When he reached the place, he said to [his disciples], “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Then, an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.
St. Luke 22:40-44
Consider:
The core of many human fears is abandonment and rejection; the emotional weight of those fears is seen in the agony Jesus endured as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane just hours before his arrest. Undoubtedly, the most excruciating wounds of his Passion would be the betrayal and abandonment of his disciples in this garden and, later, in Jerusalem. St. Luke writes about how anguished he was in spirit that his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground as he prayed. Hours later, his own lifeblood would fall to the ground as his emotional anguish united with the physical trauma of his Passion. It’s hard to take in, isn’t it? Whoever came up with the idiom, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me,” had it all wrong. Words are like spears piercing our minds and emotions, leaving indelible wounds.
Enter into those moments. Let the agony of betrayal and abandonment penetrate your spirit. He’s bowed low; sweat flows like blood under the weight of what is to come. You have never seen him so vulnerable, so consumed by what love bids him to endure for your sake. He struggles to stand to come closer to you. Listen, do you hear Jesus ask you to “Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
Pray:
Oh, Lord! There is no trial I will ever endure that you haven’t already suffered for me. Suffering Servant, I desire to unite my fears of abandonment and the wounds from past betrayals with your Passion for me. When I am tempted to be embittered and resentful, You desire to hear me say, “Not my will, but yours be done.” When I am tempted to stew in self-pity, strengthen my spirit to stay alert in prayer against the enemy of my soul. –Amen
The Maiden Warrior 