Heart of Jesus, Patient and Most Merciful
In this lesson, Annabelle Moseley, poet; author; and Professor of Theology, leads Day 19 of the 33-Day “Our House of the Sacred Heart” Consecration and teaches “The Lesson of the Arched Window” as a real-life example of waiting, and also of answering the call. Beautiful prayers, devotions, art, stories, scripture and poetry are included in this podcast that won’t take much of your time… but is time well-spent.
Reflection on Art
The Agony in the Garden
Within a garden like this we were lost.
Eden was rooted to Gethsemane—
We slept while you kept watch and mourned the cost—
gazing at moonlight through the olive trees.
Your red drops fell, consoling Abel’s blood
which once cried out from deep within the earth.
Your tears and sweat baptized and blessed the mud.
Sacrificed slumber would have had great worth.
You’d barred us from nightmares: forbidden fruit
we tasted in our dreams. You gave true bread.
We could have nourished you, provided shoots
of strength for branch-deep weariness. Instead,
we closed our eyes, with everything at stake.
All we’d been asked to do was stay awake.
—Annabelle Moseley
( from Our House of the Sacred Heart, page 199)
Questions of the Day
- Can you think of a moment in your life in which your suffering and loneliness made you feel closer to Christ, either at the time or upon reflection?
- Is there a place in your home where you feel connected to the heavens… perhaps a spot where you can look out at the stars and moon?
Today’s Challenge
Think of those for whom you’ve stayed awake: the child you’ve watched through the night; the aged parent you’ve cared for till dawn; the friend you’ve worried for and could not sleep…
Let’s resolve that the next time that happens to us, let us offer that sleeplessness to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Let none of us sleep when Jesus wishes us to stay awake.
Download the prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus here if you’d like to save it or print it for reference!
Listen to Author Annabelle Moseley interviewed by Dr. Mary Anne Urlakis on her show “Vows, Vocations, and Promises: Discerning the Call of Love.” Hear Annabelle talk about what inspired her to write this book, what it was like to write it, why she decided to lead a Consecration to the Sacred Heart and answers to other intriguing questions.
Our House of the Sacred Heart is the companion text for this 33-day Consecration to the Sacred Heart. Click on the image to get your copy today!
There is one time that stands out among the rest. Connor, my niece’s middle child, was staying over at my house. In the middle of the night he woke up screaming, Auntie my ear hurts, please make it stop! I tried consoling him, but he kept screaming all the louder. I ran to the kitchen to heat up some cooking oil and put it into a syringe. I carefully put a few drops in Connor’s ear while cradling him in my arms. He settled down a little and I carefully laid him back down in the bed. I stayed kneeling by the bed pleading with the Blessed Mother to intercede for me to Jesus to help my Connor stay asleep and not be in pain. I, however, did not want to sleep for the rest of the night. I could not sleep even if I wanted to because of my love for this baby. It only makes it crystal clear about how much more does Our Lord loves us, that He could not sleep and didn’t want the apostles to sleep, that His sweat became like drops of blood upon the ground while He prayed to the Father.
I will offer my next sleeplessness to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and pray that I will not sleep while Jesus stays awake!
P.S. Nessum Dorma is one of my favorite arias.
Your poem The Agony in the Garden says it all. This is a favorite passage of mine to reflect on because you can fell Jesus’s suffering and loneliness with His disciples sleeping. When I feel these consuming emotions throughout my life, I reflect on this passage and speak to God who is always listening and there to comfort me. This is favorite passage of mine because we are witness to both the divine and human nature of Christ coming together as One. It is my hope that it will always lead me to a stronger faith as I seek truth. I have a skylight that I look up on clear nights and see the moonlight. How great our Creator is. He gives us the present without asking anything from me. I am presently staying awake in prayer for more preparation and understanding. The aria is breathtaking. It leads us to hope and love beyond all the cruelties that life may offer. Thank you for this lesson.