THIS IS PART of the residue of the pldt disconnection that whirled a maelstorm in my mind (in a good way), made me return to Ate Myla’s gift, and drove me to milk further the book’s precious juices. Here’s another one, from page 200 of “Consecration to St. Joseph,” which I tweaked here and there, for easier reading.
God loves sleep. He made it. He designed us in such way that one-third of our life should be spent asleep. He Himself rested after creating the heavens and the earth (Gen 2:2-3).
In St. Joseph’s life and mission, God spoke to him as he slept. Through an angel, God communicated to him four very important messages in his dreams (Mt 1:20; 2:13, 19, 22).
St. Joseph’s sleep is so important and powerful that Satan fears it. St. Joseph did as the angel commanded in his sleep, which is a game-changer.
The New Testament says that St. Joseph’s sleep is prayer. In heaven, he no longer sleeps, but in eternity, he does “rest in the Lord,” eternal rest meaning the afterlife. It’s only recently that a popular devotion to “Sleeping St. Joseph” was developed in the Church. I have one such statue, a gift from Ate Marivic, bigger than the small one I bought for myself. It had a groove under his bunk, where I’d slip a note, an intention for him to take to God. Not all intentions are answered, but the urgent ones, especially those that are not personal, get a response. I miss the groove but when I think of Ate Myla (whom I gave the statue to) slipping her intentions there, I smile a prayer of thanks. More than ever, I’m certain that we are connected to the Father through our spiritual other.
The French poet Charles Péguy, wrote about the importance of sleep in an incredible poem, “The Portal of the Mystery of Hope,” from God’s perspective. Let me share with you its glorious excerpt.
Just sleep. Why don’t people make use of it?
I’ve given this secret to everyone. I haven’t sold it.
He who sleeps well, lives well. He who sleeps, prays.
He who works, prays, too. There’s a time for everything, both for sleep and work.
Work and sleep are like two brothers. They get along very well together.
Sleep leads to work just like work leads to sleep.
He who works well sleeps well, he who sleeps well work well.
Yet they tell Me that there are men who don’t sleep.
I don’t like the man who doesn’t sleep.
Sleep is the friend of man.
Sleep is My friend.
Sleep may be My most beautiful creation.
I, too, rested on the seventh day.
He whose heart is pure sleeps. He who sleeps has a pure heart.
This is the great secret to being as indefatigable as a child.
Yes, they tell Me that there are men who work well and sleep poorly. Who don’t sleep. What a lack of confidence in Me.
I’m talking about those who work and don’t sleep. I pity them.
I’m talking about those who work and, in doing so,
are following My commandment, poor children.
And who, on the other hand, don’t have the courage, don’t have the confidence to sleep.
I pity them. I hold it against them. A little. They don’t trust me.
As a child lays innocently in his mother’s arms, thus do they not lay innocently in the arms of My Providence.
They have the courage to work. They don’t have the courage to do nothing.
They possess the virtue of work. They don’t possess the virtue of doing nothing.
Of relaxing. Of resting. Of sleeping.
Unhappy people, they don’t know what’s good.
Amen.
