Bottom line: Jesus prayed, "not as I will, but your will be done!" Jesus saved us by his obedience and wants us to become sons & daughters in him - King Henry of Bavaria gives an example of doing God's will here and now.

In reading St. Matthew's account of the Passion, I was struck by Jesus' obedience to the Father's will. In the Garden, he prayed that he might not have to face terrible suffering, but each time he added, "not as I will, but your will be done!"

Jesus came precisely to do the will of the Father. If you attend the Good Friday Service, you will hear - that, by his obedience, Jesus became the source of salvation. He is the true Son and he wants us to become sons and daughters through him. That is why he taught his disciples to pray, "Father...thy kingdom come, thy will be done."

What does it mean to do the will of the Father? For each of us, it will mean something different. A famous story illustrates that. Perhaps you have heard about King Henry of Bavaria. Being a man of deep piety, the intrigues of court life made him weary. Henry decided that he wanted to spend his final years in a monastery. He approached Prior Richard with the request. Fr. Richard explained the strict rules of prayer and work. King Henry listened eagerly and said he would gladly accept that discipline. The prior told the king he would have to pledge unquestioning obedience to the superior. King Henry said, yes, he knew how authority worked and he would obey the superior without question. "Then," said Prior Richard, "Go back to your throne and do your duty in the station God assigned you." The monk's words shocked the king, but he obeyed and became one of the fairest rulers in Europe. After his death, the people called for his canonization. The King who learned obedience to the Father's will is now known as St. Henry of Bavaria.

As we celebrate Holy Week, we might ask St. Henry of Bavaria to intercede for us. We may not have such a high post, but God has some task for each of us. For some it might mean simply to embrace their suffering: Not as I will, but your will be done! Like King St. Henry we will not find God's will in some place apart - but right here, right now, today. And it might require great sacrifice. This Holy Week we want Jesus' prayer to become our own: Dear Father, not as I will, but your will be done!

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