Well,
Hello friends.
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk in dogs.
Welcome to another episode in our special Lectio Divina series,
The Questions Jesus Asked.
Now there's moments in our lives when faith feels nothing,
Like heroic or loud or even certain.
And in particular I'm thinking of those times when faith feels more like endurance,
The simple act of staying present when every part of us feels dog-tired.
And in the Gospel of Matthew,
Chapter 26,
There's a question that Jesus offers in the Garden of Gethsemane.
It's night time.
The world is heavy with anticipation.
There's a sense that something difficult is coming,
Something Jesus knows can't be avoided.
He brings his closest companions with him.
Among them is Peter,
Along with James and John,
Who've walked beside him through storms and crowds and long journeys.
And yet here in this moment,
The struggle isn't outward,
It's inward.
Jesus steps away to pray.
And he's certainly not praying with confidence,
But with deep anguish.
This is probably one of the most honest and vulnerable prayers that contains the full weight of what lies ahead,
Pressing down upon him.
And then Jesus returns,
But he doesn't find his companions watching.
He finds them sleeping.
And it's not because they don't care.
It's because they're tired,
They're overwhelmed,
They're exhausted.
They're unable to stay alert in the face of uncertainty.
And Jesus asks them,
Now,
Like many of the questions of Jesus,
It's easy to read that and hear a harsh tone.
But I wonder whether more it carries a sense of both disappointment,
But also a sense of longing.
Because what Jesus is seeking in this moment isn't their brilliance or strength or understanding.
He just wants their presence.
Just the willingness to remain near him,
Even when nothing seems to be happening.
In those times when weariness presses down heavily upon you,
When fear lingers in the background.
Maybe this question meets us in that moment.
Not just crisis alone,
But in those small,
Quiet spaces,
Ordinary spaces of our daily life.
You know those times when prayer feels difficult,
When our attention wanders and fatigue takes over,
And where faith feels more like effort than inspiration.
And maybe we begin with good intentions.
We promise we're going to remain present,
To listen,
To watch,
To stay.
But like the disciples,
We drift into distraction,
Or maybe just exhaustion.
Because we're human.
And this is what makes Jesus' question so powerful.
Because it doesn't accuse,
It asks us to reflect.
What does it mean to stay present,
Even when we feel tired?
What does faithfulness look like in the ordinary moments of weariness?
Just staying,
Remaining attentive.
Returning when we drift away,
Showing up again and again.
Because faith in its deepest form isn't always about achieving.
Sometimes it's about staying,
About endurance,
About remaining.
Choosing to stay when leaving would be easier.
And so today,
The question rents gently before us.
Could you not stay awake with me one hour?
But as an invitation,
An invitation to remain present,
Even in weariness.
So as you listen to the text being read,
In those times of silence,
After each time,
Imagine the quiet of the garden,
The stillness of the night,
The heaviness of fatigue settling down into the body,
And listen for the word or phrase that draws your attention.
The one that God wants you to ponder and reflect,
As you consider how you might answer this question today.
Remember,
Not a question of harshness,
But a question of invitation and longing from Jesus.
Your companionship,
Your sense of being there with him,
Matters.
So as we ask the Spirit to open our ears,
Our minds,
And our hearts to what the text might say to us today,
We begin.
Matthew chapter 26,
Verses 36 to 41.
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.
Matthew chapter 26,
Verses 36 to 41.
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.
Matthew chapter 26,
Verses 36 to 41.
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.
Let us pray.
Jesus,
You know the weight of weariness.
You understand the fatigue that settles into our bodies and minds.
You see the moments when we intend to stay present,
But drift into distraction or sleep.
Give us patience with our own weariness.
Where we feel tired,
Bring renewal.
Where we feel distant,
Gently draw us back.
Where we struggle to remain attentive,
Teach us the quiet strength of returning again.
Help us to recognize that faithfulness isn't measured by being perfect,
But by being persistent.
And teach us how to remain with you in prayer,
In silence,
And in daily life.
When we falter,
Remind us that your invitation still stands.
Stay awake,
Stay near,
And stay present.
Amen.
And may grace,
Peace,
And love be with you and stay with you always,
Today and every day.
Amen.
Until next time,
My friends,
May grace and peace be with you.
