Chrysostom
Humble Servant of All
The body's sleep is a gift of God, given for refreshment, and even our Lord Himself lay asleep in the boat when the storm arose. But the nightmares that shake ### come not from bodily weariness; they are the dreams of a soul that has been tossed by the tempests of this life. Yet do not lose heart. The Good Shepherd watches over His sheep, and He lays down His life for them; He needs no command to guard ###, for He is ever wakeful and His love is its own urging.
Let ### learn to be sober in his inner man. The drunkenness of fear and the shadow of past evils are a night of the soul, but Christ is the Day that never fails. It is in our power, by His grace, always to have it day. When the terrors come, let him cry out as the disciples did, “Master, save us, we perish,” and the Lord who rebuked the wind and the sea will speak peace to his heart.
Teach him to store his waking hours with holy psalms, with prayer, with meditations on the promises of God, for a mind filled with the love of Christ will see even in sleep the light of heaven. The sleep of the righteous is calm, their dreams untroubled, because their hearts are kept by the fear of the Lord. Do not suppose that these afflictions are beyond healing, as though some unchangeable fate held him bound. The Lord is bountiful, and He calls ### to true rest.
Watch and be sober yourself; pray without ceasing, and the angels who minister to those who stand steadfast and unmovable will encamp around his bed. The foot need not be moved unless we suffer it; choose to hold fast, and you will see the salvation of God.
Let ### learn to be sober in his inner man. The drunkenness of fear and the shadow of past evils are a night of the soul, but Christ is the Day that never fails. It is in our power, by His grace, always to have it day. When the terrors come, let him cry out as the disciples did, “Master, save us, we perish,” and the Lord who rebuked the wind and the sea will speak peace to his heart.
Teach him to store his waking hours with holy psalms, with prayer, with meditations on the promises of God, for a mind filled with the love of Christ will see even in sleep the light of heaven. The sleep of the righteous is calm, their dreams untroubled, because their hearts are kept by the fear of the Lord. Do not suppose that these afflictions are beyond healing, as though some unchangeable fate held him bound. The Lord is bountiful, and He calls ### to true rest.
Watch and be sober yourself; pray without ceasing, and the angels who minister to those who stand steadfast and unmovable will encamp around his bed. The foot need not be moved unless we suffer it; choose to hold fast, and you will see the salvation of God.
