“And He cometh to His Disciples and findeth them asleep. And He saith to Peter: ‘What? Could you not watch one hour with me? Watch ye and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again the second time He went and prayed saying: ‘My Father, if this chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it, Thy will be done.’ And He cometh to His disciples and saith to them: ‘Sleep ye now and take your rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners’” (Matt. 26, 40-45).
First Prelude: Imagine Jesus full of sorrow and grief coming to His Apostles, whom He finds asleep; and hear Him mildly reproaching them.
Second Prelude: Grant me the grace, O Jesus, in fervent meditation to prepare myself for the daily struggles and difficulties that I may meet them courageously.
First Point
The Charitable Indulgence of Jesus Toward His Disciples
In the dark hours of Gethsemane Jesus did not forget His Apostles. He had taken them along, that having witnessed His transfiguration on Mt. Thabor, they should also be witnesses of His passion. Sad to say, they had not followed His admonitions to watch with Him and pray, for when Jesus returned He found them sleeping.
Then He turned to Peter and said: “Could you not watch one hour with Me?” How embarrassing for the Apostles that, despite the admonition and exhortation of their Master, they had yielded to sleep! What a source of confusion was the reproach for Peter, reminding him of his weakness! He had but shortly, with absolute self-confidence, affirmed his fidelity and constancy! Do we not frequently deserve the reproach “Not one hour could you watch with Me”? We yield to distractions, to sloth, to drowsiness, especially during the precious moments of meditation when we ought to forestall the occasions and temptations of the day and arm ourselves against them by begging God for His special help.
Little wonder, then, that we so easily break our resolutions and grow disheartened! Alas, how often do we resemble the disciples by our carelessness and lack of solicitude! Surely our love for Jesus cannot but be slight and cold. Though we have received special graces and are so close to Him, we refuse to watch and pray, in intimate union with Him. Twice He finds His disciples sleeping, and still He remains calm, compassionate, their weakness and utters no rebuke.
Oh, how good and amiable is the loving Heart of our Saviour! We may always turn to Him with confidence, even though we have been unfaithful to grace. He knows our misery and knows, too, that the spirit is willing but the flesh weak. Let us often bestow upon our neighbor the marks of affection that we receive from Jesus. In associating with our fellow religious and the children entrusted to our keeping we will imitate the meekness of Jesus, and if their repeated faults and weaknesses become irksome, we will in all humility recall our own fickleness and inconstancy.
Second Point
The Determination with Which Jesus Embraces Suffering
Having strengthened Himself by persevering prayer, Jesus said to His apostles, “Arise, let us go.” The fear, the anxiety, which His Humanity willed to suffer for us gave place to a magnanimous determination. How differently do we act! Like the disciples, we, too, display heroic courage and make great promises before the danger, but no sooner do we encounter it, than our courage deserts us and we prove weak and cowardly. This is due, no doubt, to the fact that we are not fervent and persevering in prayer, and therefore fail to experience its salutary effects. St. Gregory says, “Man must acquire by prayer what God from all eternity has decreed to give him.” If we have been sluggish and indolent in prayer, dare we feign surprise at our lack of courage?
The saints, who after the example of their Divine Master and Model, prayed so fervently, so perseveringly, could truly say in the hour of trials and sufferings, of martyrdom and death, “The hour has come, let us go.” Yes, they longed to die with their Divine Master. Like unto Him, they had the most ardent desire to suffer and die. “I desired to be dissolved,” said the Apostle of the Gentiles. “To suffer or to die,” St. Teresa cried out. St. Magdalen of Pazzi desired to live longer that she might suffer the longer. It is true that God has not called everyone to such an exalted degree of sanctity, but all, without exception, must strive zealously to bear with humility, confidence, filial trust and resignation the trials and hardships that God in His goodness imposes upon them. Let us “Look on Jesus, Who having joy set before Him endured the cross,” and in anticipation of the pending difficulties and trials let us say, “The hour has come; arise, let us go!”
Affections: O sorrowful Heart of Jesus! Nowhere dost Thou find consolation! Even Thy best friends are without sympathy and cannot watch one hour with Thee! Alas, how often have I been guilty of a like indifference and slothfulness! How often have I felt that the spirit is willing, but the flesh weak and inconstant! Oh my Jesus, rouse me from the slumber of insensibility by Thy enlivening grace: enkindle the fire of love in my heart and give me courage and a holy determination to follow Thee on the way of suffering and humiliations, that I may be among those faithful souls who have persevered with Thee to the end in sufferings and afflictions.
Resolution: In fervent meditation I will seek the courage and determination necessary to bear whatever is disagreeable in the faithful discharge of my duties.
Spiritual Bouquet: “The hour has come; arise, let us go.”
Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .
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