JESUS, IN HIS AGONY, IS STRENGTHENED BY AN ANGEL
“And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven strengthening Him. And being in agony He prayed the longer. And His sweat became as drops of Blood, trickling down upon the ground” (Luke 22, 43-44).
First Prelude: In spirit enter the Garden of Gethsemane and remain near our Saviour, sorrowful even unto death, accepting consolation and strength from an angel.
Second Prelude: O my Saviour, give me a great love of Thee, that it may strengthen me to endure every combat and to make every sacrifice for Thee.
First Point
JESUS SWEATS BLOOD
At no moment of man’s life does his weakness manifest itself so visibly as in the hour of death, when he is forsaken by all and when naught but confidence in the merits of the Saviour can afford him consolation. To merit an abundance of graces for that hour, our beloved Saviour designed to endure such a bitter agony. His death should be the model and support of ours. Let us adore our Blessed Saviour Who, as St. Bernard expresses it, shed bloody tears with His whole Body. Let us thank Him for submitting to such unheard of torments to merit for us the grace of a happy death, and consolation and strength in our last agony. Let us promise to remain faithful to Him in the future, daily to resume the struggle with the evil spirit and our passions, and with the assistance of His grace, to achieve a glorious victory. Looking upon our Divine Exemplar, should we not consider all that we suffer for love of Him light and insignificant? St. Paul said: “We have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin” (Heb. 12, 4). The more we have to struggle during life, the more accomplished and valiant shall we be found in our last combat, to resist the assaults of the enemy.
We will frequently kneel in spirit beside our Saviour, sweating blood, and declare ourselves ready for every struggle. We will not only accept death at His hands with all its circumstances but also all the hours of Gethsemane, all the anxieties and sufferings, whereby the heavenly Bridegroom would chasten the love of His spouses. Let us unite our agony and the cold sweat of death with the precious drops of Blood that ooze from every pore of His Sacred Body, and in union with Him, resign ourselves to the Will of our heavenly Father.
Second Point
JESUS IS STRENGTHENED BY AN ANGEL
Must it not fill us with admiration and astonishment to see a God, Who supports the world on His hands and preserves all things, accept consolation and strength from His creature! What a profound abasement for the Saviour of the world! As in all the mysteries of the passion, so also here, He would again teach us that man, who abandoned God through pride, can return to Him only through humility. In His infinite love and condescension, Jesus willed to assume all the weakness of human nature, and as He subjected Himself to the profoundest grief, through love, He would also receive encouragement and comfort for our sake. What consolation in this thought! If He, our Mediator and Head, accepted succor and encouragement from an angel, we, His members, have the right to expect equal succor in our needs and sufferings. God wills that angels should be the ministers of His goodness and mercy, and He has given them charge over us. When Jesus accepted succor from an angel, it was not that His sufferings might be diminished, but to enable Him to suffer more and greater torments, since through love for His heavenly Father and for us, His holy soul thirsted for an excess of suffering. Likewise, God occasionally grants us consolation and strength in prayer, that we may face reverses with renewed courage and strength, and shoulder them willingly for the honor of God, the salvation of our neighbor, and our own sanctification. But while we experience the assistance of the angels in our sufferings we should be consoling angels of mercy for all who in any way come under our influence, and instruments of the love of Jesus; thus we shall tender the sweetest consolation to the Sacred, Agonizing Heart of Jesus.
Dare I presume that my zeal, my love and fidelity in His service were a source of comfort to my dear Saviour during His agony in the Garden?
Affections: O my most amiable Jesus! Thou strength and glory of all the angels condescendest to be consoled and refreshed by Thy creature. O marvelous mystery, which reveals to me the depth of Thy humility! Thy infinite mercy will not refuse grace and encouragement to me in afflictions in answer to my trustful prayer. Not only wilt Thou send me an angel, but Thou Thyself, most lovable Savior, wilt be my strength and my consolation. Thy bloody sweat is the wonderful balm that infuses invincible courage into my heart. Oh, let me in spirit remain near Thee to dry Thy bloody sweat. O Jesus! grant that by my love and my fervor I may console Thee and thus prove my gratitude to Thee for Thy infinite love.
Resolution: I will seek to console my sorrowing Jesus in a particular manner to-day, by fervor in prayer and patient forbearance with others.
Spiritual Bouquet: “And there appeared to Him an angel strengthening Him.”
Prayer: Soul of Christ . . .
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