Agony in the Garden

W.J.Pais Food for Thought - Spiritual
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Agony in the Garden:

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An importnt event in the life of Jesus Christ, was his arrest, adjudication, and the punishment of Crucifixion.   He knew all that was to happen, as Catholics believe he had Divine Knowledge and being sent by God for the salvation of the human race, and as a being having the human nature, had all the feelings and anxieties that affect all of us.

After he had spent the evening with his twelve apostles, among whom was the Betrayer, Judas, he prayed the Paschal prayers for the last time, and instituted a New Covenant with them, by offering them a new way of commemorating his life and death on the cross, for the salvation of human beings.   To remain with the world always, he promised to be with them always, as bread and wine, the human food and as the apostles would commemorate this event and did as he had showed, the bread would be his body, and the wine his blood.   Thus he would be within the human beings who consume this bread and wine, with faith, would have Divine Life, as he had previously told them in his preaching.

During the last supper, he also showed them the true meaning of being a Master and a Teacher, by washing the feet of his apostles, and wiping them with a towel, and he told them to do likewise, and never treat those who came under them, as their servants, but they should be their servants in stead.

He had foretold them that all of them will be scandalized with him, but his death, will not be a failure, but a self immolation for the salvation of humankind, and they will see him alive in three days after his death.   They could not believe this, and in fact had been hiding, in a room, where he appeared to them in flesh and blood. They touched him, and he ate with them to show that he was not a ghost and a Spirit.   He had come back to life.    But before all that, he had to go through an agonizing period of suffering and death on the cross.

After the prayers, he took them to a nearby Garden, where Olive Trees were growing, and was known as the Garden of Gethsamane.  He took with him, Peter, James and John, and told them to sit outside, as he was going to pray.  He said: "My soul is sorrowful even unto death: stay you here, and watch with me."  vide Mathew ch; 26 verses 36 onwards.

It was late, and they had been tired, and fell asleep.   Jesus had many things going on in his mind, and he knelt down, and resting his hands on a rock, prayed to God, addressing him, as his Father: "My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

It is difficult for us human beings to comtemplate how anyone can offer to die this way.     For the last two thousand years, many have been born, baptized in His faith, have trusted in Him, and in fact this belief does not seem to go away, even after many people have tried to erase it from this world.   The Jews tried it right after the crucifixion, the Roman authorities tried to do it for three hundred years after his death, and failed, and one sees many examples where they even try and kill the followers of Jesus Christ, so that his memory will be eradicated from the memory of mankind.   What crooked ways have they not tried ?  Faith is a belief in the things which can not be  explained, but can be experienced, and if what the apostles had seen and experienced was not true, and they had not seen him alive again, this faith would have died by now.   But all the apostles all were killed and St. Thomas was killed our own Mylapore, in Tamil Nadu, India, by those who wanted to get rid of them and their faith.   Unfortunately, those very people have been erased from the memory of huamanity, but not the memory of Jesus Christ and his followers.

I too believe this, and have composed this musical piece which you can hear, by clicking the play button above.    We should know, that this gift is given to us, not because we are worthy of it, but God loves us more than we love ourselves.   Even if some one does not believe now, there may come a time, when God will show him why he too can be saved.   It is an act of the mind, and submission of oneself to God's will in spirit.    When we think of God, people of different times and lands, have recognized him and named him differently, but God knows what is in the hearts of men, and women, and he will reach out to them too through various ways.   Always hope, that life as we know it will be transformed into a spiritual existance, after our death, and this submission can take place in a split second in the life of a human, who is gifted this knowlege by him, who has brought all of us into this World.

 

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