When I was a little girl, my mother came every night into my room before bedtime so we could say our prayers. She would sit on the edge of my twin bed and I would be lying under the covers with my head on my pillow. “Our Father, who art in heaven,” she would start and then I would join in saying the Lord’s Prayer. This was followed with the “Mary” prayer, which begins “Hail, Mary, Full of Grace..” From there, we prayed specifically for our family and friends or for distant people we’d heard about on the news. She always finished our prayers with the “Lighten our Darkness” prayer.

I found great comfort in the ritual of our nightly prayers. I also found comfort in the belief that there were positive forces out there in the universe that were watching over us. I still find comfort in that belief.

Here is the “Lighten our Darkness” prayer.

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

This particular prayer is one I pray when I am feeling a bit afraid. I feel better believing that there are forces of good in the universe that will defend us against danger. I admit to a childlike faith. I know it was born from those many nights lying on my bed with my mother right there, offering me a sense of safety in a world that can feel full of peril.  

Thank you, Mom.