My homily today will be the first of two parts. The second part will be for Easter.
There are three incidents that happen with the death of Jesus on the Cross but they are not understood until His Resurrection. We always keep in mind that we do not mention Jesus’ death without his resurrection or his resurrection without his death. The reason is you cannot appreciate the meaning of one without the other.
The three incidents are the praying in the garden, The death on the cross and the curtain in the temple torn in two. The praying in the Garden of Gethsemani and the curtain being torn would almost seem like incidental elements until we look closely and see they are key to what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
I will look at the praying in the Garden today.
Notice what Jesus does. First, he is petitioning the Father and begging that he does not have to go through this crucifixion. This means he knows that the Father could stop it. In fact, he could. Jesus does not die on the cross to offer some sacrifice to the Father. He has a mandate to live the law perfectly. The suffering he encounters is the devil trying to get Jesus not love God and neighbor and therefore not to fulfill the commandments totally. It is literally the last temptation of Christ by the devil. This is the reason why some people will tell you what you are watching is demonic, in fact it is.
The Father could have restrained the devil but he does not and he allowed Pilate to let Jesus go. However, he does not. Jesus must go through with this.
So, Jesus prays this petition and afterwards makes the statement that he asks that his Father’s will be done. Why is this important? Because Jesus is modeling prayer for us.
How is it that we pray? We bring our petitions before the Father and lay before him our requests but then allow him to answer our petitions according to his will.
This is how to pray.
“Lord, this is what I feel I need, please grant me my petition but do it within your will.”
What is it that you are praying for? What is it that you seek? How are you praying? Always offer the petition before the Lord regardless of what it is. Jesus himself came for one reason for the salvation of humanity and even he spoke to the Father asking for an alternative. Do not be afraid of what you seek God to grant you, ask whatever it is, but then ask that God answers in accordance with His will, not yours.
You have a grandson or a granddaughter who is suffering from drug abuse? Who is an absolute mess? You worry about him or her day and night and you ask God to turn his or her life around? Go ahead feel free to do it but add another part of the petition: “But may your will be done in him or her.” In other words, do not grant my petition as I feel it should be granted but grant it in accordance with your will and your mission for him and her.” That is the model Jesus gives to us and it is a powerful prayer. The reason of course is because you are leaving the results up to God and trusting that His will be done not yours.
Remember, two weeks ago we heard the story of the Raising of Lazarus and remember what Martha, Mary and Lazarus were asking? That Jesus come and heal Lazarus of his disease. Jesus heals Lazarus but according to His will and the will of the Father not according to the expectations of Lazarus or his sisters.
Jesus answered in a way that was beyond the imagination of his friends. So it is when we pray. We know what we want but what we seek may be too small compared to what God wants to do through our needs. This is key.
Jesus offers his request, that the mission be accomplished another way. The Father answers his prayer and when the mission is completed it is beyond the imagination of what everyone but Jesus thought was going to happen. Jesus raises from the dead which changes everything and we will discuss this on Sunday.
Our mission
We have a mission to be intercessors and to bring our needs and difficulties and those of others to Christ. The laity especially fulfill their call to be the priesthood of the laity to intercede in this way for ourselves and others.
Let us pray as Jesus showed us. Even in our most difficult and trying times to offer our prayers to Christ faithfully and ask for what we feel we need but ask it in a way that God’s will be done and submit to that will.
Finally, for those in your life who are troubled. Make sure you pray that God’s will be done in them and again let it alone but over time watch what happens.
There is a powerful teaching in the prayer in the Garden and it would appear that all is lost and Jesus has failed. However, since everything is up to God let us remember that lesson and focus on Christ even in our greatest needs and let God answer in his way.