On a Thursday evening about 2000 years ago, events of cosmic importance took place.

Saint Luke’s gospel:

As his custom was, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives with the disciples following.

Reaching the place, he said, “Pray, so that you may not enter into temptation.”

Then he withdrew from them, about a stone’s throw, and kneeling down, prayed, saying, “Father if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.”

There appeared to him an angel from heaven to strengthen him. In his agony he prayed the more earnestly, and his sweat, like great drops of blood, fell to the ground.

Rising again, he came to the disciples, and found them sleeping for sorrow. He said, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray that you do not enter into temptation.”

While he was speaking, a crowd came. At the head of them was the man called Judas, one of the Twelve, who went up to Jesus to kiss him.

Jesus said, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

To the chief priests, captains of the Temple and elders, he said, “Am I a robber, that you come with swords and clubs?  When I was daily with you in the Temple, you never tried to lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

Having seized him, they led him away to the high priest’s house . . . .

* * *

Jesus suffered, not only on the Cross, but also in the act consenting to undergo crucifixion.

We can never suffer like he suffered. We would have to be infinitely better people to share in the fullness of it.

However, to be his followers we must be willing to set out along that same road.

We must gladly accept every suffering in life as something God has given us .

Not to go looking for it — we must be humbler than that — but to accept what comes, and offer that suffering to him as an act of obedience.