The way we spend our time says a lot about what we value. For me, observation of sunrise and sunset is one of the most valuable times of my whole day. It’s the opening and closing of a very valued book. It is a sacred encounter in the deepest and most meaningful way.

The sun was just about to set when I was driving to my country house. The setting sun just beyond the low-lying hill of the big farm land is never dull. Every time I see it, I am moved, and it never fails to fly me off to a mindful state where everything finds its rightful place- what needs to go, goes and what needs to remain, remains. It’s a place of final resolve.

Then I wake up to this quiet, peaceful sunrise just around six in the morning. It’s a new beginning. I open my unveiled day yet again and wonder what the day will bring. I almost feel like I am walking with God in Eden when I am strolling around the land with a cup of hot coffee in my hands.

These two are the moments I try to observe every day. This is my vigil, daily Eucharistic Adoration, the spiritual feeding for my soul’s deepest desire. I’ve always loved the sacred moments of sunrise and sunset as long as I can remember, even before I came to know God. My soul craved for the gentle ray of light at the sunrise and sunset and I never hesitated to listen to the call of my soul. I was stripped down to these two rituals- the observance of the sunrise and sunset- when I was in the deep of my depression. The healing light provided such comfort and consolation. They were the very expression of my soul, daily manna from God, and the hour of Mercy. And most of all, it didn’t cost a penny to participate in this wonderful activity.

So what do sunrise and sunset reveal about my values? I value the events of my soul. I value all things that my soul loves and craves. I value the loving presence that the sunrise and sunset bring out of my core and I value the deep communion with the Mystery during these quiet hours of my soul.

My highest ideal in life is to discover this value in every living event throughout the day. Sure, sunrise lasts only a moment and sunset passes as fast as it comes. But what if I embody the essence of the mysteries of the rising and the setting of the sun? What if I bring the loving presence to wherever I belong in the present moment and become the soothing ray of the soul everywhere I go? These are the questions every sunrise and sunset ask me. They remind me of the kind of presence I aspire to embody however impossible that aspiration may seem. I’ve always believed and loved this saying. “Sky is the limit when your heart’s in it”.