And rising up, He came to His disciples, and finding them asleep[1], He said to Peter[2]: “Could you not watch one hour with Me? Watch ye and pray, that ye enter not into temptation[3]. The spirit[4], indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
And going a second time, He prayed, saying: “My Father, if this chalice cannot pass away, except I drink it, Thy will be done!” He came back and found His disciples sleeping; and leaving them, He went away again, and prayed a third time in the same words as before. Then He fell into an agony, and His sweat[5] became as drops of blood, trickling down to the ground. And, behold, an angel[6] appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him[7].
- ↑ Asleep. While Jesus prayed they had fallen asleep from sorrow and exhaustion. His prayer had lasted a long time, for only the general purport of it is given us in the Gospel. His disciples slept, and left their Master all alone, to pray and wrestle with His deadly anguish; none but His enemies watched, and made their preparations for His destruction. This sleep of the apostles at that solemn and all-important moment was full of danger to them; so our Blessed Lord awakened them and solemnly warned them to prepare for the temptations which were about to assail them.
- ↑ Peter. Jesus addressed Himself to Peter, firstly, because he was the chief of the apostles, and ought to have set an example to the others of watchfulness and fervour; secondly, because Peter considered himself to be stronger than the others, and had said: “Though all be scandalized in Thee, yet not I!”
- ↑ Temptation. Into the temptation of failing in faith, and denying Me. If you will not watch and pray for love of Me, at least do so for love of yourself.
- ↑ The spirit. Your will, indeed, is good, but do not forget that you are frail, fleshly-minded men. Strengthen yourselves, therefore, by prayer and watchfulness.
- ↑ His sweat. His terrible anguish and fear of death impressed themselves on His tender Body, and forced from its pores not only sweat but blood, and so abundantly that the sweat, mingled with and reddened by the Precious Blood, fell down in drops upon the ground. St. Bernard says that our Lord wept blood, and shed tears not only from His Eyes, but from His whole Body.
- ↑ An angel. Sent by the Eternal Father, to whom our Lord had so fervently prayed.
- ↑ Strengthening Him. We may suppose that the very appearance and presence of the Angel, besides his words of encouragement, gave strength to Christ in this hour of desolation. (E. E.)
