Gethsemane

We are the sons of St. Francis, and we are the custodians, according to the will of God, of one of the places that Jesus loved the most: the garden called GETHSEMANE. This is a unique place in the world. It is the place where the Lord manifested his Yes forever by being ready to enter where nobody else had ever entered, where he plunged into darkness, in the final battle against death, in which humanity has always ended up being a loser... We ask that you too come HERE spiritually, to this place that Jesus loved and where He often would come with his disciples.Our invitation is not meant to be a sterile, remembrance but intends to let him reach out to us, reach out to us in such a way that “the many Gethsemanes” we see all around our world can be enlightened by the same Lord who is capable of reaching all situations.It is precisely HERE, in this garden called Gethsemane, that we celebrate the HOLY HOUR. But from where does our celebration draw its origins? It was born precisely in those moments, the last moments of Jesus’ life on earth, in which his disciples also participated. First and foremost we have to listen once more to the Gospels. HERE, on this night, that Hour takes place once more... Under the same moon, in this garden called Gethsemane. The Gospels condense and narrate in full detail what the olive trees have seen: the Son of God, the Master, all alone, stretched out on the ground, sweating blood and praying to the Father. Never before has Jesus appeared so human. Therefore: “night”, “battle”, “solitude”, “prayer”, “desire” and “offering” are experiences that Jesus lived HERE. All these are characteristics that indicate the coming of his Hour, the moment in which He expressed with intensity his most profound desire to love and share: “Stay here and pray with me.”When we return to this place to listen to this invitation of the Lord, we can understand what the Master has requested of his disciples at that particular moment... He asks the same thing of us today... Therefore, like THEN... NOW.