Saints'
Prayers
selected
from the annals of history unto our current day
Meditations
Meditations for the Holy Season of Lent
by a Member of the Society of Jesus
Meditation X - Friday
The Prayer of Jesus in the Garden
1st Point. Jesus, in his sadness, withdraws himself from his disciples, for the purpose of praying to God his Father to remove from his lips the bitter cup of his passion. He prays with reverence, prostrating himself before him. He prays with perseverance for several hours. He prays with resignation to the divine will of God his Father. He prays, and is not favourably heard, that we may learn to pray and be resigned.
2nd Point. Oh, sweet and tender Jesus! thou didst not desire to receive a consoling answer to thy prayers, that we might prevail in ours. Thou didst not obtain favour for thyself, but secured it for me. I am heard favourably when I pray, but he was not. He could have commanded legions of angels to come to his assistance, but he did not invoke their presence, because he wished to die and shed his blood for our salvation. What charity! what compassion! what mercy!
3rd Point. Pray in your afflictions. Pray that God may remove them from you; pray with humility; pray with constancy and perseverance; pray with resignation; pray with conformity to the will of God. Weary not in prayer, and murmur not if you are not heard.
Propose to yourself all those subjects of fear and sadness which distress you, and present them to Jesus, saying: My Lord and my Saviour, behold this chalice of confusion which thou hast presented to me to drink; remove it far from my lips, for it is extremely bitter; nevertheless, not my will but thine be done. Father of mercies! behold a chalice of grief prepared for me ! Father of the poor! behold a chalice of poverty, presented to me by thy divine providence! Must I drain it? Wilt thou not in pity remove it? I pray thee, O my God, to dispense me from this bitter draught; yet not my will but thine be done.
WORDS OF SCRIPTURE
"And going a little further, he fell on his face, praying, and saying: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." - St. Matt. xxvi.
"My Father, if this chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it, thy will be done." - Ibid.
"Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee: take away this chalice from me: but not what I will, but what thou wilt." - St. Mark, xiv.
"O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear; and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me." - Psalm xxi.
Return to the Ninth Meditation . . .
Proceed to the Eleventh Meditation