The Garden of Gethsemane
The Hebrew meaning for Gethsemane is “oil press.” The Garden of Gethsemane is located in the Mount of Olives. This same oil was used in the lighting of the Temple lamps and for the anointing of kings. Jesus was called the Messiah, which means “the anointed one.”
In order to get the fullness of the olive it must be crushed three times. As Jesus goes into the garden to pray he asked his disciples to stay awake and pray. Three times He found them sleeping. Jesus knew what He had to face; the agony in the garden, where He would be crushed like the olives for the weight of the sins of the world. In Jesus’ case, He was crushed until His sweat turned into blood.
Luke 22:44 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
44 He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.
The Church of All Nations
I have visited the Garden of Gethsemane many, many times and I have received new revelations with each visit. This magnificent church is also referred to as the Basilica of the Agony. With the help of twelve nations, this church was reconstructed in 1920- 1924. Of course the United States had a hand in this because we are truly a benevolent nation. The other countries donating were Argentina, Brazil , Chili, Mexico, Italy, France, Spain, England, Belgium, Canada and Germany. The name, The Church of All Nations, was built with 12 nations and, like the 12 apostles, it means complete.
Walking past the olive trees is one of my favorite sites to visit. Archaeologists believe that some of these olive trees were around in the time of Jesus. An interesting fact about an olive tree is that when cut it will continue to grow. These century old olive trees are still producing olives.
As you walk into the small basilica the focus is on the huge boulder located at the altar. This stone is believed to be where Jesus wept. To be at the same site that our Lord wept blood and to be able to pray and weep at the same spot is truly joyful.
The rock of agony is surrounded by a crown of thorns made of wrought iron. Depending on who is guarding the rock, we could usually enter through the gates to kneel and pray. I could spend hours interceding for others; but sometimes, to allow others an opportunity to do the same, we were ushered out.
Olive Branches
Through the grace of God after so many years of visiting the Garden of Gethsemane, I finally got the courage to ask a Franciscan priest if we could have branches from the olive trees. I still have some of these leaves and I treasure them. I’ve shared with my students throughout the years as a small Christmas gift. I will do so this year as well.
My Gethsemane
In no instance am I comparing myself to Jesus in a His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. But many times I find that I have to go deeper into my Gethsemane to reach a higher spiritual level. That may come across as heavy for some but in reality it’s attainable for all. Our world is filled with so many distractions which cause us to inadvertently take our eyes off our calling. In my case, I get a shaking in a dream to redirect my path.
Getting Back Into the Spirit
The Lord gives me warning dreams whenever I step out of the spirit into the world. These dreams are often confusing, and I’m always finding a way to get out of the situation.
This is the most recent dream:
I had a baby, and I was responsible for him. The baby was very dirty; he looked as if he had not had a bath in days. I quickly put him in the bathtub but in the commotion, I was distracted. I started to do other things. Then I remembered the baby. I ran in and started scrubbing the dirt off of him.
What does this dream mean? This is my interpretation: the baby represents something new that has been entrusted to me. I failed to pay attention to the baby. The outcome of my neglect was that things with the baby were not right.
The Classes
I have volunteered to teach First Holy Communion and Confirmation classes at St. Norbert. So, after this dream, I started to review some of the lessons. Preparing for something God has entrusted me with, I must have a pure and yielding spirit.
Since I struggle with dates and times, I quickly posted all the dates of the class in my phone calendar with a reminder. .
The Distraction
It’s easy to unwillingly open the door to distraction. Mine come in different forms such as unnecessary shopping or trying to find something entertaining on Netflix. I like true life stories and documentaries, but I love romantic comedies.
No More Garbage
In almost every case, a spirit of perversion is introduced in the third or fourth segment of romantic miniseries. I’m disgusted with Turkish, Italian and Jewish miniseries. They are following the same script of some American moviemakers who are doing a wonderful job of destroying entertainment. Their agenda is for us to always accept a sinful lifestyle as the norm.
Prayer
I pray a lot. But sometimes I need assurance from the Lord, so I go deeper into the garden. Alone, I separate myself from the world and pray. I usually start with a Rosary and then continue to add other petitions. Part of my calling is to pray for others. Many times I feel a burden to pray for our nation and the crazy politicians who are running it.
My first priority is always for my family. I pray for their health, favor in their workplace, for our grandchildren to do well in school. I also pray for the future spouses for our grandchildren because God has the perfect man or woman set aside for them. I pray for the spiritual direction of many. For those who do not understand who they are in God’s Kingdom, I ask the Lord to reveal Himself in a dream to them..
Be the Light
We all could use a little crushing. Always remember that the oil from the olive trees was used for lighting. We are the light that can never be extinguished.
