Time to Retire

It is almost 12:00 midnight. It is time to go to bed and retire for the night.

But it is hard to do just that. There is still a lot more to do. The day has been filled with so many things, so much stuff, so many events, so many activities, so many words spoken, so many thoughts in mind, so many interactions with so many people, so many things you wanted to do but are not all done, so many projects begun and are still to continue or to start.

There is still a lot more to do. If only there were more than 24 hours in a day. Maybe another 12 or 24 more!

But that is not the case. At the end of the day, one must go to bed and retire for the night. To rest one's tired body, one's tired spirit. To recharge, to rejuvenate. To prepare for another day, if that will happen at all.

And one hopes it does.

Indeed one must retire. To enter into a state of forgetfulness of the cares and concerns that have been met and unmet in the day. To get the peace that one deserves and needs after spending one's self, hopefully a lot for others.

At the end of the day when it is time to just lie down, it is good to look back to find out how we fared. It is good to make an examen of one's consciousness, of how God has manifested Himself in our life those past waking hours, and thank Him for them, say sorry for anything that one should not have done, and resolve to do better.

And there is the longing one finds himself expressing with the Psalmist:

"Out of the depths I have cried to Thee O Lord! Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If Thou, O Lord! wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall stand it? For with Thee there is mercy: and by reason of Thy law I have waited on Thee, O Lord! My soul hath relied on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night . . . Lord, hear my prayer. And let my cry come unto Thee." (Psalm 130)

"Save us, Lord, while we are awake; protect us while we sleep; that we may keep watch with Christ and rest with him in peace." (Night Prayer - Liturgy of the Hours)

And one last thing for the night- to commend our souls to God: " Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit."

When the time comes for us to enter into our final retirement, may we retire in the bosom of the Father in eternal peace and joy! #