O My Soul, Do Not Slumber

Dear Reader,

Today, I was drawn to a passage in Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, Canto I.

“Midway upon the journey of our life
I found myself within a forest dark,
For the straightforward pathway had been lost.”

“So full was I of slumber at the moment
In which I had abandoned the true way.”

Looking back on my life, I can now recognize something of what Dante describes: I had become spiritually asleep. From my mid-twenties to my early forties, I was distracted from spiritual development by career goals, family, good times, and what seemed like endless partying. Dante does not describe himself as deliberately choosing evil. He describes himself as having fallen asleep. I can relate to that feeling and to the question: “How did I get here?”

It was only in a moment of clarity that, like Dante, I awakened at the edge of darkness, far from the person I had hoped to be. I had lost my path as a spiritual person. In Dante’s example, he saw light shining on the top of a hill. The rest of his story is one of struggle to climb toward that light and, ultimately, a journey through Hell.

In my case, the path has been one of recovery, where I have been humbled, become more aware of character traits both good and bad, and found a way to make amends to family, friends, and others I harmed before recovery. This path is ongoing. Sometimes progress seems visible; at other times it is slower and more difficult to recognize. I cannot say that I wish the journey were over, because each day brings challenges that allow me to grow and move closer to a Higher Power.

In my case, I have become reacquainted with the God of my understanding and have come to know His Son, Jesus Christ.

My daily spiritual admonition is:

“O my soul, do not slumber or seek worldly distractions. Keep to the true way in Christ, who declares, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’” — John 14:6

This is my prayerful reminder to remain awake and centered in Christ.

As I close, I wonder what I have truly gained from this reflection. Perhaps it is the recognition that there was a past, that I am now established on a renewed spiritual journey, and that, if I choose to be guided and assisted by Divine Grace, I need not drift or lose sight of my true goal of returning to God’s joyful presence.

A word of caution: Dante does not first say, “I chose the wrong road.” He realizes that while spiritually inattentive, he somehow wandered from the true one.

Recognizing that we are lost is not the end of the journey. It may be the beginning of being guided home.

And perhaps, in being guided home, we begin to understand more deeply the infinite love of God, who does not abandon His children simply because they have wandered.

🙏 🧘‍♂️ 💕 🤗 ☮️