He , who knows the Commandment of Love is not surprised that I THE AGONY OF JESUS

cannot help knocking at the door of those who resist Me, and who
force Me, so to speak, by their rejection, to repeat My loving
IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE
invitation to them.
Accounts from the Gospel and private revelations
Why, what else can My calls be, full of glowing love, than the will
of love of a loving God, Who wants to save His creatures? However, from the Saints and mystics of the Church
I know very well, that not many wish to follow My generous
invitation, and that even the few who do accept, must strive hard
to receive Me.
Well then! I shall show even more generosity (as if I had not been
generous enough up to now), and I shall do this by giving all of
you a precious Gem of My Love. I have decided to open a dam, in
order to let flow the torrent of My Graces, which My Heart can no
longer hold back.
Look what I have to offer you in return for a little love from you.
1. To all those who remember My Agony, with love and
devotion, at least once a day: forgiveness of all sins and the
certainty of salvation for their souls in the hour of their
death.
2. Total and everlasting repentance to those who will have a
Mass celebrated in honour of My Agonizing Suffering in the
Garden of Gethsemane.
3. Success in spiritual matters to all those, who impress on
others, love and devotion to My Agonies on the Mount of
Olives.
4. Finally, and in order to prove to you that I want to break open
a dam of My heart so as to let flow a flood of My Graces, I
promise those who spread this devotion to My Agony in the
Garden of Gethsemane, the following 3 graces:
A. total and final victory over the worst temptation to which Part of the Mosaic over the altar of the Church of the Agony in Jerusalem
they are subjected;
B. Direct power to save poor souls from purgatory; O Jesus, through the abundance of Your love, and in order to
C. Great enlightenment and strength to fulfill My Will. overcome our hardheartedness, You pour out torrents of
All of these, My precious gifts, I will definitely give to those who Your graces over those who reflect on Your most Sacred
carry out what I have said, and who, therefore, remember and Sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane, and who spread
venerate with love and sympathy, My great, incomprehensible devotion to it. I pray You, move my soul and my heart to
Agony on the Mount of Olives.’ think often, at least once a day, of Your most bitter Agony in
(San Giovanni Rotondo-1965) the Garden of Gethsemane, in order to communicate with
For more copies of this booklet visit www.societyofsaints.net You and to be united with You as closely as possible. Amen.
‘My Crown of Thorns caused Me more suffering than all My other You sweated blood.
wounds...It was My most intense suffering after the Garden of O blessed Jesus, for the sake of Your most bitter struggle in the
Olives.’ Jesus to Sr Mary Martha Chambon Garden of Gethsemane, grant me final victory over all temptations,
Jesus came with them to a small estate called Gethsemane; and he especially over those to which I am most subjected.
said to his disciples, ‘Stay here while I go over there to pray’. He O suffering Jesus, for the sake of Your inscrutable and
took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him. And sadness indescribable agonies, during that night of betrayal, and of Your
came over him, and great distress. Then he said to them, ‘My soul bitterest anguish of mind, enlighten me, so that I may recognize
is sorrowful to the point of death. Wait here and keep awake with and fulfill Your will; grant that I may ponder continually on Your
me.’ And going on a little further he fell on his face and prayed. heart-wrenching struggle and on how You emerged victoriously,
‘My Father,’ he said ‘if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. in order to fulfill, not Your will, but the will of your Father.
Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it.’ He came back
to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, ‘So Be You blessed, O Jesus, for all your sighs on that holy night; and
you had not the strength to keep awake with me one hour? You for the tears which You shed for us.
should be awake, and praying not to be put to the test. The spirit Be You blessed, O Jesus, for Your sweat of blood and the terrible
is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again, a second time, he went agony, which You suffered lovingly in coldest abandonment and in
away and prayed: ‘My Father,’ he said ‘if this cup cannot pass by inscrutable loneliness.
without my drinking it, your will be done!’ And he came back again Be You blessed, O sweetest Jesus, filled with immeasurable
and found them sleeping, their eyes were so heavy. Leaving them bitterness, for the prayer which flowed in trembling agony from
there, he went away again and prayed for the third time, repeating Your Heart, so truly human and divine.
the same words. Then he came back to the disciples and said to
them, ’You can sleep on now and take your rest. Now the hour has Eternal Father, I offer You all the past, present and future Masses
come when the Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of together with the blood of Christ shed in agony in the Garden of
sinners. Get up! Let us go! My betrayer is already close at hand.’ Sorrow at Gethsemane.
