So it was hours later, laying in bed searching youtube for a Mass to watch, where I found time with God and a profound message as I drifted in and out of consciousness, the homily was all about - waiting -.
I cried listening to that message that just told me to wait.
I've never been so good at that, and definitely failed waiting gracefully this year.
It's not uncanny that over the last few months I've been learning bread-making. This is definitely a task that involves waiting.
Especially sour-dough...we wait for the yeast to grow, that can take a week. We wait for the flour and water to autolyse, that takes an hour. We wait for the dough to come together . . . stretch and fold . . . 4 hours. We proof or bench rest for four more hours or overnight. Then finally we bake...and that is one of the quickest parts of the process! The darkest hour is just before the dawn -
That phrase — “the darkest hour is just before the dawn” — is a metaphor rather than a literal observation of nature. It’s meant to capture a universal human experience:
- Hope after hardship: It suggests that even when circumstances feel most difficult, relief or improvement is often close at hand.
- Cycles of struggle and renewal: Just as night inevitably gives way to morning, periods of despair or challenge often precede growth, healing, or success.
