mystical burial

Solemn monastic vows...dead and buried to sin...and resurrect to new life for conversion

Monday in Holy Week...Jesus and His agony in the garden

We can be with Our Lord into this dark hour, this black night of His deepest agony. Have you ever been in a state of sorrow? I guess you have been in such state, in some way or another.

Maybe a love interest did not return your affection. Perhaps it was a time when a loved one passed away. It may even have been something as simple as seeing your plans, be they big or small, fall through and result to nothing. Oh well, if I may ask you to remember that sorrow and try to recall it now, then you may enter into union with Our Lord's agony in the garden.

Remember how oppressive it felt? Recall the great weight of it, bearing down on you, so that - in some cases, for some of you - you felt that you could not move. You were sitting, or lying down and hardly felt like standing, or eating. Remember the overwhelming exhaustion of it. Remember the ache in your heart. Remembering all these will make you feel the feeling od what Jesus felt in the garden.

This is what Our Lord felt in the garden. Because He was Divine, and His human nature was perfect, His ability to sense and feel emotion was far more perfected than yours.

Have you ever scheduled an appointment which you did not wish to keep? Maybe it was a trip to your counselor, or a difficult confrontation with a friend. Recall how your heart beat faster the closer you got to the appointed time, how your nerves were wrecked, how you trembled a little. Remember the dry feeling in your mouth, the agitated breathing patterns. If you can recall al these- then I am positive you are feeling what Jesus felt in the garden.

What may we learn about this agony from a contemplative and theological point of view? The garden, of course, reminds us of Eden. We remember the first agony and temptation of the First Adam, who, unlike Our Lord, said by his actions, "not what Thou wilt, but my will be done."

We read in Genesis 3 that the curse of sin meant, practically speaking, that Man must labor by the sweat of his brow to eat his daily bread. We learned that the earth was cursed so that it would bring forth thorns. We learned that Adam saw his own nakedness, and was ashamed of it.

Our Lord redeemed these things and reversed the curse at every point. He redeemed the sweat of Man's brow by sweating drops of His own Precious Blood granting to Man through the Cross that he may eat the true "daily bread" of the Eucharist.

He redeemed the thorns by allowing the crown of thorns to be pressed into His sacred flesh and coated with His Precious blood. He redeemed the nakedness of Adam by being stripped of His own garments and suffering humiliation.

From the account of the agony, we must take note of these words: "Pray, lest ye enter into temptation," and "Could you not watch one hour with me? … The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." ...Remember all of the times when we were unable to pray with Our Lord even for one hour (we may understand this figuratively to refer to all the times when we forget to pray at all) because of the weakness of our flesh.

Recall these sins to mind and make reparation especially by meditating on this mystery of the Rosary. Say to Our Lord, "I offer you this Mystery of the Agony in reparation for those times when I fell asleep, whether literally or figuratively, and failed to pray."

In the account of Jesus praying in the garden, we may pray and ask Him for anything, we should always hasten to add, "yet not my will, but Thine be done."

When we ask the Father for something that is in accordance with His will, we can be infallibly certain that He will grant it. This is why some spiritual writers have said that requests for more grace, more humility, deeper devotion, firmer faith, etc., are always granted.

As we meditate on the hour that Jesus went to the garden, we may say:
"Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy."

the passion in our hearts that cries out: could You be our Messiah?

It is Palm Sunday today. This day marks the start of the great Passion of Christ. It is the start of this year's Holy Week.

As Christians, we are invited to meditate on the love of God for us. The atmosphere is inviting us for making sacrifices. We may miss food and parties and may give up going to the movies or enjoying a favorite pastime- in the spirit of sacrifice.

When we speak of the Passion of Christ, what immediately comes to our minds are the pains He endured, the sufferings He lovingly bore and the Death that He courageously faced.

When we speak of the Passion of Jesus, we remember what the people in power did to Him. They mocked and ridiculed Him, they scourged and beat Him, they left Him in sufferings and ran away from Him for fear of being dragged along with Him.

Our immediate thought about the Passion of Jesus is what was done to Him- by His friends, the people in authority, in religion, and in government.

There is a second meaning to this Passion of Christ. The Passion of Christ does not only refer to what came from outside and what people did to Him. The Passion of Jesus could also refer to the power that came from within Him- a great commitment to something and to somebody.

