Don’t Sleep, My Soul

 
                                                                                                            My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: 
                                                                                                            tarry ye here, and watch with me (Mt.26, 38)
 
This was a commandment, or rather a request, of the Savior to the Disciples, but poor tired Disciples did not fulfill it. “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mt.26, 41). Even in Apostles the human flesh muffled the spirit. This call of the Savior is directed to us as well: “tarry ye here, and watch with Me” he does not leave us; even though invisibly, but He is always with us. With this thought our whole life turns into something grand and holy.

“Tarry here” – says the Lord, and wait for my call. Wait, sometimes in sorrow and tribulation, but with the eyes always at dawn, with a firm belief, that He will visibly appear before us. We will hear His voice, calling unto us: “rise, let us be going”, - but not to the Golgotha, not to the cross, but to the resurrection, to the heavenly habitat, into the eternal joy!

“Watch with me”. We are never alone in our sorrow; “Thou art near, o Lord” (Ps.119, 151) So near, that He hears our every whisper, and sees our every sigh. Our heavenly Father feels for us and expects that moment when He finds us ready to accept His help; then He will send us relief. Our Savior Himself desired our compassion, but due to their human weakness His Disciples could not support Him in a difficult time. Who but Him can understand our sorrow? He is always near and He can help us respond to His calling: “watch with me”. Help is, Lord, awake us from the sinful sleeping, let us be  with You so close that we would not let our souls sleep when You are calling unto us and when You need Your even weakest servants! “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few” (Mt.9, 37) – You said. You went into heaven, but Your work remained on earth; let us not harm this holy work by our weaknesses!
 
(Translated by Tatiana Rozzell from “Every Day is a Gift from God. Diaries of an Orthodox Priest”, author unknown)