Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.
It always reads to me as a near perfect prayer, if there is such a thing. The words roll out in a quiet rhythm that almost puts one to sleep. It seems to capture everyone in need as the last lights fade. You can just imagine them: the ones tossing with worry in wrinkled sheets, the ones in pain just beyond the reach of morphine, those on ventilators, those taking their last breaths, those riding the last bus after the last call, the newborn child’s uneven breathing sleep, those at the nursing station, those awake to comfort a child whose nightmare bubbled to the surface, those lonely, and those at either end of a 911 call.
And then, maybe somewhat oddly it reads, “shield the joyous.” Why the joyous? When you think about it for a moment, we rely heavily on the joyous ones; those in our lives who can get a smile, no matter what, who lift our sadness just a bit, who know just what we need at a particular time, who get a laugh through tears, who see the glass at least half full. Yes, Lord shield them.