The second meaning of passion is power that springs from within, that makes all things possible because of love. The Passion of Jesus for what is good is known to all of us. The Passion of Jesus for the will of the Father is an example for us to follow.

Jesus had a strong passion for the poor, the marginalized, the least, the last, and the lost.

Jesus had a strong passion for the distressed and the lonely, the ostracized and the kickout.

Jesus had a strong passion for the lepers and those whom society repelled.

Jesus had strong passion against religion leaders who make religion a burden to carry.

Jesus had a strong passion against racial and religious prejudices against all things that make human life less human.

He had a strong passion to heal the sick and to forgive tax collectors, harlots, and adulteresses.

Those whom religious leaders considered untouchable, He caressed and hugged. Those whom society considered unclean and unworthy, He called to be His disciples.

On account of this revolutionary passion, casting the mighty from their thrones and lifting up the lowly, Jesus had to undergo His painful Passion.

It was the passion of Jesus from within that led Him to His painful Passion inflicted upon Him from the outside. It was the power within Him that gave Him the grace of love and courage to face the powers before Him.

In our prayers and reflections during His Passion week, let’s ask ourselves two questions:

First- Do we still have our passion for the good, for the holy, for the truth and for morality?

We all started well. We all had our youthful ideals and our fervent hopes and desires. At some point in the past, we all promised not to lie, not to cheat, not to steal, not to go wayward. With our heads held high and our hearts full of inspired zeal, we promised to pray and to serve without counting the cost.

Along the way, we were hurt and wounded and we saw the compromising disposition of those around us. Our passion lost its intensity and fervor, and turned lukewarm.

Yet, if we say we are still on fire with love to serve and to live by the truth,
Do we have enough proof to show this?

Do we still have that passion in our life- that passion of suffering that cleanses and purifies?

If today we realize what cold fools we have become, it is not time to retreat and feel rejected.

It is definitely not the time either to think that we have become such lukewarm children of God whom He said He would rather spit out.

That is precisely what the enemy wants us to do- walk away completely from the Lord and think nothing of ourselves.

Yes, we may be nothing, but it is in this nothingness…because of this nothingness, that precisely we need our Savior. That is why Jesus came. That is why He suffered and died. That is the reason for the Passion.

Maybe this Holy Week is another call from God to come back to Him.

Instead of walking away ashamed of broken promises we made in the past and of showing Him our hearts turned cold, why not come to Him, as we did in the past, sincerely recalling those days when with childlike simplicity we told Him we will be entirely and completely His???

We may have changed but Jesus has not! His love for us has the same passion and ardor. Each time we move away, like the lost sheep, oh!, how He wishes to come after us and make sure no harm will befall us!

He is here, waiting! He is at the Cross with arms outstretched waiting for any of us whose hearts have turned cold, numb or afraid to come back and ask Him to take us with Him.

All we need to do is ask!

All we need to do is come back to Him with all our hearts, with no fear of rebuke.

Can we use this great opportunity of our lives to rekindle in our hearts that burning passion and desire of love for the Lord?

Can we accompany Him in His own Passion by enduring our own pains and sufferings courageously, lovingly, and faithfully like Jesus: our passionate Savior?

Bless us all as we contemplate with our Lord in the passover of our lives!

Could You be healer
To a heart that's been wounded
In a battle that's never seen
Could You be teacher
To a mind of confusion
Tell me what does this all mean

Are You deliverer
Of an imprisoned feeling in chains
Can You set my spirit free
And just one more question
Allow me this question
Could You be Messiah to me
Could You be Messiah to me

Could You be father
To a soul that's been abandoned
By a world to busy to hear
Could You be friend
To a helpless survivor
Can You take away my fears

I heard them all sharing
This newfound conviction in them
Are You all that they make You to be

And just one more question
Allow me this question
Could You be Messiah to me
Please be Messiah to me

Now i've been looking for someone like You
And i'm so tired, i'm tired
I've read every book and i've sang every song
My mind maybe right but my heart feels so wrong
Tell me how much further can my life go along
Which way do the roads lead where do I belong...

Are You forgiver
Of my most unknown secrets
Provider of all that I need
Could You be brother
The one who knows better
Would You now stand in the lead

When all this is over all the thunder and lightning
In the daylight just what will I see
The answers to my questions to all of my questions
Could You be Messiah to me
Could You be Messiah to me
Could You be Messiah
Please be Messiah to me...
thank you