This is one of the greatest photos in Catholic history.
Despite his greatness, Fulton Sheen had been ostracized and cast away by the powers that be in the American Church by the time he was an old man. When Pope John Paul II came to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1981, Sheen was relegated to a far off side section.
As everyone was applauding and greeting the pope, he kept looking around, and finally asked: “Where’s Fulton?”
The pope embraced Fulton and said: “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a loyal son of the Church!"
This makes me cry with love.
Soon-to-be Blessed Fulton Sheen…Pray for us. 🙏
Leo XIV: “Death is always lurking: in injustice, partisan selfishness and the lack of attention to the most vulnerable”
Read now: https://t.co/IhmGy5IXGQ
There is a moment in Scripture that feels almost too raw to read slowly.
The garden.
The silence.
The weight.
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus wasn’t standing strong like a warrior before battle.
He was trembling.
Scripture tells us His soul was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” He fell to the ground and prayed, asking if the cup could pass from Him… yet surrendering anyway:
“Not my will, but Yours be done.”
This is the part we don’t always talk about enough.
Before the cross… there was the crushing.
Before the victory… there was the surrender.
And while Jesus was pouring out His heart to the Father… His closest friends couldn’t stay awake.
The loneliness.
The ache.
The quiet disappointment.
And then… it gets even heavier.
Because into that sacred, suffering space walks Judas Iscariot.
Not with anger.
Not with a weapon.
But with a kiss.
A gesture meant for love… used for betrayal.
Can you imagine that moment?
Jesus knew it was coming.
He knew who would walk through those trees.
He knew what that kiss meant.
He knew the pain it would carry.
And still… He didn’t run.
Still… He didn’t resist.
Still… He stayed.
⸻
💛 Here’s what this means for us
Jesus understands a very specific kind of pain:
•Being let down by people you trusted
•Being alone in a moment you needed support
•Being wounded by someone who once walked closely with you
He didn’t just die for our sins—
He felt the depth of human heartbreak.
And yet…
He didn’t allow betrayal to stop His obedience.
He didn’t allow loneliness to change His mission.
He didn’t allow pain to rewrite His love.
⸻
🌿 The Invitation
Some of us know what it feels like to stand in our own “garden” moments.
Praying through tears.
Wrestling with God’s will.
Feeling the sting of disappointment or betrayal.
And maybe quietly wondering:
“God… where are You in this?”
Gethsemane answers that question gently but clearly:
He is right there with you…
in the surrender,
in the silence,
in the breaking.
⸻
✨ Truth to Hold Onto
The same Jesus who knelt in the garden…
is the same Savior who walks with you now.
He didn’t avoid the hard moment—
and He won’t leave you in yours.
⸻
🙏 Prayer
Jesus,
Thank You for staying when it would have been easier to walk away.
Thank You for choosing obedience, even in overwhelming sorrow.
When I find myself in my own garden moments—
when I feel alone, hurt, or uncertain—
help me remember that You understand.
Give me strength to surrender like You did.
To trust when it’s hard.
To keep going when my heart feels heavy.
And remind me that even in betrayal, even in silence—
You are still working, still present, still faithful.
Amen.
@JohnDenton555 I hate this. Thanks for your hard work John. Your coverage of the Cardinals has been top notch. I also hope another St Louis media outlet will be smart enough to hire you.
St. Paul Catholic Center at Indiana University is raffling off two tickets to the CFP National Championship Game. Tickets may be purchased until 5 pm on Wednesday, January 14. All proceeds will support our Campus Ministry.
Purchase a ticket here: https://t.co/WBSu4Qnl3t