When It's Hard · Fear & Worry
Can't Sleep
For when you feel: insomnia, 3am, racing thoughts at night, restless
In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest: For thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope.
The MinuteHomily
It is three in the morning and everything looks bigger in the dark, the way it always does at this hour. David knew the feeling. He wrote Psalm 4 with real enemies circling, and still the psalm ends with his head on the pillow: "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep." His secret was not that the problems vanished by bedtime. It was one small word, only. "Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." Sleep is an act of trust. For the next few hours you resign as manager of the universe and hand the night shift to the God who was going to keep it anyway. The Keeper of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, which means tonight you can.
By the MinuteHomily editors
A prayer for this moment
Father, I hand You the night watch. Quiet my thoughts, guard what I cannot, and let me sleep in the safety of You. Amen.
“In peace I will sleep, for You alone give me hope.”
after Psalm 4 (Compline)
Hymns for this moment
“Day Is Done” · James Quinn, SJ
“Salve Regina” · chant
the Church's traditional night prayer to close the day
One small step
Put the phone in another room and pray the verse once for each slow breath, ten times.
Share this moment
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