Thursday March 28, 2024
Theme: “The death of Jesus Christ: foundation of our salvation”
Text: Luke 22:39-46
39. After going out, he went, according to his custom, to the Mount of Olives. His disciples followed him. 40. When he came to that place, he said to them: Pray, that you may not fall into temptation. 41. Then he went about a stone's throw away from them, and knelt down and prayed, 42. saying, Father, if you would take this cup away from me! However, not my will, but yours, be done. 43. Then an angel appeared to him from heaven to strengthen him. 44. Being in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like lumps of blood, which fell to the ground. 45. And when he had prayed, he arose, and came unto the disciples, whom he found asleep for sorrow, 46. and he said unto them, Why are ye asleep? Stand up and pray, that you may not fall into temptation.
Let's remember:
This is the moment where everything was decided. The most painful moment when Christ felt the weight of his mission. The Lord sought help from his Father. He was in agony, this is the moment when the disciples should help him. We note that the help so long awaited by Jesus was given to him neither by his Father nor by his disciples. Everyone let him go. Each participant pushed Jesus towards the cross by their reaction. As much as Jesus was ready for the cross, He wanted His Father to take the cup away. It was the human side of Jesus that wanted to take over but the Father sent an angel to strengthen it. Jesus spent his last moments with his disciples in prayer. A night of prayer to seek the face and help of God. Even on the way to the cross, Jesus instructs us to live a life of prayer so that we do not fall into temptation. To triumph, Jesus made his Father's will prevail above his own. His emotions could not override his Father's will. Let us learn that great fights are fought on our knees to the ground. It was by bending his knees that God put Jesus above his anguish. We are not alone in our struggles; an angel of God is never far from us, ready to help us. Jesus even experienced hematidrosis (also called "blood sweat"), it is a very rare pathology whose clinical manifestation is the secretion of blood or a reddish liquid by the sweat glands. It would be favored by anxiety and stress. To save humanity, our Lord suffered hematidrosis. Have a great Thursday. Amen
Alain Louz.-