Night Vigil

My Guardian Angel, a photo by []Aaroneous Monk[] on Flickr.

Tonight my son and I went through our typical bedtime routine of brushing teeth, peeing, and having him put on a pull up before plopping into bed. He made it into his room before me and as I entered and saw him already under the covers it hit me that we hadn't prayed together in his icon corner for the past several nights.  Often it seems easier to just skip that part when we are tired.

I determined we would resume this very important part of our routine and I went into my bedroom and found a lighter. When I entered his room again I switched his light off and proceeded to the icon corner where I lit his candle. "Elias, let's get up and pray," I said in the flickering darkness.

"No Daddy, I'm too tired."

Some nights I easily give in to this unassailable logic and simply crawl into bed beside him and drop off to sleep, but tonight I thought it was important to push back a little. What came to mind was Jesus bringing his closest disciples with him to the garden at night to pray. His crucifixion was at hand and the loneliness of what he must do in his humanity must have been crushing.

"Elias, do you remember when Jesus went into the garden at night and took Peter, James and John with him to pray?" Elias was quiet under the covers. "Do you remember what they did instead of praying with him?"

In the darkness of the room lit by a single candle I heard his little voice say, "They fell asleep."

Without another word he got up and joined me for prayers and when we finished he laid back down and quickly fell asleep.

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