Lent Guide: In the Shadow of Gethsemaneಮಾದರಿ

Watch and pray …

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. - Matthew 26:41

I once spoke to a leader of the church in the East and he told me: “You can teach us to pray and we can teach you to keep watch.” He felt that the Western Christians emphasise prayer and the Christians in the East emphasise keeping watch. His words stay with me – my exposure and time with Him makes me feel like this now, too. I can’t remember anyone teaching me anything about keeping watch throughout all my theological studies. And yet it’s a command from Jesus and He shows us how to live watchfully.

To watch means to be awake, aware, conscious. Note the allusion of sleep to an inner state of unconsciousness. Paul echoes this command when he tells the Christians to wake and arise (Eph. 5:14). They are physically awake, after all, they are reading his letter, but they are totally unaware of bigger, invisible realities that exist and of the Father’s activity and what is happening. The disciples with Jesus weren’t aware of everything that was happening or of how big and important the moment was. It was a crossroads in Jesus’ life, and He had big decisions to make. He could get out, and take a different path. He realises His hour has come (Matt 24:45). The disciples are sleeping.

We are invited to live with an expanded consciousness. To be aware of where I am, with whom I am, what is happening within me, and where God is in all of this. The path of growth to this consciousness is a path of prayer. To become conscious is a form of prayer. There are other paths, too, shortcuts through means and technique. But He invites us to follow Him on the road He is traveling.

Exercise

• Ask Him to make you aware (let you see, notice, realise, be reminded) of…

Ask God for the gift of awakening to His presence in your life.

• Think about your consciousness and see if you can determine which aspect of your life you sometimes focus on (get caught up in) and which aspects you may neglect. (Aspects = your body, environment, and other people. Your inner world and others’ feelings and thoughts. God in everything. I-I / I-You / I – It / I-Thou).

Prayer: I ask for a deep consciousness of Your love and work in my life.