The Vatican Council reminded us that, Morning and Evening Prayer are the two hinges on which the Prayer of the Church turns. The reflection on life, alongside the words of scripture, has been a daily practice in the Church since earliest times. This book continues that tradition, offering a simple form of prayer for individual or communal use, at the start of the day. This book is presented as a partner volume to Prayers to Close My Day. It is offered as a way of prayer for busy people. It is also offered as a resource to Christian communities, who would like to start their day with a simple form of prayer. It can also serve as an occasional alternative to the full Office of the Church, for religious communities and parishes.

In order to mark the bicentenary of the foundational dream that Saint John Bosco experienced when only nine years of age (1824), this book offers readers reflections on a number of biblical and theological themes that emerge from the simplicity yet depth of that dream. In the first place, certain elements from the life and person of Jesus are presented as the model for a so-called 'Salesian' spirituality and life-style. Those elements are outlined as an awareness that Jesus never abandons his fragile disciples, and that a genuinely Christian education writes on the hearts of the young. They are never abandoned in the challenging all-pervasive secularity of contemporary society. It closes with a summons to a deeper awareness of the universal possibility of 'the perfection of love' as Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622) taught, well before his fellow Savoyard, John Bosco (1815-1888).

For some time the need for an occasional alternative to The Prayer of the Church has been expressed by a number of individuals and communities. This book is an attempt to respond to that need, whilst still keeping a general shape that corresponds to The Prayer of the Church. At the end there are some short readings and direct reflections on life experience. The format has emerged from use in Salesian communities, and much of the spirituality comes from the optimistic and gentle inspiration of St Francis de Sales. It challenges us to find God in the evening and grow in awareness of God’s abiding presence throughout the day.