I’m sure we’ve all had bouts of sleeplessness, whether it’s a season of insomnia, an illness, or feeding a newborn.
If we’ve had any sleepless nights since 1997, others have chosen, quite willfully, to be awake with us and pray on our behalf. They don’t know our names, but they choose to be in solidarity.
The Norbertine Canonesses are an order of Roman Catholic nuns in the Tehachapi Mountains of California. Every day, they wake at midnight to remember those who are struggling to sleep and to pray for them.
They think about people struggling with substance abuse. They imagine those who are homeless and don’t have an adequate bed or a safe place to be. They remember victims of domestic violence. They pray for people experiencing mental illness, situational anxiety, challenges in relationships, grief, or confusion about life’s direction. They especially remember new parents.
I think all of this is really lovely.
Some of us may value prayer, and others of us may not resonate with it. But one thing is true: alongside their prayers, these women want people to know that they aren’t alone in those moments of distress. I find that to be very touching.
So if you want, think about a difficult moment of sleeplessness you’ve had recently or sometime over the last few years.
In that specific moment, some women in California were remembering you.
—Renee Roederer
I learned about this community of nuns in The New York Times: These Nuns Wake Up at Midnight to Pray for New Moms
Smuggling Grace 