The Sorrowful Mysteries: The Agony in the Garden and the Myth of Self-Sufficiency

Agony in the Garden - image by Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

As we venture deeper into this season of Lent, let’s reflect upon the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary—those events that lead up to and culminate in the Crucifixion and Death of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In this first installment, we reflect on the Agony in the Garden.


The Book of Genesis introduces us to the Garden of Eden—that place where Adam and Eve enjoyed absolute intimacy with God. It is within that paradise that everything comes crashing down as Adam and Eve disobey God and eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The gravity of this original sin is not just disobedience but rather the attempt to go it alone. The serpent had promised Adam and Eve that if they ate of the tree, they would become like God—no longer reliant upon God but completely self-sufficient. Therein lies the downfall of all human beings: the notion that we are self-sufficient.

It is no coincidence that the agony of Jesus takes place in a garden. Jesus is visiting the “scene of the crime,” so to speak, with an opportunity to right the wrong unleashed by Adam and Eve. Like them, he is tempted by the devil to proceed on his own: “Let this cup pass me by.” Now, while I would never attempt to psychoanalyze Jesus, if anyone I knew told me of enduring an experience described using words and phrases such as “sorrow and distress,” “troubled,” “anguished,” “in agony,” “overwhelmed,” “deeply grieved,” “sorrowful to the point of death,” “fell on his face,” or “sweat became like drops of blood” (all various translations from the Gospel accounts of the Agony in the Garden), I would conclude that this person was having a panic attack. Jesus’ descent into hell—that place of separation from God—had already begun in that garden experience.

Interestingly enough, when I did a Web search for “panic attack,” the first thing that popped up was an ad saying, “You are not alone!” In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve sought to go it alone. Ever since, humankind has felt the pain of isolation and has longed to experience the nearness of God. In the Garden of Gethsemane, as Jesus experienced a feeling of isolation and abandonment—by his friends and by his Father—he chose not to go it alone, but to rely on his Father: “Not my will, but your will be done.” Luke’s Gospel even mentions the presence of an angel, a sign that God never left the side of his Son.

It was on the same night of Jesus’ agony in the garden that Jesus gave us the gift of the Eucharist so that we would never be alone. Our reception of the Eucharist is our ultimate rejection of self-sufficiency. In receiving the Eucharist, we admit that, at our deepest level, we are incapable of sustaining ourselves. We are completely dependent on God.

This Lent, may we all reflect on how we can place our trust in God’s will, even and especially at those moments when we feel that God is nowhere near. For in saying the words, “thy will be done,” we draw nearer to the God who has never left our side.


Deepen your understanding of the Rosary by reading The Rosary: A Path into Prayer by Elizabeth M. Kelly and The Complete Rosary: A Guide to Praying the Mysteries by William G. Storey.

Image by Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

15 Comments

  1. Dear Joe That is a very good article of Jesus in the
    Garden many thanks .It really highlights his struggle
    God bless John Williamson
    St Joseph’s Gerrards Cross Uk

  2. Dear Joe,
    Thanks so much for your reflection on the Sorrowful Mysteries: The Agony in the Garden and the Myth of Self-Sufficiency.
    I liked your observation: “In receiving the Eucharist, we admit that, at our deepest level, we are incapable of sustaining ourselves. We are completely dependent on God.

    • You’re most welcome, Bernadine! That thought about being incapable of sustaining ourselves, to me, is the core of spirituality!

      • Thankyou for your perspective,it’s inspirational,takes me a notch beyond all understanding on how deep is the power of the Holy Eucharist.

  3. Joe, your take on the Agony in the Garden is akin to the same setting in Genesis. However, when I pray the rosary, especially the sorrowful mysteries, I always forget the garden scene and should not. I really think you are onto something.

    Thanks

    • Thanks Deacon Jay…I find that mentions of locations are often very significant in Scripture – especially the Gospels – and that we need to pay attention in order to find connections to the Old Testament.

  4. Being alone & then finding a connection which tells me I’m not, is something recurrent for now in my life.
    Noticing when I start out, eg with a lonely moment of sadness in the passing of a close relative or an anxiety-making hospital intervention, a kindness happens unannounced somehow. Having a garden is always a source of reminding me about being a part of a bigger whole. I know how grateful this makes me feel. It might have passed me by, had it only been me, alone & palely loitering …

  5. Hello, Joe! After I read your article, I was truly amazed at your insight on the Garden of Eden & the Garden of Getsemani! What a powerful & beautiful reflection
    of the events in these gardens as we apply the messages in our lives! May we continue to be dependent to God’s Will as we move through our Lenten journey! May God continue to bless & reward your ministry!

    • THanks, Gloria! I appreciate the kind words. Thanks also for your “prayer” that we all continue to recognize our dependence on God’s will!

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