Saturday, March 28, 2009

Night Reflections

I took this from Leonie's blog :

And when night comes, and you look back over the day and see how fragmentary everything has been, and how much you planned that has gone undone, and all the reasons you have to be embarrassed and ashamed: just take everything exactly as it is, put it in God’s hands and leave it with Him. Then you will be able to rest in Him -- really rest -- and start the next day as a new life. --Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
I always liked this prayer from John Cardinal Newman, too:

"May God support us all the day long,
'till the shadows lengthen and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done! Then, in His mercy,
may He give us a safe lodging
and a holy rest, and peace at the last."

1 comment:

Melanie Bettinelli said...

Thank you, thank you.

I know I've seen that Edith Stein quote before and I loved it then.
But today it really speaks to me like new. I've started making a more conscientious effort to do a nightly examen and next-day planning at bedtime. And it's been helping overall but it often leaves me full of churning thoughts and unsettled regrets.

I think I'll copy that quote into the notebook I keep by the bed where I've been writing my thoughts and plans so I can re-read it when I'm done and need to turn off the light and sleep.