“How long is this queue going to take?”, “I’ve been stuck in traffic for ages!”, “When will this lecturer ever stop talking?” These are questions and phrases we often hear around us, born out of unwanted and sometimes prolonged waiting.
If we look at the Bible, we find several figures who waited, some with joy, others with sorrow. Among them we meet Abraham and Sarah, waiting for a child; Zechariah, struck dumb as he awaits the birth of John alongside Elizabeth; and Mary, awaiting the birth of the Messiah. At the same time, we find Job lamenting before God, weighed down by his waiting in times of hardship. Indeed, he says: “Like a slave longing for the shade, or a hired worker waiting for their wages, so I have been allotted months of futility, and nights of misery have been assigned to me. When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’ The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.” (Job 7:2–4)
Yet in this time of waiting, we also find fertile ground for prayer. Out of joy, Mary is moved to praise the Lord through her Magnificat; Elizabeth rejoices in what the Lord has done for her; while Job, in his pain, pours out his heart before God. A clear example of prayer in waiting is Jesus himself, who, as he awaited his passion, “knelt down and prayed” in deep anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44).
Like these figures, we too often find ourselves waiting, sometimes joyfully, sometimes sorrowfully. As we see in these Biblical events, the works of God frequently require waiting that is far from easy. Whether we are discerning our vocation, striving to be formed, or walking through life seeking to grow continually in love for God, such waiting can stir restlessness within us.
However, our response should be to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to prayer. In doing so, while we wait, we live the present moment with serenity, as our Mother Mary did, while our soul “magnifies the Lord” (Luke 1:46). In this way, our waiting will not be empty or burdensome, but consoling, filling our hearts with the joy that only God can give.
Bernard Pullicino
SDC Candidate
