Prayer and Transition
- davidwperk
- Dec 16, 2024
- 6 min read
Devotional Reflection, Monday, December 16, 2024
The week of the third Sunday of Advent
The Rev. David W. Perkins, ThD.
Key phrases for reflection from today’s reading:
39 He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. 40When he reached the place, he said to them, 'Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.' 41Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42'Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.' 43Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.
You will find the full text of today’s Gospel at the end of this reflection.
Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 938)
AM Psalm 41, 52; PM Psalm 44
Isa. 8:16-9:1; 2 Pet. 1:1-11; Luke 22:39-53
Today we celebrate the Feast of Ralph A. Cram, Richard Upjohn, and John LaFarge. (See below.)
David's Reflections
Jeffery Imback says of prayer: "Prayer is essentially the expression of our heart longing for love. It is not so much the listing of our requests but the breathing of our deepest request, to be united with God as fully as possible." *
Luke reports three moments of prayer in the life of Jesus; each embodies Imback’s remark that prayer expresses our heart longing to be united with God. We find these three moments reported only in Luke, which is not surprising, since Luke makes prayer one of his central themes. Jesus prays at his baptism (Luke 3), and Jesus prays on the mount of transfiguration (Luke 9) In the third instance, the Garden scene in our text, Jesus agonizes in prayer, his sweat resembles drops of blood, and an angel ministers to him. Matthew and Mark report this agonizing struggle in prayer, but Luke alone gives us the details of the sweat/blood and the angel.
All three episodes in Luke have three things in common: First, Jesus prays. Second, there is a manifestation of the unseen world. At the baptism, the heavens open and a dove lights on Jesus. At the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah visit with Jesus and the disciples hear a voice from heaven. In the Garden, an angel appears and ministers to Jesus.
Third, Jesus' life is going through a transition in each instance. After the baptism Jesus experiences the Temptations and begins his public ministry. After the transfiguration, Jesus begins his final journey to Jerusalem. After the Garden scene, Jesus is arrested, tried, and crucified.
For Luke, prayer is the means by which Jesus lives through each of these transitional moments and undergoes transformation. At his baptism, he is anointed with the Spirit in response to prayer. At the Transfiguration, Jesus' prayer initiates the entire experience. In the Garden, Jesus' agony in prayer strengthens his resolve to face betrayal and death and brings the ministry of the angel.
Luke presents Jesus as the prototype for us as Christian disciples. We are to follow Jesus by making his discipleship the model for ours. In the matter of prayer, Jesus’ practice of prayer shows us that prayer is the way God transforms us and leads us through transitional moments into new phases of our lives.
If you are facing any sort of challenge, this passage tells us that to follow Jesus into any moment of crisis, challenge, or transition means to devote yourself to prayer. As you pray, the unseen world of God's presence and love will envelop you, anoint you with God's love and strength, and transform you so that you will be able to follow Jesus fully into that next moment.
Prayers—expressions of our deepest desires for freedom, for God, and for living rightly—may begin as inarticulate groanings before they ever find their way out of the heart and onto our lips (Romans 8:26-27). They may consist entirely of those groanings.Those may take the form of ecstatic prayer or simply surge in the heart without words to express them. As those deep yearnings find expression in spoken prayers in moments of transition and challenge, we can know that we are entering those moments as Jesus did and that he enters them with us.
* Jeffrey D Imback, The Recovery of Love (Crossroad, 1991). Cited by Martin Marty, Context, April 1, 1998, p. 8.
Collect of the Day, The Third Sunday of Advent
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 212)
Today we celebrate the Feast of architects Ralph A. Cram (died 22 Sep 1942 CE) and Richard Upjohn (died 16 August 1878 CE), and John LaFarge, artist (died 14 Nov 1910 CE).
Collect of the Feast of Ralph A. Cram, Richard Upjohn, and John LaFarge
Gracious God, we thank you for the vision of Ralph Adams Cram, John LaFarge and Richard Upjohn, whose harmonious revival of the Gothic enriched our churches with a sacramental understanding of reality in the face of secular materialism; and we pray that we may honor your gifts of the beauty of holiness given through them, for the glory of Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
A Collect for the Renewal of Life
O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 99)
Of the Holy Trinity
Almighty God, you have revealed to your Church your eternal Being of glorious majesty and perfect love as one God in Trinity of Persons: Give us grace to continue steadfast in the confession of this faith, and constant in our worship of you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; for you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 251)
A Prayer for Light
Almighty God, we give you thanks for surrounding us, as daylight fades, with the brightness of the vesper light; and we implore you of your great mercy that, as you enfold us with the radiance of this light, so you would shine into our hearts the brightness of your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 110)
A Collect for Mission
O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 100, 257)
Daily Office Gospel, Luke 22:39-53
39 He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. 40When he reached the place, he said to them, 'Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.' 41Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42'Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.' 43Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. 45When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, 46and he said to them, 'Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.'
47 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; 48but Jesus said to him, 'Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?' 49When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, 'Lord, should we strike with the sword?' 50Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus said, 'No more of this!' And he touched his ear and healed him. 52Then 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? 53When 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!'
Daily Prayer Offices in The Book of Common Prayer
Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, Book of Common Prayer
Noonday Prayer, p. 103, Book of Common Prayer
Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p. 109, Book of Common Prayer
Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer
Compline (Night Prayer), Page 127, Book of Common Prayer
Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer
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