Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, « Sit here while I go over there and pray. » 37 He took with him Peter, as well as James and John, the two sons of Zebedee. Grief and anguish came over Him.
« Considering my Saviour attentively in the Garden of Olives… feeling my strong desire to participate in his painful anguish, He said to me : « It is here that I suffered the most within than during all the rest of my Passion, seeing myself in a general abandonment of Heaven and earth ; burdened with all the sins of men, I appeared before the holiness of God… There is no creature that could understand the extent of my sufferings. » (Saint Margaret Mary)
In the night of the 10th of September 1946, Jesus spoke to Mother Teresa : « I want sisters, Missionaries of Charity, to be my Fire of Love. »
« Our Lord said : « May Your Will be done, do with me what You want ! » That was the most difficult thing for Our Lord ! The only way that we can realise that it was so difficult for Him at this time, is when He says : « so you could not watch with me for an hour ». Then He needed help. That is complete abandonment : to be loved by no-one, to be desired by no-one…, He was rejected in frightful solitude ! A solitude harder to bear than leprosy, tuberculosis or any other illness that the human body can be affected by. In fact, the pain of feeling unloved, undesired, worthless, having no-one with you is an extreme poverty, a serious illness of our times. » (St Teresa, meditation on the Agony of Jesus).
On the 14th of September last, we were celebrating the Glorious Cross, and on the 15th, Our Lady of Sorrows ; let us meditate with the Saint of Paray : « You ask me which of the mysteries I cherish the most. I will say to you quite simply, it is the Crucifixion, and standing with the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, at the foot of the Cross, or under the foot of the Cross, in order to attach myself to It, and to join in everything He did for us. »
« May You, O Most Blessed Virgin, be my guiding star, the safe harbour of my salvation and of my eternity. I ask You, O gentle refuge of sinners, Your protection and Your blessing, and the grace to live like You… » (Saint Margaret Mary)
« Grief and anguish came over Jesus. And He said to them : « The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay here and keep watch with me. » (Matt 26)
« Lord God, my Saviour, I cry out all day, and at night I come before You. Hear my prayer ; listen to my cry for help ! So many troubles have fallen on me, that I am close to death. I am like others who are about to die ; all my strength is gone. I am abandoned among the dead ; I am like the slain lying in their graves, those you have forgotten completely, who are beyond your help. You have thrown me into the depths of the tomb, into the darkest and deepest pit. Your anger lies heavy on me, and I am crushed beneath its waves. » (Ps 88)
« The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay here and keep watch with me. »
Lord, in this new school year, we entrust to You the children who will re-start school.
May they grow in wisdom, stature and intelligence before You and before men.
He went a little farther on, threw himself face downwards on the ground, and prayed, « My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering away from me ! Yet not what I want, but what You want. »
Lord, we entrust to You teachers and educators, especially for those who will re-start with worry this coming year. May they find in You the refuge in order to ease their fear and to discover anew their mission with positivity.
Then He returned to the three disciples and found them asleep ; and He said to Peter : « How is it that you three were not able to keep watch with me even for one hour ? 41 Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. »
Lord, we entrust to You parents : that they may remain watchful of their children that You gave them, in order to build this fullfilling work of human and spiritual building and in order to make them become men and women after your own Heart.
Once more Jesus went away and prayed, « My Father, if this cup of suffering cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done. »
Lord, we entrust to You catechists and priests : that they may be able to pass on this treasure of faith and allow each child to discover the marvel of the presence of God in their inner beings. That He may strengthen them in their will and freedom.
43 He returned once more and found the disciples asleep ; they could not keep their eyes open.
44 Again, Jesus left them, went away, and prayed the third time saying the same words.
Lord, we entrust to You each one of us, that in our life witness, we may be able to allow new generations to desire to come near You and discover the joy in following You.
Then He returned to the disciples and said, « Are you still sleeping and resting ? Look, the hour has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to the power of sinners.
Get up, let us go. Look, here is the man who is betraying me ! »
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernui !
Et antiquum documentum
Novo cedat ritui !
Præstet fides supplementum
Sensuum defectui !
Genitori Genitoque
Laus et jubilatio,
Salus, honor, virtus quoque
Sit et benedictio !
Procedenti ab utroque
Compar sit laudatio . Amen .
litanies and removal of the Blessed Sacrament. Announcement and Salve Regina.
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