Why does the Lord Christ sometimes hide Himself and His glory from the faith of believers? There are many reasons but I will mention only one. He does it to stir us up to search for Him with all our heart. Our wretched laziness so often makes us neglect meditation on heavenly things. But Christ is patient with us. He knows that those who have seen something of His glory, although they have not valued it as they ought, cannot bear His absence for long.
John Owen

EVENING HYMN

τήν ήμέραν διελθών.

The day is past and over:
All thanks, Ο Lord, to Thee!
I pray Thee that offenceless
The hours of dark may be.
Ο Jesu! keep me in Thy sight
And save me through the coming night!

The joys of day are over:
I lift my heart to Thee,
And call on Thee, that sinless
The hours of sin may be.
Ο Jesu! make their darkness light,
And save me through the coming night!

The toils of day are over:
I raise the hymn to Thee,
And ask that free from peril
The hours of fear may be.
O Jesu! keep me in Thy sight
And guard me through the coming night!

Lighten mine eyes, O Saviour,
Or sleep in death shall I;.
And he, my wakeful tempter,
Triumphantly shall cry,
“He could not make their darkness light,
Nor guard them through the hours of night!”

Be Thou my soul’s preserver,
O God! for Thou dost know
How many are the perils
Through which I have to go:
Lover of men, oh, hear my call.
And guard and save me from them all!

-ST. ANATOLIUS.