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The façade of the basilica at Gethsemane
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Matthew
26: 36-56
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane;
and he said to his disciples, Sit here while I go over there and pray.' He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and
began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, 'I am deeply grieved, even to
death; remain here, and stay awake with me.' And going a little farther, he threw himself on the
ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible,
let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.' Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping;
and he said to Peter,
'So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time
of trial;
the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.' Again he went away for the second time and prayed,
'My
Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.' Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes
were heavy. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the
third time, saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, 'Are
you still sleeping and taking your rest?
See, the hour is at hand, and the Son
of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.' While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve,
arrived;
with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs,
from the chief
priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, 'The
one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.' At once he came up to Jesus and said, 'Greetings,
Rabbi!' and kissed him. Jesus said to him, 'Friend, do what you are here to
do.'
Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his
sword, drew it,
and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, 'Put your sword back into its
place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he
will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which
say it must happen in this way?' At that hour Jesus said to the crowds,
'Have you come
out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit?
Day after day
I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of
the prophets may be fulfilled.'
Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Mark's text (14: 32-52) differs from that of Matthew in certain details, but
they are not of importance for our present study. We recall only the famous
episode with which the writer ends his description of the arrest, and to which
we shall return later: "He came a third time and said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners." (Mk 14:51)
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The venerable olive trees in the garden of Gethsemane
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Luke 22: 39-54
He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the
disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, '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. When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples
and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, 'Why are you sleeping? Get up and
pray that you may not come into the time of trial.' While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and
the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus
to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, 'Judas, is it with a kiss that
you are betraying the Son of Man?' When those who were around him saw what was coming,
they asked, 'Lord, should we strike with the sword?' Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest
and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, 'No more of this!' And he touched his
ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of
the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, 'Have you come out
with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you
did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!' Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him
into the high priest's house. But Peter was following at a distance.
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Jesus is arrested: detail from the Mosaic
of the Basilica at Gethsemane
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John 18: 1-12
After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the
Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples
entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place,
because Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with
police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with
lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came
forward and asked them, 'Whom are you looking for?' They answered, 'Jesus of Nazareth.' Jesus replied, 'I
am he.' Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, 'I am he,' they stepped back
and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, 'Whom are you looking for?' And
they said, 'Jesus of Nazareth.' Jesus answered, 'I told you that I am he. So if you are
looking for me, let these men go.' This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, 'I did
not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.' Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the
high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, 'Put your sword back into its
sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?' So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police
arrested Jesus and bound him.
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© franciscan cyberspot - text written by Albert Storme
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Gethsemane Main