Matthew 26:36-46 Most Holy Trinity, grant that the knowledge, and thereby the love,
I withdrew into the Garden of Gethsemane, that is to say into of the agony of Jesus on the Mount of Olives will spread
solitude...Adore His will for you, whatever it is… and humble throughout the whole world.
yourself as befits a creature before its Creator...It was thus I Grant, O Jesus, that all who look lovingly at You on the Cross, will
offered Myself to carry out the redemption of the world. At the also remember Your immense Suffering on the Mount of Olives,
same moment I felt all the torments of My Passion burst that they will follow Your example, learn to pray devoutly and fight
overwhelmingly upon Me: the calumnies and the insults...the victoriously, so that, one day, they may be able to Glorify You
scourging and the Crown of Thorns, the thirst...the Cross…. All eternally in Heaven. Amen.
these sufferings thronged before My eyes and pressed upon My
Heart, while at one and the same time I saw all the offences, sins Promises to devotees of the Agony of Jesus
and crimes that were to be committed throughout the ages...I not on the Mount of Olives
only witnessed them all, but was invested in them...so that under ‘Again and again calls of My Love flow from My Heart. They fill the
the burden of their ignominy I was constrained to present Myself souls in which the fire of love lights up and sometimes even sets
before the face of My all-holy Father and implore Him to show ablaze the heart. It is this, the voice of My Heart, which travels and
mercy. And there burst upon Me the wrath of an angry and also reaches those who do not want to hear Me, and who,
offended God, and in order to appease His Majesty I offered myself therefore, do not notice Me. However, inside of them I speak to all,
as security for sinful man, I, His Son, to calm His anger and satisfy and My Voice will speak to all, because I love them all.
Maria Valtorta, Poem of the Man-God Volume 5 His justice. But so great was the anguish and so mortal the agony
of My human nature under the strain and weight of so much guilt,
A man of sorrows and familiar with suffering...yet ours were the
that a bloody sweat poured from Me to the ground. O sinners who
sufferings He bore, ours the sorrows He carried... He was pierced
thus torture Me...will this Blood bring salvation and life, or will it
through for our faults, crushed for our sins...The Lord burdened
be shed in vain for you? How can I express My sorrow at the
Him with the sins of all of us...His soul’s anguish over He shall see
thought of this sweat, this anguish, this agony, this
the light and be content. By His sufferings shall My servant justify
blood...useless for so many souls. Console My Heart. Remain close
many, taking their faults on Himself. From Isaiah Chapter 53
to Me in Gethsemane that My Blood may fertilize and strengthen
I then tasted the bitterness of the bottom of the cup. The flavour the root of your littleness. Jesus to Josefa Menendez 12th
of despair. It was what Satan wanted: to lead Me to despair, to March 1923
make Me a slave of his. I overcame despair and I overcame it only
They came to a small estate called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to
with My power, because I wanted to defeat it. Only with my
his disciples, ‘Stay here while I pray’. Then he took Peter and
strength of a Man. I was nothing but the Man. And I was nothing
James and John with him. And a sudden fear came over him, and
but a man no longer helped by God. When God helps you, it is
great distress. And he said to them, ‘My soul is sorrowful to the
easy to lift even the world and hold it up like a child’s toy. But
point of death. Wait here, and keep awake.’ And going on a little
when God does not help us any more, even the weight of a flower
further he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were
is a burden to us. I defeated despair and Satan, its creator, in
possible, this hour might pass him by. ‘Abba (Father)!’ he said
order to serve God and you, by giving you the Life. But I became
‘Everything is possible for you. Take this cup away from me. But
acquainted with Death. Not with the physical death of crucifixion—
let it be as you, not I, would have it.’ He came back and found
that was not so dreadful—but with the total conscious Death of
them sleeping, and he said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep? Had
the fighter who falls after triumphing, with a broken heart and
you not the strength to keep awake one hour? You should be
blood pouring out of him in the trauma of the effort exceeding all
awake, and praying not to be put to the test. The spirit is willing,
endurance. And I sweated blood. I sweated blood to be faithful to
but the flesh is weak.’ Again he went away and prayed, saying the
God’s will. That is why the angel of My sorrow showed Me the
same words. And once more he came back and found them
hopes of all those who have been saved through My sacrifice, as a
sleeping, their eyes were so heavy; and they could find no answer
medicine for My dying. Your names! Each name was a drop of
for him. He came back a third time and said to them, ‘You can
medicine instilled into My veins to invigorate them and make them
sleep on now and take your rest. It is all over. The hour has come.
function, each of them was for Me life coming back, light coming
Now the Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of sinners.
back, strength coming back. During the cruel tortures, to avoid
Get up! Let us go! My betrayer is close at hand already.’
shouting My grief of Man, and in order not to despair of God and
Mark 14:32-42
say that He was too severe and unjust to His Victim, I repeated
your names to Myself. I saw you. Since then I blessed you. Since Re-read Mark 14 in the light of the Our Father…….
then I have carried you in My heart. Our Father in heaven, may your name be held holy,
Jesus speaks. Volume 5, Poem of the Man-God, Maria Valtorta your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts,
The following prayers were published by Ave Maria Publications, As we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.
