for the night is a favored time when God speaks: ‘In vain you get up earlier and put off going to bed, sweating to make a living, since He provides for his beloved as they sleep’ (Psalm 127:2).”

Pray to Your Father in Secret, pages 164-165

(In the spirit of the Lenten season, this week the quotations will be centered on night prayer, making of our lives an uninterrupted dialogue with God. The quotes may also speak comfort to those who suffer from insomnia and ‘long stretches of the night’.)

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