“In this Vespers hour I sense a very thin veil between heaven and earth.
As I enter the Great Silence, I thoughtfully attend to my heart. With eyes of mercy and delight I scan my actions of this day. Are the achievements of this day aligned with my heart’s deepest yearning for grace-filled living? Gratitude and compassion arise from my soul like incense: gratitude for the blessings of the day, compassion for the discouragements of the day. I prayerfully hold in my heart the ones who have passed through my life this day. Silence and darkness fall upon me like a great protective quilt of love.”
–Macrina Wiederkehr, Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day, p. 135 and 155
