Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/699

 Then, going  a third  time  to  His  apostles,  He  found  them still asleep. He said  to  them:  “Sleep  now,  and  take  your  rest. Behold, the  hour  is  at  hand,  and  the  Son  of  Man  shall  be  betrayed into the  hands  of  sinners. Rise, let  us  go. Behold, he  is  at hand  that  will  betray  Me!”

Our Blessed  Lord  suffered  in  His  human  nature. Contemplate  Jesus in the  garden  of  Gethsemani,  lying  on  His  face  under  the  olive-trees, in the  darkness  of  night,  sighing,  praying  and  sweating  blood! Behold Him who  fills  earth  with  gladness,  and  heaven  with  wonder,  in  deepest anguish. He who  but  a short  time  before  was  consoling  His  apostles is now  Himself  full  of  sorrow. He who  promised  help  to  them  is now  weak  Himself,  and  asks  them  to  help  Him. He who  has  dried the eyes  of  so  many  now  sheds  tears  of  Blood. The mighty  Wonderworker is  prostrate  and  trembling,  and  His  Heart  is  well-nigh  breaking for very  woe. The Soul  of  Him  who  commanded  the  winds  and  the waves is  now  overwhelmed  with  trouble  and  anguish. How is  this extraordinary change  to  be  explained? In order  to  understand  our Lord’s Agony  in  the  garden,  and  His  Sufferings  which  followed  it,  you must remember  that  the  divine  nature  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  could not suffer,  and  that  it  was  only  His  human  nature  which  could  suffer and die;  and,  moreover,  that  His  human  nature,  being  inseparably united to  His  divine  nature,  could  only  suffer  as  much,  and  for  as  long, as He  willed  it  to  suffer. He entered  on  His  Passion  of  His  own  will, and did  not  allow  torment  and  fear  to  take  possession  of  His  Heart till He  had  left  His  eight  apostles  at  a distance,  and  had  near  Him only those  three  who  had  been  prepared  for  the  sight  of  Him  in  His hour of  abasement,  by  the  vision  of  His  glory  on  Mount  Thabor. But in order  that  the  human  nature  might  suffer,  the  Divinity  abandoned it to  itself  and,  as  it  were,  withdrew  from  it,  and  deprived  it  of  all inward consolation,  as  we  see  in  the  narrative. To such  an  extent  did He abase  Himself  that  He  even  sought  consolation  from  creatures,  the apostles and  angels. At the  very  beginning  of  His  Passion  He  wished to leave  us  no  room  for  doubt  that  He  as  Man  felt  and  suffered everything acutely,  and  that  fear,  pain  and  horror  caused  Him  as