My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me

 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."  Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What?  Could you to watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."  And he came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.  So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

- Matthew 26:36-46

On Saturday we read that as Jesus and the disciples were eating the Passover meal known as the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.  For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.  But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.  Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'  But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble"  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And so said all the disciples.

 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."  My study bible tells us that this cup refers to Christ's impending death.  He willingly goes to His death according to His divine nature.  But as a man, He wishes He could avoid it, because it is a mark of humanity to abhor death.  He prays if it is possible that it be taken from Him, thereby giving us abundant proof of His human nature.  But nevertheless, Jesus is without sin and completely subjects and units His human will to the Father's divine will. 

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What?  Could you to watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."  And he came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.  So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."   Jesus gives us -- at this time of greatest tension and danger -- the key to Christian spirituality and the struggle against temptation:  to watch and pray.  In this way, the Lord's human soul is strengthened, my study bible says, and He may face death with divine courage.  In contrast to Christ's vigilance, the disciples sleep.  Body and soul are united, and the spirit is paralyzed by a lethargic body:  a willing spirit, recognizing the weakness of the flesh, will struggle against its weakness, relying on God's presence and power.

What is the greatest weapon we have at times of tremendous stress and difficulties?  Constant prayer.  One of the greatest gifts our faith has given us is the practice of prayer of the hours.   This is the daily practice of prayer at particular intervals during the day.  It stems from Jewish practices.  Psalm 119:164 refers to these formal prayer periods:  "Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments."    In Christianity, these set times for different prayers during the day evolved in different centers, becoming standardized forms in various denominations of the Church.  One may easily adapt the practice to individual use if not available in a church, in accordance with various forms among the Orthodox, Anglican/Episcopalian, Catholic, and varied Protestant traditions.  (Here, for example, is an Orthodox page on the daily hours of prayer.)  It is highly effective as a rule for regular prayer, and particularly so in the context of this event in Jesus' life:  at our times of greatest stress and difficulty.  In times when we are stressed to make difficult decisions, such as the ill health of a loved one, or a financial crisis, or a great challenge to our sense of ourselves, we are in a position of vulnerability.  Great temptations can come and seem to accompany such times, along with great stress.  As Jesus tells us in this worst-of-times example, it is particularly important to have regular times to pray when we find ourselves in such circumstances.  Prayer withdraws us from our immediate stresses, and allows us to "plug in" to the Source of all our being and strength.  It enables us to draw upon the great well of eternal strength that is there for us, recharging us and giving us a perspective that isn't found anywhere else.  To schedule regular times of prayer in the midst of a crisis is to call a time-out, a time for recharging our batteries, and most especially for drawing upon the energies found in the source of all life, our God.  It is at those times when each of us may be in the greatest spiritual danger.  It is as if, in our times of great turmoil. we are vulnerable to temptations that are unknown to us or for which we are unprepared.  At such times, taking timeouts for regular prayer, using the written prayers of the Church, can make an exceptional difference in how we handle terrible circumstances.  Personal prayer is always important, but the daily cycle of prayers composed of traditional prayer make a great difference, as they take us out of our immediate circumstances and give us the tools, foundations, and strengths shored up and accumulated through centuries of human experience in which we may participate and share when we need it.  Jesus gives us the example:  watch and pray.  There is nothing more crucial when the flesh is weak -- at our times when all our personal mental, physical, and spiritual resources are tested and in danger of exhaustion.  Even if we have to take time out of our sleep for such prayer, the reward is greater stability, balance, and energy for making the decisions we need to make in times of distress.  Let us learn from Him and follow His commands for the good of our own lives.  At those times, He will watch with us when we enter into prayer, along with a host of witnesses and help.