Middletown, Northern Ireland. Imprimatur: Macario, Bishop. And do not put us to the test, but save us from the evil one.
Fabiano, 23rd November 1963 Matthew 6:9b-13
O blessed Jesus, You, who carried the immense burden of our sins ‘Simon, it is the hour of My passion. To make it more complete,
that night, and atoned for them fully; grant me the most perfect the Father is withdrawing His light from Me, as it gets nearer.
gift of complete repentant love over my numerous sins, for which Before long I shall have but darkness and the contemplation of
what is darkness: that is, all the sins of men. You cannot, none of the divine will free to do whatsoever it wills.
you can understand. Nobody, except who will be called by God for Jesus to Josefa Menendez, 12th March 1923
this special mission, will understand this passion in the great For my part, I pray to you, O Lord, at the time you wish; in your
Passion, and as man is material even in loving and meditating, great love, answer me, God, faithful in saving power.
there will be who will weep and suffer because of the scourging Pull me out of this swamp; let me sink no further, let me escape
and the torture of the Redeemer, but this spiritual torture that, those who hate me, save me from deep water!
believe Me you who are listening to Me, is the most atrocious one, Do not let the waves wash over me, do not let the deep swallow
will not be measured...’ Conversation, recorded by Maria Valtorta me or the Pit close its mouth on me.
in Vol 5 of the Poem of the Man God, of Jesus speaking to St Simon In your loving kindness, answer me, O Lord, in your great
Zealot on the way to Gethsemane. tenderness turn to me; do not hide your face from your servant,
He then left to make his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, with quick, I am in trouble, answer me; come to my side, redeem me,
the disciples following. When they reached the place he said to from so many enemies ransom me.
them, ‘Pray not to be put to the test’. Then he withdrew from You know all the insults I endure, every one of my oppressors is
them, about a stone’s throw away, and knelt down and prayed. known to you; the insults have broken my heart,
‘Father,’ he said ‘if you are willing, take this cup away from me. my shame and disgrace are past cure; I had hoped for sympathy,
Nevertheless, let your will be done, not mine.’ Then an angel but in vain, I found no one to console me. Psalm 69:13-20c
appeared to him, coming from heaven to give him strength. In his The fire blazes gaily, lighting up the poor face of Jesus. A face that
anguish he prayed even more earnestly, and his sweat fell to the is really so sad that one cannot look at it without weeping. All the
ground like great drops of blood. When he rose from prayer he brightness of that face is cancelled by a deadly tiredness. He says
went to the disciples and found them sleeping for sheer grief. ‘I feel an anguish that is killing Me! Oh! yes! My soul is sad even
‘Why are you asleep?’ he said to them. ‘Get up and pray not to be unto death. My friends!...My friends!’ But even if He did not say so,
put to the test.’ He was still speaking when a number of men His aspect would make one understand, that He is really like a
appeared, and at the head of them the man called Judas, one of man about to breathe his last, and in the most distressing and
the Twelve, who went up to Jesus to kiss him. Luke 22:39-47 desolate abandonment. Every word sounds like a sob...He prays
Message from Bl Padre Pio to Carmela Carabelli 11 Nov 1968 once again standing, with His arms stretched out crosswise. Then
My children, I want to unite myself to you for the intentions given on His knees, as before, His face bent on the little flowers. He is
in your prayers. Know that, during my mortal life, each night, from pensive. Silent...Then He begins to moan and sob loudly, almost
eleven to twelve o’clock, I united myself to Jesus agonizing, and I prostrated, so much has He relaxed on His heels. He calls His
consoled Him in His agony in the Garden of Gethsemani. But again Father, more and more anxiously...He remains thus for some time.
today, Jesus is in agony in His Church. That is why I entreat you to Then He utters a stifled cry and raises His face, looking very upset.
