the betrayal

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?"

They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said,"Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?" He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The teacher says, "My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples."

The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover. When it was evening,he reclined at table with the Twelve.And while they were eating, he said, "Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."

Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another,"Surely it is not I, Lord?" He said in reply, "He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.

It would be better for that man if he had never been born." Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,"Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" He answered, "You have said so."

Today's Gospel reading preludes the betrayal of Judas. This is an appropriate moment to reflect on this period before we celebrate the Sacred Triduum.

The events that lead Jesus to the cross are filled with intriguing, suspenseful sense of impending disaster.

It is vivis then that the powers of good and evil, light and darkness, sin and salvation are poised to exhibit themselves at the place called Golgotha.

John's account of Jesus betrayal seems to show Jesus' deep understanding of His role as the Messianic fulfillment.

Judas in his interrogatory and somewhat cynical half statement of, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" provides the catalyst for the process of darkness to unravel.

What is so significant about this is that it enables us to reflect on the daily struggles we suffer in order to accept a meaningful relationship with the Lord.

To live the life that Jesus intended for us is indeed a continuing struggle on our daily life with good and evil.

Judas has turned on Jesus' friendship and love. We too in our lives are sometimes turned against Jesus' love through sinful and unloving activities.

There is a real message here in Jesus' tranquil resignation to the events that are coming. Faith in the love and power of the Father.

As believers in the power of God's love and goodness, this event should provide a period for us to reflect and pray. We need to examine our lives and look for the moments that we have falsely shared intimacy with our brothers and sisters in faith.

There is hope for conversion.

There is hope for grace.

There is hope in Jesus' acceptance of the Father's plan.

There is hope for Easter glory.