In the Garden

Lent and Easter is always such an emotional time in the Catholic church. The images, the music, the ceremonies are meant to stir the heart and stimulate the mind to strengthen the faith. This is the home of Christianity. And we need to renew our core beliefs once a year to combat the everyday evils that lead us astray.

While the passion and crucifixion of Christ are often the most painful to try to imagine, I am most often in sympathy and devotion to Christ in the garden at Gethsemane. The image of Christ as most human. At first wanting the cup to pass as he faces the will of God. Feeling abandoned by his disciples in his hour of need.
When I see paintings of this moment I just want to become James or John and go to the garden to lay a hand on Jesus' shoulder and say "It will be alright, I'm with you."

I have been in a situation where I found myself alone in a crisis with nobody around to lend support. And my love of God was eclipsed by my fear of what he asked. But I gather he needed me to show him my weaknesses so he could infuse me with a spirit to guide me through. And He did.

Repeatedly Christ waits for us in the garden. Do we use the excuse of our evenings feast followed by too much wine as a reason to let Jesus suffer for us alone? A night on the town on Saturday night makes a Sunday morning mass a little harder to make. Harder, but not impossible. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

When we take that one hour a week to join Christ in the garden to pray, we not only give thanks for the sacrifice he accepted at Gethsemane, but we accept his hand on our shoulder as we suffer life's trials and tribulations. Walking with Christ on our journey to eternal life.