They watch for Christ
who are sensitive, eager,
apprehensive in mind;
who are awake, alive, quick-sighted,
zealous in honoring him;
who look for him in all that happens
and who would not be surprised,
who would not be over-agitated or overwhelmed,
if they found that he was coming at once...
This then is to watch:
to be detached from what is present
and to live in what is unseen;
to live in the thought of Christ as he came once,
and as he will come again;
to desire his second coming,
from our affectionate and grateful remembrance
of his first.
- St. John Henry Newman
Lord,
rescue me from boredom, tedium and inertia,
from anxiety, sorrow and fear...
Lord,
relieve me of distraction, doubt and confusion,
of disappointment, regret and indifference...
Lord, wake me, rouse and hearten me
to wait, to watch, to look for you,
to anticipate your coming
and expect your arrival...
You've come into the world already, Lord,
and into my life you'll come again
and again and again and again,
today, tonight and tomorrow...
And then next week, next month, next year
and again at the last when the waiting's done,
when the watch is over and you call me home
to the peace that waits for those who watch...
Amen.
