We began our day today with Mass in the Garden of Gethsemane in the cave where Jesus would have gone with the apostles to pray. The scriptures tell us that it was his custom to come to this spot. On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus came here. As I contemplated the sleeping apostles, I thought of how many times I have failed to be attentive to Jesus and stay awake.
It was here in the garden that Judas arrived with his band of soldiers to arrest Jesus. When we think of the passion, we normally think of the scourging, the crown of thorns, the cross, and all the physical suffering Jesus endured. Too often we overlook the great psychological pain Jesus would have experienced. Jesus chose twelve special friends with whom he could share his life and ministry. Thousands of people followed him in the crowds, but these were his most trusted companions. On this sad night, one of them used his intimate knowledge gained in friendship with Jesus to betray him. How incredibly painful this would have been. To betray Jesus with a kiss. And then to watch as all the other apostles ran away and abandoned him. How hurt and alone our savior must have felt at that moment.
After our Mass in Gethsemane, we visited the Tomb of the Virgin which I mentioned a couple days ago. Like the tomb of Jesus, the tomb of Mary is also empty. After her “falling asleep” the apostles brought her body here from where she was taken up, body and soul, into heaven. Leaving the Tomb of the Virgin, we made our way across the Kidron Valley, back to Mount Zion as we prayed out rosary. I imagined Jesus walking this way after being arrested in the garden. Like Jesus, our destination was the house of Caiphas the high priest. The ruins of is house are today at the site of the church of St. Peter in Galicantu, St. Peter at the Cockcrow. Here we were able to go down into the very pit where Jesus spent his last night on earth in prison. In our meditation, we were reminded that although Jesus was alone on that night, God is not bound by time. The fact that we were there 2000 years later in that pit, desiring to comfort Jesus, would in fact have brought him comfort. That thought made me feel very close to Jesus and that suffering has meaning. I can join my suffering to that of Jesus and desire to comfort him in his sorrow, even across the span of time.
To end our day, we returned to the Garden of Gethsemane for a special Eucharistic holy hour in the Church of All Nations. The sanctuary of this church contains the Rock of the Agony, the very stone on which Jesus sweat drops of blood as he foresaw his passion. Many of our group said that this evening was the highlight of the pilgrimage so far. I have prayed at the rock in the past and this time chose to primarily wander around the olive trees outside. Some of the trees are believed to be old enough to have been there to witness the passion of Jesus. I imagined the prayer of Jesus and the arrival of Judas. All the apostles ran away because they did not pray. I know how much I need to pray to stay connected with Jesus. Yet, I know I fail so often and run away like the scared apostles. Jesus, help me to persevere and to get back up.
