Prayers To Jesus Our Good Shepherd, in the Garden of Olives

My Jesus, what Shepherd has ever given His life for His sheep? Thou alone, because Thou art a God of infinite love, canst say, “And I lay down My life for My sheep.” (John x. 15). Thou alone hast been able to show to the world this excess of love that, being our God and our supreme Lord, Thou hast yet willed to die for us. It was of this excess of love that Moses and Elias spoke on Mount Tabor: “They spoke of His decease that He should accomplish in Jerusalem” (Luke ix. 31). Hence St. John exhorts us to love a God Who was the first to love us: “Let us therefore love God because God first hath loved us” (I John iv. I9). As if He said, If we will not love this God for His infinite goodness, let us love Him at least for the love that He has borne us in suffering willingly the pains that were due to us.

Remember, then, my Jesus, that I am one of those sheep for whom Thou hast given Thy life. Ah, cast on me one of those looks of pity with which Thou didst regard me once when Thou wast dying on the cross for me; look on me, change me, and save me. Thou hast called Thyself the loving Shepherd Who, finding the lost sheep, takes it with joy and carries it on His shoulders, and then calls His friends to rejoice with Him: “Rejoice with me, for I have found the sheep that was lost” (Luke xv. 6). Behold, I am the lost sheep; seek me and find me: “I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; seek Thy servant” (Ps. Cxviii. 176). If through my fault Thou hast not yet found me, take me now and unite me and bind me to Thee, that Thou mayest not lose me again. The bond must be that of Thy love; if Thou dost not bind me with this sweet chain Thou wilt again lose me. Ah, it is not Thou who didst neglect to bind me by holy love; but I, am ungrateful wretch, who did continually flee from Thee. But now I pray Thee, by that infinite mercy which caused Thee to come down to the earth to find me, ah, bind me; but bind me with a double chain of love, that Thou mayest not lose me again, and tat I may no more lose Thee. I renounce all the goods and pleasures of the world, and other myself to suffer every pain and death, provided that I live and die always united to Thee. I love Thee, my sweet Jesus; I love Thee, my good Shepherd, Who hast died for Thy lost sheep; but know that this sheep now loves Thee more than himself, and desires nothing but to love Thee and to be consumed by Thy love. Have pity on him, then, and permit him never again to be separated from Thee. Amen.



Eternal Father, look on the face of Thy Christ” (Ps. Xxxiii. 10): look not on my iniquities; behold this, They beloved Son, trembling, agonizing, and sweating blood in order to obtain Thy pardon for me. “And His sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground” (Luke xxii. 44). Behold me, and have pity on me. But, my Jesus, in this garden there are not executioners to scourge Thee, nor thorns, nor nails to torture Thee; what, then, extracts so much blood from Thee? Ah, I understand Thee: it was not the foresight of Thy approaching sufferings that then afflicted Thee so grievously; for to these pains Thou didst spontaneously offer Thyself: “He was offered because it was His own will” (Isa. Liii. 7). It was the sight of my sins; these were the cruel press which forced so much blood from Thy sacred veins. Hence, it was not the executioners, nor the nails, nor the thorns, that were cruel and barbarous in Thy regard: no, my sins, which made Thee so sorrowful in the garden, have been barbarous and cruel to Thee, my sweet Redeemer. Then, in Thy great affliction, I too have added to Thy sorrows, and have grievously afflicted Thee by the weight of my sins. Had I been guilty of fewer sins, Thou wouldst have suffered less. Behold, then, the return I have made for Thy love in dying for me. I have added to Thy great sufferings! My beloved Lord, I repent of having offended Thee, I am sorry for my sins, but my sorrow is not sufficiently great; I would wish for sorrow that would take away my life. Ah, through the bitter Agony which Thou didst suffer in the Garden, give me a portion of that abhorrence which Thou didst then feel for my sins. And if my ingratitude was then a cause of affliction to Thee, grant that I may now please Thee by my love. Yes, my Jesus, I love Thee with my whole heart. I love Thee more than myself, and for Thy love I renounce all the pleasures and goods of this earth. Thou alone art, and shalt always be, my only good and my only love.  Amen.