Tuesday of Holy Week
Lectionary: 258
Lectionary: 258
Hear me, O islands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
Yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
That Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
Yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
That Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 71:1-2, 3-4A, 5AB-6AB,
15 AND 17
R. (see 15ab) I
will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Verse Before
The Gospel
Hail to you, our King, obedient to the Father;
you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter.
you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter.
GospelJN 13:21-33, 36-38
Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and
testified,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,
was reclining at Jesus' side.
So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant.
He leaned back against Jesus' chest and said to him,
"Master, who is it?"
Jesus answered,
"It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it."
So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas,
son of Simon the Iscariot.
After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him.
So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him.
Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him,
"Buy what we need for the feast,"
or to give something to the poor.
So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.
When he had left, Jesus said,
"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself,
and he will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you."
Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?"
Jesus answered him,
"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later."
Peter said to him,
"Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you."
Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times."
"Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,
was reclining at Jesus' side.
So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant.
He leaned back against Jesus' chest and said to him,
"Master, who is it?"
Jesus answered,
"It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it."
So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas,
son of Simon the Iscariot.
After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him.
So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him.
Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him,
"Buy what we need for the feast,"
or to give something to the poor.
So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.
When he had left, Jesus said,
"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself,
and he will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you."
Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?"
Jesus answered him,
"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later."
Peter said to him,
"Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you."
Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times."
Meditation: Betrayal and faltering loyalty to Jesus
Jesus' disciples were put to the test as Jesus
prepared to make the final and ultimate sacrifice of his own life for their
sake and for all the world. What was different between Peter and Judas? Judas
deliberately betrayed his Master while Peter, in a moment of weakness, denied
him with an oath and a curse. Judas' act was cold and calculated. Peter,
however, never meant to do what he did. He acted impulsively, out of weakness
and cowardice. Jesus knew both the strength of Peter's loyalty and the weakness
of his resolution. He had a habit of speaking with his heart without thinking
through the implications of what he was saying.
Disordered love leads to hurtful desires and wrong
deeds
The treachery of Judas, however, is seen at its worst when Jesus makes his appeal by showing special affection to him at his last supper. John says that Satan entered into Judas when he rejected Jesus and left to pursue his evil course. Satan can twist love and turn it into hate. He can turn holiness into pride, discipline into cruelty, affection into complacency. We must be on our guard lest Satan turn us from the love of God and the path which God has chosen for us.
The treachery of Judas, however, is seen at its worst when Jesus makes his appeal by showing special affection to him at his last supper. John says that Satan entered into Judas when he rejected Jesus and left to pursue his evil course. Satan can twist love and turn it into hate. He can turn holiness into pride, discipline into cruelty, affection into complacency. We must be on our guard lest Satan turn us from the love of God and the path which God has chosen for us.
God never withholds his persevering grace and strength
to those who cling to him
The Holy Spirit will give us grace and strength in our time of testing. If we submit to Jesus we will walk in the light of his truth and love. If we turn our backs on him we will stumble and fall in the ways of sin and darkness. Are you ready to follow Jesus in his way of the cross?
The Holy Spirit will give us grace and strength in our time of testing. If we submit to Jesus we will walk in the light of his truth and love. If we turn our backs on him we will stumble and fall in the ways of sin and darkness. Are you ready to follow Jesus in his way of the cross?
"Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart which no
unworthy thought can drag downwards; an unconquered heart which no tribulation
can wear out; an upright heart which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside.
Bestow upon me also, O Lord my God, understanding to know you, diligence to
seek you, wisdom to find you, and a faithfulness that may finally embrace you;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord." (Prayer
of Thomas Aquinas)
A Daily Quote for Lent: Fight sin and put up with trials, by
Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Your first task is to be dissatisfied with yourself,
fight sin, and transform yourself into something better. Your second task is to
put up with the trials and temptations of this world that will be brought on by
the change in your life and to persevere to the very end in the midst of these
things." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm
59,5)
TUESDAY,
MARCH 27, JOHN 13:21-33, 36-38
Tuesday of Holy Week
(Isaiah 49:1-6; Psalm 71)
Tuesday of Holy Week
(Isaiah 49:1-6; Psalm 71)
KEY VERSE: "Amen, Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me" (v.21).
TO KNOW: During the Passover meal, Jesus made a solemn declaration that one of his own disciples would betray him. Reclining at table (the Greek style of dining of the day), John leaned his head on Jesus' chest in anguish. Just as Jesus reposed in the heart of the Father, the disciple abided in the bosom of the Lord. Although Judas was preparing to betray him, as a last gesture of love Jesus handed him a morsel of bitter herbs dipped in salt water (a symbol of the tears shed by the slaves in Egypt). Judas took the offering and quickly departed. To illustrate Judas' dark deed, John wrote poignantly, "and it was night" (v.30). Jesus warned Peter that he would also betray him by denying knowledge of him. Peter protested that he would lay down his life for his Master, but Jesus knew that Peter would fail him. It was left to Jesus to make this final journey alone.
TO LOVE: Am I able to reconcile with someone whom I have hurt or who has injured me?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, forgive me for the many ways I betray your love.
Tuesday 27 March
2018
The Last Supper, 1308-1311. Duccio di
Buoninsegna, Maesta
Tuesday in Holy Week.
Isaiah 49:1-6. Psalm 70(71):1-6, 15, 17. John 13:21-33, 36-38.
