During the Evening Offices, the weight of the day's occurances are nearby in the mind, bringing with them the concerns, problems, and blessings of the day past.
During the Morning Offices there is a certain anticipation for the upcoming day with its schedule, people, meetings, work, and all that we cannot forsee within them.
But at midnight the greatest distraction is your melatonin, and if you can suspend that for fifteen minutes, there is nothing to crowd the mind nor soul. No regret for the past day nor anxiety for the future one. It is peaceful and focused.
St. Mark of Ephesus said regarding the midnight office, "rising from sleep for it, we signify the transportation from the life of the deceit of darkness to the life which is, according to Christ, free and bright, with which we begin to worship God. For it is written, 'The people who sat in darkness saw a great light (Is. 9:2; Mt 4:16)." From Patrologia Graeca 160, 1165D.
There is also a sense of redeeming the darkness, and filling it with the Light of Christ.
I would encourage you to try this, as I have been encouraged in trying to develop the midnight prayer into my daily cycle.
6 comments:
Well, my midmorning office Is your midnight office :)
That doesn't count.
You're a loony.
Look, if you intend by that utilization of an obscure
colloquialism to imply that my global location is not up to scratch, or
even to deny the
hemispherical-relevance of my little corner of the globe, I shall have to ask you to listen to this:
'Midnight here, is midday there,
and vice-versa, so you see,
Midday here, is midnight there,
it's in fact, complementaree."
You are a loony.
Seriously, I am doing well if I get two of the hours in (Prime, Sext, Vespers or Compline). You are a brave one, my friend. Matins is daunting. Maybe I will try to join you this coming year... that is, if you stop talking to yourself so much :)
I am currently calling the cat detector van from the Ministry of Housinge. He can hear your 'eppy purr from anywherre on the globe!
Fiddlee Dee Fiddlee Dum....
Chris, of course I talk to myself, no one else could possibly understand what the blazings I'm talking about!
Post a Comment