Jesus in the Garden, Day 3

Station 1, Day 3

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”[1]

Meditation

            The disciples are seemingly unaware of Jesus’ agitation. They are exhausted and confused from the events at the Last Supper, and they are weary from the lateness of the night. Between being emotionally drained and physically tired, they fall asleep. Jesus wakes them up and tells them to pray not to come into the “time of trial.”

            Is it even possible for us to avoid this time of trial? I suspect not. Rather, I believe Jesus is warning us to prepare for our times of trial. As we walk with Jesus along this sorrowful road to Golgotha, we are reminded that we must sometimes travel through the valley of the shadow of death in order to arrive at the new life on the other side.

Spiritual discipline

Find a quiet place and enter a time of silence for 10 minutes. Attempt to let go of the trials of the moment – your to do list, your stressors at work or home, and the pressing needs of the family. Deliberately turn off your inner dialogue by acknowledging thoughts as they come to you, then letting them go. Breathe deeply and internalize whatever degree of silence you can attain. There is no pressure to receive insights or inspiration. Experiencing the silence is sufficient.

Prayer

Strong and silent God, reveal yourself to me in my silence. Allow me to feel your presence and to let it strengthen and comfort me, secure in the knowledge that I do not walk this journey alone. Amen.

This is the 6^thin a daily series titled The Stations of the Cross that will run through Easter 2026, at which time I will return to my weekly Life Notes. Life Notes are my explorations into mysteries that interest me. They are invitations for readers to explore more deeply into life’s mysteries. Engage with me or explore contemplative spiritual direction at ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] Luke 22:39-46