On mornings when I wake up in the pre-dawn hours, I like immersing myself in the silence and letting the ensuing peace wash over me. This sacred time is often filled with embracing the moment's stillness as I seek to connect with the Holy One and awaken to a new day.

As I reflect on this notion of awakening to a new day, the phrase “Always We Begin Again” comes to mind, which was coined by St. Benedict of Nursia, who is considered the founder of Western monasticism. Knowing that I can start over and begin anew is very comforting, especially when I feel a need to make amends in a relationship or let go of something that isn’t working or is holding me back from making positive changes.

My experience has taught me that making changes also requires making choices. When I changed jobs and careers over the years, I made choices that meant not only letting go of what was familiar to me but also embracing what was not familiar to me so that I could grow. So many of the changes I’ve made in life have also served as moments of awakening to new possibilities, renewed hope, and trust in my relationship with the Divine. Awakening to a new day can be a transformative experience that leads us to a closer relationship with our Creator.

I have found that making choices also requires a leap of faith and it is this faith that enabled me to make changes, albeit scary. Choices can be so definitive that there’s no turning back once we move in a specific direction. We might regret a decision made that altered not only our lives but possibly the lives of others. Or a choice might lead us to turn our life around in a positive way. Choices can bring heartache and disappointment, but they can also be liberating and joy-filled moments.

How do you greet the dawning of a new day? Do you embrace each day as a fresh start or hold onto yesterday’s difficulties? Being mindful of our opportunity to celebrate or bemoan the dawn of a new day might help us approach a new day differently. As the dawn of a new day greets us, we can choose to be filled with wonderment, gratitude, and even lessons for furthering our growth and love of life.

You can find a myriad of inspirational quotes packed with meaning about a new day and these two I found enlightening and maybe you will too:

Each day is filled with promise, potential and possibility.” ― Tony Curl

Every new day is an opportunity to grow your love.” ― Debasish Mridha

Both quotes convey a message of hope, inviting us and empowering us to live fully and boldly. Sometimes we need a wake-up call to remind us to live anew, to live in the Spirit and wisdom of God. It’s easy to forget that we have been given this gift of a precious life and that we can choose how we want to grow and respond to life’s daily encounters.

At the day’s end, I again welcome resting in silence as a bookend to the day and reflecting on where I am with myself, others, and God. Listening to Shaina Noll’s song, Deep Peace or Max Maxwell’s The Elegance of Pachelbel album are two favorite musical pieces that enable me to surrender to God whatever concerns are on my heart as I ease into the night.

How is God speaking to you today? Are you being called to a new beginning, to exploring how you might live each new day fully and boldly as a religious sister? Make the choice to contact us for a conversation about this possibility to grow your love.