Read St. Mark 14:41, 42
1. At length Our Lord’s mental agony in the Garden was over; He had accepted the Chalice which His heavenly Father had given Him to drink. Now He is no longer sad and downcast, but He returns to His apostles full of vigor and courage. He encounters His Passion almost with eagerness. This is always the result of a perfect submission to the will of God and absolute confidence in Him. God will always give us the courage to meet every trial, and when the time comes He will impart strength and force and light-heartedness that make it easy to face the trial.
2. Yet this change had another cause. It was won by prayer; or, rather, Our Lord as our Divine Example imparted for our sakes to His human nature grace such as earnest prayer alone can obtain for men from God. This is the secret of all spiritual victories; all are won by persevering prayer. Prayer changes the poor, timid, frightened, shrinking soul to one brave and courageous and ready to do great things for God. Without prayer we are sure to fail. Am I earnest in prayer?
3. We observe, too, that it was not merely prayer, but repeated prayer—the same words over and over again, the same entreaty to be spared, joined to the same act of resignation. We sometimes say we cannot pray, but at least we can repeat over and over again some prayer for mercy and for help. Our repetitions will be not vain repetitions, but will bring certain relief from Him Who encourages us to importunity in prayer.
Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 20). Benziger Brothers.
1. At length Our Lord’s mental agony in the Garden was over; He had accepted the Chalice which His heavenly Father had given Him to drink. Now He is no longer sad and downcast, but He returns to His apostles full of vigor and courage. He encounters His Passion almost with eagerness. This is always the result of a perfect submission to the will of God and absolute confidence in Him. God will always give us the courage to meet every trial, and when the time comes He will impart strength and force and light-heartedness that make it easy to face the trial.
2. Yet this change had another cause. It was won by prayer; or, rather, Our Lord as our Divine Example imparted for our sakes to His human nature grace such as earnest prayer alone can obtain for men from God. This is the secret of all spiritual victories; all are won by persevering prayer. Prayer changes the poor, timid, frightened, shrinking soul to one brave and courageous and ready to do great things for God. Without prayer we are sure to fail. Am I earnest in prayer?
3. We observe, too, that it was not merely prayer, but repeated prayer—the same words over and over again, the same entreaty to be spared, joined to the same act of resignation. We sometimes say we cannot pray, but at least we can repeat over and over again some prayer for mercy and for help. Our repetitions will be not vain repetitions, but will bring certain relief from Him Who encourages us to importunity in prayer.
Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 20). Benziger Brothers.
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