Stay Awake: A Maundy Thursday Call to Action
On the night before he died, Jesus went to Gethsemane with his disciples and asked them to pray. But the disciples kept falling asleep.
“Could you not keep awake even one hour?” Jesus admonished them.
Across the world, churches will hold all-night vigils with Jesus following Maundy Thursday services. We do this to commemorate Jesus’ last evening with his disciples, but we also commit ourselves–Jesus’ disciples today–to social and spiritual alertness in our times.
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine will keep its doors open all night for the first time in over a decade, inviting our city to gather in darkness for prayer and reflection.
As Christians keep vigil, we are not only commemorating that long-ago night in Gethsemane. We are committing ourselves to staying awake with our neighbors in their times of distress.
We’re inviting churches throughout the Diocese to join the Cathedral in keeping the doors open all night on Maundy Thursday.
Our Vigil will not only be a time of prayer, but a call to action for faith communities and civic leaders to remain awake and to keep opening our doors to those seeking shelter and asylum in our city.
We are delighted that shelter remains a right for those arriving in New York. And–-there’s so much more to do.
If your congregation is not able to host a vigil, you can sign up to join the vigil at the Cathedral. If you can’t participate in person, you can donate to support faith communities who are opening their doors for shelter and respite for migrants.
Signed,
The Very Reverend Patrick Malloy
XI Dean, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine