A Candle at Midnight: Keeping Vigil As a Path Through Depression

Depression strikes not only the mind and the body, but the soul. Along with its devastating effects on one's outlook, will, and motivation, there is often a pervading sense of estrangement from life and abandonment by God. While society is finally recognizing depression as an illness that requires psychological and medical treatment, the spiritual dimension is only beginning to be addressed. Drawing on the Christian practice of vigil keeping, Marcy Heidish shows how this rich tradition of waiting on God can help illuminate the overwhelming experience of depression and renew a sense of God's care in the midst of it all. She provides various types of vigils, including: A Vigil for Getting Through the Day, A Vigil for Despair-When Words Fail, A Vigil of Hope, A Vigil With the Prayer of St. Francis. These vigils form the centerpiece of the fertile spirituality of depression that Heidish outlines here. Her careful reading of the scriptures and the lives of the saints introduces readers to a rich array of companions who themselves kept vigil through depression. Stressing always that a spiritual approach must be complemented by medical and psychological care, Heidish serves as a compassionate and wise companion for those who struggle with depression and their families. A Candle at Midnight reaches into the pain and the darkness of depression offering strength, solace, and hope.