Morning Prayer: Night/day as symbols



From today's prayer: "O night and darkness, clouded gloom, disturbed confusion of the world."

The Bible uses night/day as symbols of evil/good not because night is actually evil or day is actually good, but because ancient writers used light and darkness as metaphors for spiritual clarity and spiritual confusion.

The symbolism is metaphorical, not literal — and the text itself shows this repeatedly.

🌒 1. Night and day in the Bible are metaphors, not moral judgments

Biblical writers used light to symbolize knowledge, revelation, safety, God’s presence and darkness to symbolize confusion, danger, ignorance, or separation from God. This metaphor appears throughout Scripture as a literary device, not a claim about the physical world.

Ancient people lived without electricity. Night was when:

  • predators hunted

  • travel was dangerous

  • people were vulnerable

  • visibility was low

So “darkness” became a natural symbol for not knowing, not seeing, or being unsafe — even though night itself could also be peaceful, beautiful, and protective.

🌞 2. The Bible also acknowledges night as good, necessary, and God‑given

Night is not portrayed as evil in itself. It is part of creation, blessed and ordered by God.

Psalm 104 describes night as the time when animals do what they are created to do, and humans rest. Night is a rhythm, not a curse.

So, the metaphor of darkness ≠ the reality of nighttime.

🌘 3. Why the metaphor persists: it expresses inner states

Biblical writers use “darkness” to describe:

  • confusion (“they do not know over what they stumble”)

  • moral blindness

  • fear or disorientation

  • the absence of guidance

And they use “light” to describe:

  • clarity

  • wisdom

  • God’s presence

  • awakening or renewal

This is exactly what you noticed in your prayer phrases — “clouded gloom” and “disturbed confusion of the world” — they are describing states of the soul, not the time of day.

🌗 4. The Bible also uses night positively

This part is often forgotten.

Night is when:

  • God speaks to Samuel

  • Jacob dreams of the ladder

  • Jesus prays

  • The Exodus begins

  • The resurrection is first witnessed (before dawn)

Night is a place of encounter, transition, and revelation.

So the metaphor of darkness is not a condemnation of night — it’s a way of naming the human experience of not yet seeing clearly.

🌖 5. Daytime is not automatically “good”

It is true that terrible things happen in broad daylight.

Biblical writers knew this too. Day is not inherently righteous — it simply symbolizes visibility, truth, and the ability to see what is real.

Darkness symbolizes the inability to see, not moral failure.

🌕 In short

The Bible uses night/day as symbols because they are universal human metaphors for clarity and confusion, not because night is bad or day is good. The prayer’s language fits this tradition: it’s describing inner fog, not the physical world.


Read more Morning Prayer posts: MSI Press Blog

Note about Morning Prayer: Each morning prayer post reflects on one phrase from the Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. which can be found in the iBreviary (a downloadable app), Universalis (website) or Divine Office (publication and website). Post may be assisted by AI in image generation and content (research and/or wording).


Morning Prayer posts inspired by Being Catholic in Troubled Times (Dennis Ortman)

Book Description:

These are times that try our souls. This book is addressed to all, not just Catholics, who search for deeper meaning in tough times. Our age is marked by division and alienation. We long for some message that will bring peace to our world and our hearts.

This book suggests that the Catholic faith can provide strength in these troubled times. The word "catholic" means "all-embracing, universal." Nothing is excluded in the catholic mind. The truth that sets us free can be found everywhere, especially in unexpected places. It is often hidden in plain sight. In our darkest moments, we find new light and life. When we are most despairing, a ray of hope shines through.



Dr. Dennis Ortman, former priest and current psychologist, is the author of Anger Anonymous, Anxiety Anonymous, Depression Anonymous, Being Catholic in Troubled Times, and Life, Liberty, and COVID-19.


For more posts by and about Dennis and his award-winning books, click HERE.



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