May I sleep in our Lord's presence?

[Beautiful]

There are rare times when I want to curl up and sleep peacefully on the floor in front of the sanctuary at the little church I frequently visit. The sleep that sometimes almost overwhelms me isn’t the kind related to physical fatigue but rather a sleep more associated with a deep peace. I’ve also felt this way during hours of adoration. This I would like to do only when there are no others around for Mass. I don’t think I would ever actually do this because I might frighten someone. Is it an offense to God to desire to sleep peacefully in his presence?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to his napping apostles:

And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:40-41).

In this case, Jesus was speaking to apostles who fell asleep not because they wanted to but because they were tired.

St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897) once was frustrated by her own inability to stay awake during prayers but comforted herself with the idea that Jesus was sleeping in the little boat of her soul. Again, she did not intend to sleep when she should have been praying, but sought to have faith that Jesus still loved her even in her weakness.

So, no, I cannot recommend that you deliberately curl up on the floor of a church or an adoration chapel and take a nap, whether out of fatigue or out of a feeling of peace. Churches and adoration chapels are intended for worshippers to be actively, consciously in the sacramental presence of our Lord. If you want to seek a place where sleep in the presence of the Lord is possible, look into an overnight or weekend retreat at a monastery or convent. Perhaps sleeping in a retreat house during specified hours for rest is one possible way to experience the kind of “holy sleep” you are seeking.