Chapter XIII: Of Night Prayers

NOW let us suppose the day has gone by; that you have done your work; that everything has been put in order, and that you have some time to yourself. If the day has been spent in the way I have been endeavoring to point out, in remembering God and conversing with Him from time to time amidst your work, I am sure there is a fire of love burning in your heart. You have been so busy that you could not let it blaze up; it has been smouldering like live coals covered up with ashes, but all ready to burst out in a bright and warm blaze.

Now, then, is the good time to rake off those ashes, to put on some fresh fuel and let the fire burn brightly. Yes! nothing interferes with the free attention of the soul to God; all the world is hushed and the darkness of night only seems to make God nearer to us. We feel our own helplessness; what mere nothings we are, and God seems all and everything. We understand then more clearly how great, how wonderful, how wise, and how good He is. This is indeed a golden time to raise the soul to God.

Brother Gerard, a lay brother of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, used to spend whole nights looking up at the stars so bright and wonderful, his heart perfectly filled with love and admiration for God their Creator. Of course you cannot do the like, but the solemn silence of the night invites you to set apart some time, and a more considerable time than at any other part of the day, to devote it to God and your soul.

Then you can cast a look back at the day that has passed, to see how you have spent it; to see what has been wrong, that you may be sorry for it and sincerely resolve to amend it. Recall to mind what good you have done, that you may humbly thank God for it; for it is indeed a source of joy if we have done well, though we must remember that all good comes from the Holy Ghost, and that without Him we could not so much as think a good thought.

This is a time, too, to thank God for all His mercies and for all you have had to suffer, since that is a mercy, if you did but know it; to recommend yourself to His protection for the night, and to give yourself body and soul to Him; to offer Him your life, and your death, at whatever time and in whatever manner may be most pleasing to Him.

Now, there is one caution I must give you, in order that all my advice about your night prayers may not turn out useless. It is a plain thing, but most important. You should have a regular hour for retiring and preparing yourself for your night’s rest, and that hour ought not to be a late one. Late hours are the destruction of piety. Fix your hour, and when it comes around retire, that you may commune with God.

Do not run out visiting every evening. If you go out now and then to see your friends and acquaintances, be sure to finish your visit in good time, and get home again at your regular hour for retiring. In the same way, if visitors come to see you, do not let them stay too late. Remind them kindly that it is getting late, and that you are obliged to retire. Bid them good-night, and let them go home, so that they may get to understand that it is no use to come to see you at an unreasonable time.

This is very important, for how can a poor girl talk and talk all the evening until a late hour, without every good impression being driven out of her soul? After such an evening, when she kneels down to pray she will find herself quite distracted; not a good thought will be likely to come into her mind. All the affairs of Mary, or John and William, or Mrs. This or Mrs. That, a heap of idle, nonsensical thoughts, will be chasing one another in her poor distracted head.

It may be sinful temptations will get such a firm hold on her imagination that the devil will be sure to bring her into some sin, while much of that holy peacefulness that reigned in her soul before is lost.

Shun, then, late hours, shun idle gossiping, slanderous and sinful talk; and keep your soul in such a state that when the blessed hour arrives to pray, you may find yourself ready, and in a fit mood to enjoy the conversation of God your Saviour.