3. Our Lord knew beforehand how many souls would be eternally lost in spite of His bitter Passion and Death, because they would not believe in Him and would not love Him. This knowledge made the chalice most bitter, and tortured His Sacred Heart, for He loved men’s immortal souls so dearly that He had come down from heaven to save them from eternal damnation. This was why He sighed and prayed in such an agony; it was not for Himself alone, but for His brethren, so many of whom, whatever He might do, would cast themselves into hell. He was willing to be bound, scourged, crowned with thorns, and nailed to the Cross to save the souls which were made to His own image; and yet He knew that for very many His Precious Blood and His Sufferings would be wasted. This it was that caused the keenest anguish to the Heart of Jesus, all on fire with love for men!
How to bear suffering. Look at out dear Lord, suffering such agony of soul for love of us! There He lies, with His Face on the ground, groaning in spirit and trembling in His agony. Around Him is the darkness of night, and within His Heart unspeakable woe. He is alone. His disciples are asleep, and nowhere can He find consolation! Now what did Jesus do in this time of extreme affliction and abandonment? He prayed to His heavenly Father, and resigned Himself entirely to His will. Thus should we do. If we are in grief, or fear, or need, we ought to turn to God, from whom alone we can obtain comfort and help, and humbly submit ourselves to His holy will.
The Qualities of prayer. Our Blessed Lord’s example teaches us also how we ought to pray. In the Garden of Gethsemani He prayed with devotion, — humility, — confidence y — submission to Gods will, — and perseverance: 1. with devotion; for He prayed from the very bottom of His Heart, and retired a little way from His apostles so that He might pray undisturbed; 2. with exterior and interior humility; for He fell on His Face, humbling Himself in the dust before the majesty of His Eternal Father; 3. with confidence; for He began His prayer with the loving words: “My Father”; 4. with submission to the will of God; for He left the granting of His petition entirely in the Hands of His heavenly Father: “Not as I will”, said He, “but as Thou wilt”; 5. with perseverance; for He said the same prayer over and over again. Even though He received no visible answer to His petition, He did not leave off praying, but rather “prayed the longer”.
Watchfulness. In the midst of His agony Jesus thought more of His own than of Himself. He went back several times to His disciples and urgently exhorted them to watch and pray, that they might not enter into temptation. This exhortation given by our Lord such a short time before His Death is a very important one, and applied not only to the apostles, but to all Christians. You have been told over and over again that prayer is necessary; but prayer alone is not sufficient,
