nd left of Him, and said: "Take it and eat. It is My body that
will be broken for you."

They took it. Then He took the beaker of wine, lifted it to heaven
that it might be blessed, passed it round, and said: "Take it and
drink. It is My blood that will be shed for you."

And when they had all drunk. He added: "Do this in remembrance of Me."

CHAPTER XXXI

When the disciples separated after the meal, notwithstanding their
fears, they did not realise that it was a farewell. They sought their
lodgings. Only John, Peter, and James accompanied the Master when He
left the town in the dark night and descended the valley to the foot of
the Mount of Olives. There was a garden there. White stones lay
between the savin trees and the weeping cypresses, fresh spring grass
covered the ground. Jesus said to His companions: "Stay here a
little." He Himself went farther into the garden. The sky was covered
by a thin veil of cloud, so that the moon shed a pale light over the
earth. The town on the mountain rose up dark and still; no sound was
to be heard except the rippling of the brook Kedron in the valley.
Jesus stood and looked up through the trees towards heaven. He
breathed heavily, and drops of perspiration stood on His brow. He felt
a great agony, an agony He had never before known. Had He not often
thought of death, and in His mind felt quite reconciled to it? Did He
not know that the Heavenly Father would receive Him? Only He still
belonged to this sweet life below, and still the way was open to Him to
escape death. Is His soul so weak now that it is troubled by the
prospect of the enemy at hand, ready to seize Him? Can He not go over
the mountain to Jericho, into the wilderness, to the sea? No, not
flight. Of His own free will He is to appear before the judges in
order to stand by what He said. Ah! but this surrender to the powers
He had offended means death. He sank down on the ground so that His
head touched the grass, as if He would draw the earth to Him with eager
arms. "Must it be, O Father? Fain would I stay with men in order to
bring them nearer to Me. Who will guide My disciples, still so weak?
Guard them from evil, but do not take them from the world. Let them
live and spread Thy name. If it is possible, let Me stay with them.
But if it must be, take this agony of soul from Me and stand by Me.
But I must not demand aught, My God, only humbly entreat. If it is Thy
will that I shal