Good evening. When the Liturgy Committee first asked me to be a co-presider for Holy Thursday, I was so honored by the invitation, I couldn't turn it down. But as I started to prepare my reflection, I had a very difficult time. I was in the midst of a very difficult personal time in my life. Some days, the most I could do would be to get out of bed and do the necessary daily chores. Other days were much better and I could continue looking for a job. I was feeling uncertain about my own future, would I find another job, would my life come back together. At some point, I had the feeling that I wouldn't be able to complete the task of writing a reflection because I was unable to concentrate.

But a good friend reminded me that my experience at this time would be a good thing to reflect upon. For this is exactly what Jesus was going through in the days leading up to His death on the cross. Jesus was fearful and uncertain at this time also. He went with his disciples to the Mount of Olives and left them in an olive grove, in a place called the Garden of Gethsemane and asked them to pray for Him. Before he continued alone on alone, He told Peter, James and John of His fears and distress. He prayed to God in the garden and asked God if what was to come could be taken away from Him. He anguished over His future and continued to pray to God to take away the burden of what He was to go through shortly.

Each of us has at one time or another, or maybe multiple times, experienced this same feeling of anxiety, fear or anguish about a certain situation we were in, be it difficulty in paying bills, making ends meet, the loss of a loved one or the loss of a job or some other problem. I believe that God asks us to contemplate, to pray in our own "Garden", whether this garden is in our minds at home, at work or with our Dignity community, to ask God as Jesus did, to help us through these uncertainties and difficulties. We should remember in our hearts and minds, that God is there for us and that God will help us through our troubles. We should try our best to follow the example of Jesus praying in the garden.

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