PERHAPS WAKING AT MIDNIGHT, or two or three in the morning, monks and nuns follow a prayer schedule that interrupts their sleep. The prayer takes place in the dark because the things of life and death are somehow focused in the night when people are often alone, or terrible sins and crimes are committed under cover of darkness. The monk prays in that awareness.
Monastics also pray at night as a sign of the world's longing for light in the condition of our global darkness: the waste and destruction, the death and insults to life and human dignity.
Now and again, either because we are tossing and turning the night away, or because something calls us out of our sleep: a bad dream, a storm, a car alarm, a baby's cry - we might call to mind that monks and nuns are praying. The prayer below invites solidarity with the world at night - even those in need who are far away and personally unknown to us.
And you know, even if we sleep like a rock, the prayer can always be used as a night time prayer before retiring. Somewhere in the world, monks and nuns are awake and praying for the world.
And you know, even if we sleep like a rock, the prayer can always be used as a night time prayer before retiring. Somewhere in the world, monks and nuns are awake and praying for the world.
In this time of dark-solitude...Jesus. gladsome light.
Where monastics are awake in prayer...Jesus, Bethlehem's light.
Where children are awake in fear...Jesus, reassuring light.
Where there's night time domestic violence...Jesus, excellent light.
Where people are on the road or in the air...Jesus, who calls himself the light.
By deathbeds and in emergency rooms...Jesus, light of a new day.
With parents over sickbeds...Jesus, comforting light.
With doctors and nurses through the night...Jesus, land of light.
Where there's sleepless worrying about tomorrow...Jesus, God-bearing light.
Where dark schemes are evolving...Jesus, growth-encouraging light.
Where night shadows conceal exploitation and desperation...Jesus, robed in light.
In the darkness of addiction...Jesus, house of light.
With the homeless poor...Jesus, hope-instilling light.
With prisoners awake...Jesus, joy-restoring light.
With mourners who will bury the dead tomorrow...Jesus, Resurrection light.
With those whose hunger prevents sleep...Jesus, strengthening light.
In prayer for those who are stealing or harming...Jesus, truth-carrying light.
For those whose homes are ruined by war...Jesus, shadow-dispersing light.
For those who intend violence and death tomorrow...Jesus, mind-changing light.
Near those arguing out of hatred, anger and fear...Jesus, healing light.
When physical pain relentlessly sears...Jesus, soothing hand of light.
Now perhaps click on the photo of the young Carthusian novice praying in his hermitage through the night. The monks are chanting the Lord's Prayer in Latin. It is very beautiful.
Now perhaps click on the photo of the young Carthusian novice praying in his hermitage through the night. The monks are chanting the Lord's Prayer in Latin. It is very beautiful.
