Fr. Tim is constantly telling me that I wouldn't oversleep (or run the risk thereof) if I went to bed earlier. I'm very much a "Night Owl" so I'm not totally convinced... He's just put up an account of his latest retreat at Pluscarden, noting that the monastic chanting of the psalms is a foretaste of heaven...
...ummm, chanting anything at 4:45am is more like my personal idea of hell!
Sounds like heaven to me! :-) (Sorry, but I totally agee with Fr. Tim)
ReplyDeleteYou'll notice that they actually get a full night of sleep though. . . you'd think you'd be tired getting up at 4:15am to chant, but if you go to bed at 8:30pm or 9:00pm it's not that bad. :-)
On the other hand, you can just get your guardian angel to wake you up in the morning. My guardian angel is good at that. Earlier this week I woke up at 8:06am and made it to 8:15am Mass (admittedly, I live very very close to the Church!). I try not to make a habit of it, however my guardian angel always comes through for me. This may also help with your oversleeping nightmares.
I'm heading to the Poor Clares for Mass at 6:20am tomorrow, care to join me? ;-)
Hey, Mac,
ReplyDeleteI was at Pluscarden for a week, and didn't use my alarm clock anyday. I strangely woke at precisely 4:20am every day... and went to Matins.
DP,
ReplyDeleteMy GA wakes me up, too!
:)
And yeah, that sounds like heaven to me.
I was a night owl before the baby, but now, I thank the Lord when I can fall into bed before 10PM, and I'll wager I couldn't sleep til 10AM if I tried.
Still, I would like to try sometime.
I'm with you, Mac. To get me up regularly at 4:45a.m. you'd have to attach wires to me and give me electroshock treatment. When I was 8 or 9 I wanted to be a nun like St. Therese. I soon realized that Carmelites have these hours ... and realized that a nun who said "Is there any particular reason why we can't start at 9:30 in the morning? And that's pressing it until I've had my caffeine." "And it wouldnt' hurt to knock off and go to a ball game once in a while, would it?" Priests always had it easier, getting to pick whether or not the diocesan secular route was the way to go, or if an order was better suited. Nuns? Nah. They always had to go out in twos everywhere too.
ReplyDeleteSleeping time is determined by your lifestyle. I'm sure if I went to bed at 9pm I'd be anxious to be up by 4am. As it is, I have evening committments and frequently I'm not home until 10.30 - by the time I have something to eat, read the blogs, etc. its soon midnight or even 1am. I still have to get up around 8am.
ReplyDeleteMind you, they do say the time taken in sleep before midnight is the most beneficial.
Rita had a thread on her blog about "Nun Envy" among women. I sometimes think how the life of a monk might very well suit me... and then... I notice the time they rise. :-(
ReplyDeleteMac, I'm with you!
BTW, absolutely love the new pic of B16 under your profile description. Was it take in Cadore during the hols?
Philip - thanks! I've no idea where the photo is from, I found it on Google. I was looking for one of the photos Fr Tim used in his video to celebrate Summorum Pontificum, but no luck, so I settled for this one!
ReplyDeleteThank God for Pope Benedict!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI work in a Bank and one of my 30 something colleagues who lives alone has her mother call her on her mobile phone in the morning to wake her up and remind her that she has a job to go to!!!! yes, each and every morning, the mother also calls her at work to make sure she has arrived at the Bank. Are you a bit like this MF
ReplyDeleteNo way would my mother phone me each morning... she's the one I inherited my "night owl" gene from!
ReplyDeleteYes you are very sensible! Keep up the good work. I wish I were a night owl as I could get so many more things done around the house.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your Blog very much I also love cats. How is Sylvester these days? We have one called Bo Jangles.