Watching and Praying

EMMA KACHEL

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 15) our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, says: "We must resolve to take up the cross, and go forth with honest hearts to work and watch for wisdom, Truth, and Love. We must 'pray without ceasing.' Such prayer is answered, in so far as we put our desires into practice." If we were always conscious that we live in divine Mind, and if we were always harboring divine, spiritual, perfect thoughts, this would be to "pray without ceasing."

The question often arises, Why did Jesus command us to watch, since Mrs. Eddy's teaching shows us that there is only one Mind, God, good—hence, no evil in reality? To be sure, evil has no reality, and Christ Jesus knew that; but mortals still regard evil as real. His words, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak," refer to this false belief and its false claims. The weakness of the flesh results from partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, whereby mankind becomes confused. Instead, we should cling to the truth which teaches only that which is good, that which alone is real and perfect.

In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy repeatedly characterizes evil as error or delusion. Right watching means a constant and immediate recognition of the suggestions of so-called mortal mind and the correcting of its lies and illusions by reversing them with truth. That Christ Jesus did not acknowledge evil as real is proved by his definition of the devil as "a liar, and the father of it," which he said "abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him." Thus our great Master, and our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, characterize mortal material sense as a liar—that is, as unreal.

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