Evening Prayer

Evening Prayer by St. Augustine of Hippo 

Watch, O Lord, with those who wake or weep tonight, and give your angels and saints charge over those who slumber.

Tend your sick ones, O Lord Christ,

Rest your weary ones,

Bless your dying ones,

Soothe your suffering ones,

Pity your afflicted ones,

Shield your joyous ones,

And all for your love’s sake. Amen.

I cannot imagine a more beautiful prayer on behalf of others.

A request for Christ Himself to keep watch over those that cannot sleep or are crying in the dark.

He asks for angels to stand guard for those that are sleeping. (What comfort there would be for most of us if we could see the angels that are guarding us as we sleep.)

He asks rest for the weary, blessings on those that will be passing away, soothing for the suffering, (just the word soothing is soothing) he also requests pity for the afflicted,(what do you suppose would be the outcome of God's pity?)and my personal favorite, he asks the those who are joyful be shielded. How easily our joy can be taken away from us. It seems sometimes that if you are joyous somebody will try to steal it away.

This prayer warrior seems to understand that most all of us will fall under one of the categories of his prayer. 

Please pray for one another.