Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go yonder and pray.” …And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?”
—Matthew 26:36, 40
It is Holy Thursday.
Our Lord struggles with the very human fear of His coming Passion, sweating blood in His distress. The Apostles—who were supposed to watch with Him and keep Him company—are leaning against the twisted olive trunks, fast asleep.
“Could you not watch one hour with me?” is all that Our Lord says to them—yet it is the question which resounds every moment in our souls. Will we watch with Him?
Tonight, parishes hold Eucharistic adoration to commemorate the Agony in the Garden. The silence, the prayer, the quiet altar where the Blessed Sacrament is reposed—they all signify that evening in Gethsemane.
Christ in Gethsemane by Carl Heinrich Bloch
Tonight, we are given the chance to adore Our Lord in the Eucharist before tomorrow’s ordeal. We can thank Him for redeeming us. We can console Him with our prayers. We can “watch with Him” in His darkest hour.
Adoration is a meaningful and beautiful way to spend this evening—and any other evening in the year.
Adoration is important for the spiritual life because it places us in God’s presence in a unique way: in an attitude of “self-abasement…and in devout recognition of His transcendent excellence” (The Catholic Encyclopedia). This special appreciation of His perfection instills in us a greater awe, love, and desire for God.
The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration dedicate their lives to adoring Our Lord in the Eucharist, so they can tell us about adoration—and how to do it well—better than anyone else. In their Manual for Eucharistic Adoration, they include answers to the most pressing questions about adoration as well as prayers, meditations, and hymns for the time you spend before the Eucharist. You will find in it an indispensable adoration guide. Get your copy today from The Catholic Company!
