Each night, as you go to sleep, you are invited to sleep in the grace and Mercy of our Lord. You are invited to rest in His arms so as to be rejuvenated and refreshed. Sleep is an image of prayer and, in fact, can become a form of prayer. To rest is to rest in God. Every beat of your heart must become a prayer to God and every beat of His Heart must become the rhythm of your rest (See Diary #486).
Do you sleep in the presence of God? Think about it. When you retire to bed, do you pray? Do you ask our Lord to surround you with His grace and to embrace you with His gentle arms? God has spoken to the saints of old through their dreams. He has put holy men and women into a deep rest so as to restore them and strengthen them. Try to invite our Lord into your mind and heart as you lay your head down to sleep, this night. And as you wake, let Him be the first one whom you greet. Allow each night’s rest to be a resting in His Divine Mercy.
Lord, I thank You for the rhythm of each day. I thank You for the ways You walk with me throughout my day and I thank You for being with me while I rest. I offer to You, this night, my rest and my dreams. I invite You to hold me close to You, that Your Heart of Mercy may be the gentle sound which soothes my weary soul. Jesus, I trust in You.
Novena in preparation for Divine Mercy Sunday
Scripture Meditations for the Easter Season
Featured image above: The Dream of St. Joseph by Luca Giordano, via Wikimedia Commons
