Keep Awake and Pray

“So you had not the strength to keep awake with me one hour? You should be awake and praying not to be put to test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26: 40 – 41)

Why were the apostles sleeping on such a unique occasion? What was the cause of their physical and emotional exhaustion? Was it just the Passover meal and the wine? It was probably an attack of the enemy. The devil chooses his point of attack very carefully. The passion of the Christ was the period of the reign of the powers of darkness.

The experience of the Christ in Gethsemane teaches us a number of lessons. Each of us must go through our own passion from time to time. Any part of our ecosystem or comfort zone may come under attack. It could well be that all the zones are under attack at the same time. What do we do when this is the case? First of all, if we are able to recognize what is happening, we have won half the battle. Jesus gave us here the effective weapon: keep awake and pray.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church has this to say on prayer: “Prayer is a vital necessity. Proof from the contrary is no less convincing: if we do not allow the Spirit to lead us, we fall back into the slavery of sin. How can the Holy Spirit be our life if our heart is far from him?

Nothing is equal to prayer; for what it impossible it makes possible, what is difficult, easy…For it is impossible, utterly impossible, for the man who prays eagerly and invokes God ceaselessly ever to sin.

Those who pray are certainly saved; those who do not pray are certainly damned.” (CCC #2744)