multiply these beautiful hours of prayer, and unite them to that of Only for a moment, then he drops on the ground, with His face re-
Jesus and, if you wish, also to mine which I offered nightly during ally on the earth, and remains thus. A worn-out man
my earthly life and which were so pleasing to the Father. I bless overburdened by all the sins of the world, struck by all the Justice
you all. of the Father, oppressed by the darkness, the ashes, the
Imitate My Mother, the Sorrowful Virgin. I would like to speak bitterness, by that tremendous, terrible, most dreadful thing that
again of Her, who suffered so much throughout Her life, but who is the abandonment by God, while Satan torments us... It is the
attained the summit of suffering during My Passion which She fully asphyxia of the soul, it is to be buried alive in this prison that is
lived, even though from a distance….The keenest suffering for My the world, when we can no longer feel any tie between us and God,
it is to be chained, gagged, stoned by our very prayers, which fall
Mother was to have participated in My mortal sadness in the
back on us bristling with sharp points and spread with fire…
Garden of Olives. So great was the bitterness of Her Heart that She
 too had to be consoled by an Angel, so as to be able to bear so
I am the man familiar with misery under the rod of his anger;
much pain. Jesus to Carmela Carabelli 12th October 1968
I am the one he has driven and forced to walk in darkness, (It makes sense that if Saints like St Gertrude, St Faustina, St Francis of Asissi etc
and without any light. Against me alone he turns his hand, participated in the Passion of Jesus mystically or by the stigmata, why should not
again and again, all day long. Our Lady have experienced the Passion with Jesus, her Son, in her heart?)
He has wasted my flesh and skin away, has broken my bones. ‘Father, Righteous One, the world has not known you, but I have
He has made a yoke for me, has encircled my head with weariness. known you, and these have known that you have sent me. I have
He has forced me to dwell in darkness with the dead of long ago. made your name known to them and will continue to make it
He has walled me in; I cannot escape; he has made my chains known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them,
heavy; and when I call and shout he shuts out my prayer. and so that I may be in them.’ After he had said all this Jesus left
He has blocked my ways with cut stones, with his disciples and crossed the Kedron valley. There was a
he has obstructed my paths. garden there, and he went into it with his disciples. Judas the
He has broken my teeth with gravel, he has given me ashes for traitor knew the place well, since Jesus had often met his disciples
food. My soul is shut out from peace; I have forgotten happiness. there, and he brought the cohort to this place together with a
And now I say, ‘My strength has gone, that hope which came from detachment of guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees,
the Lord’. Lamentations 3:1-9,16-18 all with lanterns and torches and weapons. John 17:25-18:3
My soul, already shattered and a prey to sadness, had to endure ‘You tried to come closer to God and I helped you, for you were
still more deadly grief, for crushed by the weight of the sins of able to unite your aloneness with Mine. Have you ever known the
men, and in return for so much suffering and love, I saw only desert—the forty days, the nights when I escaped from everyone
outrages and ingratitude. The Blood now pouring from My body to pray before My Father? And among the crowds have you known
and which I was soon to shed from countless wounds would be in the vast solitude of not being understood, of hostility, of hate, of
vain for so many souls...many would be lost...a still greater rejected friendship? It was all for My children—for you, My child.
number would sin against Me...and myriads would not so much as And later there was the solitude of the Garden of Gethsemane. The
hear My name...I would pour out My Blood for all, offer My merits solitude of churches for My Eucharist, and of the hearts who forget
to each soul...Blood of a God...infinite merits...yet to be in vain for Me after receiving Communion. Oh! May the warm and faithful
how great a number! Yes, I will shed My Blood for all and all will be thoughts of My friends come unceasingly to comfort Me! And I
loved with great love...but for some that love will be more tender, shall comfort them when they fall asleep to awaken in that other
more intimate, more ardent...so from these chosen souls I will Life.’ Jesus to Gabrielle Bossis, ‘He and I’ Sept 19, 1940
expect more consolation and love, more generosity and
abnegation...in a word, a fuller response to My loving-kindness. ‘My agony was the most terrible of all the agonies on earth, as
Alas! At this moment I see how many will turn away from much on account of the sufferings that preceded it as the
Me...some will not listen to My call...others will hear but will not sensitivity of My nature and My deep insight. Come close to Me.
