Jesus at Gethsemane

The more I read the Bible, the more things jump out at me. That probably sounds like a cliche, but it's true. It has taken awhile, but more than time, it's taken persistence.

Most of us have known the usual stories of the Bible since childhood.
But there are the more unusual stories we don't know about, until we start reading it for ourselves.

Since the Easter Season is upon us, I'll share what I saw in the Garden
of Gethsemane.

A few weeks ago, I found in John 17: 6-26,  Jesus praying not for Himself, but for the disciples and for we who come afterwards. I'd never read this before, but it's always been there, I'm sure.

This prayer is so tender and compassionate, it brought me to tears. It shows without a doubt how much Jesus loved his disciples in spite of
the fact that he often reproved them. He pleads with the Father on their behalf, and then on our behalf, almost in desperation.

"I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours...I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world-and I am coming to you Holy Father-protect them by the power of your name..." This is a small excerpt from it.

The only things I'd heard about the Garden of Gethsemane were the apostles sleeping, His annoyance with them, and Jesus praying for the
cup to pass.

Jesus' love-the love we have been told about, is demonstrated by the words in John 17:6-26. Read it during Eastertime.

Ballykissangel

WHAT did you say? Ballykissangel. It's a TV show. I first saw it  several years ago on PBS, and hadn't seen it since, until PBS put it back on about a year ago. Originally produced about 20 years ago.

What's my point? It's a tongue-in-cheek series made in Ireland, about a village where everyone is Catholic, and the Priests are the main characters. I don't think it could have been done in the US; we are too self-conscious when it comes to religion.

Ballykissangel's wit comes from many an inside joke about the Church;
not in disrespect, but from those things that arise in the day-to-day life
of Catholics.

In this show, Priests are actual human beings with opinions, angers, and prejudices, like everyone else. The village contains devout believers, lukewarm believers, and some who have an outright dislike of the Church.

Some of the themes that cracked me up were:
-The electronic Confessional with rotating doors which did not work.
-The kid who started a Confession Website where, for a fee, you    
 could email your sins and be absolved online.
-The statue who started crying "real tears", bringing up a lagging
 Mass attendance.

The best line was the older priest's answer to the younger one's new suggestion: "What do you think this is, a democracy?" 

Okay, it all may sound silly to you, but still, catch it a few times.
It's a good laugh, and sometimes brings up some good questions.

Here in Baltimore, it's on at 3:40 on PBS CHannel 22.