follow Me...others will respond for a time with a certain amount of Try to enter as best you can into My anguish of soul. Offer this
generosity to the call of My Heart, but then will gradually grow anguish to the Father for all times, for your time. If you could only
drowsy...I saw all this and felt it in My Heart. What should I help Me save everyone in your time…’
do...turn back, ask My Father to free Me from this torment?...Show Jesus to Gabrielle Bossis, ‘He and I’, Nov 28, 1940
Him the uselessness of My sacrifice for so many souls?...No! again ‘Come and watch Me suffer in the Garden, just as though it were
I surrendered Myself to His holy will and accepted this chalice, to that very night. It is always that very night, for God sees all time
drink it to the dregs. O souls that I love, I did it to teach you not to at a glance. Don’t leave Me! I’m like a terrified child who begs not
faint under your burdens. Never count them as useless, even if you to be left alone. Stay there. Let Me know that you’re with Me. A
are unable to reckon the result; submit your judgment and leave presence is soothing. Hold My hand. I am only a poor man full of
distress even though I am God. No one will ever understand the I showed them in Myself that weak flesh always shrinks from
depths of My desolation. I feel the need of being surrounded by all trouble. But you may ask: How did a bloody sweat issue from My
My dear ones, for I see all the powers of evil let loose and I am body? As the blood of the sick man is dried and consumed in all
alone to defend Myself. Pray with Me. Do you have a firmer belief his members, so My blood was consumed by the natural fear of
in My love now that you see Me suffer so? Give Me this alms, this death. Finally, My Father wishing to show the way by which Heaven
faith offering.’ Jesus to Gabrielle Bossis, ‘He and I’, Jan 9, 1941 should be opened and excluded man enter in, out of love
delivered Me up to the Passion, that by accomplishing it, My body
‘Pray for all centuries, all peoples, all sinners. There is infinite
might be glorified. For in justice, My humanity could not enter
treasure in My sweat of blood. What have you to fear? Give My
glory without passion, although I might have done so by the power
blood to the world—Life ebbing away that it may give Life.’
of My divinity. Jesus to St Bridget, Ch 15. The agony in the garden.
Jesus to Gabrielle Bossis, ‘He and I, January 16, 1941
Come very close to Me in the garden of My agony where My sweat During His life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud
is like drops of blood. You understand? I’ll be less alone...The and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save Him out
others are sleeping. No one is here. Except My mother, who is of death, and He submitted so humbly that His prayer was heard.
thinking about Me. This is the picture of those whose life is one Although He was Son, He learnt to obey through suffering; but
long sleep where I’m concerned. Indifference. Distraction. having been made perfect, He became for all who obey Him the
Forgetfulness. How sad for them! Even among My friends, a little source of eternal salvation and was acclaimed by God with the title
more fervour would keep them awake. Ask My forgiveness if you of high priest of the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5: 7-10
accuse yourself of any omission—not at My feet but on My heart. Draw near Me, and when you see Me submerged in an ocean of
Remember that if the mighty ones of this world are honoured with grief, rise, and go with Me to the three disciples whom I had left a
noisy eulogies and public fanfare, I am honoured by the silent and stone’s throw away. I had chosen them that they might share My
attentive heart, by a delicate sacrifice known to no one, by a secret agony, pray with Me and by their company afford Me some
surrender, a tender inner glance. It is in this way, very simply, that consolation...What were My feelings to find them asleep? O the
My children console Me.’ pang of loneliness, and to have none to share in My sorrow...How
Jesus to Gabrielle Bossis, ‘He and I’, Dec 5, 1946 often My Heart suffers this same grief...how often, hoping to find
Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest solace among the souls It loves, It finds them slumber-
who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go ing!...Beloved souls, learn from this how useless it is to seek com-
of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high fort in creatures. How often you will receive only an increase of
priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but distress because they are asleep and respond neither to your hope
we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, nor love. I went back to My prayer, and again falling on My face I
though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching worshipped My Father and implored His help...I did not call him
the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find ‘My God’ but ‘My Father’. It is when harrowed with pain that you
grace when we are in need of help. Hebrews 4:14-16 too must call God your Father. Beg for His help, expose your
woes...your fears, your longings...and let your cry of anguish
Jesus speaks: I had three things in My death. First, Faith, when I remind Him that you are His child. Tell Him that your body is ex-
bent My knees and prayed, knowing that the Father could deliver hausted...your heart is sorrowful even unto death...that your soul
Me from My Passion. Second, Hope, when I waited so constantly is experiencing what seems a very sweat of blood. Pray with a
and said: ‘Not as I will.’ Third, Charity, when I said: ‘Thy will be child’s confidence and expect relief from your Father’s Heart. He
done.’ I had, too, anguish of body and the natural fear of My Himself will comfort you and give you the strength necessary to
Passion, when the blood issued from My body. Let not my friends endure the tribulation or suffering, whether it be your own or that
tremble as if abandoned when tribulation comes upon them; of the souls confided to your care. Jesus to Josefa March 12, 1923