I will sing of your salvation—Psalm 70(71):1-6, 15, 17.
It is the one to whom I will give the piece of bread that I
shall dip in the dish.
It’s sad when relationships break down. Yet there is hardly
person in the world who has reached maturity without going through this painful
experience. Part of the price we pay for needing others in our lives is that we
are vulnerable and get hurt. We are not robots. A friend was telling me about
such a loss and how disappointed she was in someone she had trusted when she
said ‘and to think the number of times I’d had her at my place for dinner.’ It
seems that betraying the closeness you establish when you share your own table
with someone only makes it worse.
Jesus must have trusted Judas along the way. Or he would not
have been put in charge of money. Every time Judas is mentioned, money is in
the background. In yesterday’s Gospel he complained about the expense wasted on
costly perfume. In tomorrow’s, he will sign a deal for thirty pieces of silver.
Today, the rest of Jesus’ friends think that Judas is being told by Jesus to
make some financial arrangement. Ironically, that is precisely what he will do.
The Gospel says bluntly ‘Night had fallen.’ We are in a dark place. It is all
the more poignant that Judas has walked away from the table he shares with
Jesus. It says that Jesus was ‘troubled in spirit.’ He feels keenly the fact
that this relationship has taken such a turn. Judas, unlike Peter, chooses
never to seek reconciliation.
We all know what it is to take ourselves to a dark place, to
exclude ourselves from the very tables, both literal and metaphorical, where we
are fed and nurtured and accepted. One of the great themes of Holy Week is
honesty. There are many lies told by many people, including Peter. But Jesus is
not one of those. He asks us to find healing and honesty is the only door
through which we get there.
Lazarus
Saint of the Day for March 27
(? – ?)
Lazarus’ Story
Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, the brother of Martha and Mary,
was the one of whom the Jews said, “See how much he loved him.” In their sight,
Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead.
Legends abound about the life of Lazarus after the death and
resurrection of Jesus. He is supposed to have left a written account of what he
saw in the next world before he was called back to life. Some say he followed
Peter into Syria. Another story is that despite being put into a leaking boat
by the Jews at Jaffa, he, his sisters, and others landed safely in Cyprus.
There he died peacefully after serving as bishop for 30 years.
A church was built in his honor in Constantinople and some of
his reputed relics were transferred there in 890. A Western legend has the
oarless boat arriving in Gaul. There he was bishop of Marseilles, was martyred
after making a number of converts, and was buried in a cave. His relics were
transferred to the new cathedral in Autun in 1146.
It is certain there was early devotion to the saint. Around the
year 390, the pilgrim lady Etheria talks of the procession that took place on
the Saturday before Palm Sunday at the tomb where Lazarus had been raised from
the dead. In the West, Passion Sunday was called Dominica de Lazaro,
and Augustine tells us that in Africa the Gospel of the raising of Lazarus was
read at the office of Palm Sunday.
Reflection
Many people who have had a near-death experience report losing
all fear of death. When Lazarus died a second time, perhaps he was without
fear. He must have been sure that Jesus, the friend with whom he had shared
many meals and conversations, would be waiting to raise him again. We don’t
share Lazarus’ firsthand knowledge of returning from the grave. Nevertheless,
we too have shared meals and conversations with Jesus, who waits to raise us,
too.
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN
13,21-33.36-38
Lectio Divina:
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Season of Lent
1) OPENING PRAYER
Lord our God,
Your Son Jesus Christ
had to undergo the humiliation
of being betrayed and denied
by those He called His friends. But He made His suffering and death
into instruments of love and reconciliation.
Make us with Him, people-for-others,
who accept difficulties, even betrayals
and misunderstanding of our best intentions,
and turn them into sources of life and joy
for those around us.
Keep us faithful to You and to one another
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Your Son Jesus Christ
had to undergo the humiliation
of being betrayed and denied
by those He called His friends. But He made His suffering and death
into instruments of love and reconciliation.
Make us with Him, people-for-others,
who accept difficulties, even betrayals
and misunderstanding of our best intentions,
and turn them into sources of life and joy
for those around us.
Keep us faithful to You and to one another
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) GOSPEL READING - JOHN
13:21-33, 36-38
Reclining at table with his disciples,
Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, "Amen, amen, I say to you, one of
you will betray me." The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to
whom he meant. One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at
Jesus' side. So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. He leaned
back against Jesus' chest and said to him, "Master, who is it?" Jesus
answered, "It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped
it." So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas, son of
Simon the Iscariot. After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus
said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly." Now none of
those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. Some thought that
since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, "Buy what we need for
the feast," or to give something to the poor. So Judas took the morsel and
left at once. And it was night. When he had left, Jesus said, "Now is the
Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him,
God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. My
children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me,
and as I told the Jews, 'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to
you." Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?"
Jesus answered him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though
you will follow later." Peter said to him, "Master, why can I not
follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered,
"Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock
will not crow before you deny me three times."
3) REFLECTION
• This is the third day of Holy Week.
The texts of the Gospel of these days place before us the terrible facts which
will lead to the imprisonment and condemnation of Jesus. The texts not only
present the decisions of the religious and civil authority against Jesus, but
also the betrayal and the negotiations of the disciples which rendered it
possible for the authority to arrest Jesus and contributed enormously to the
suffering of Jesus.
• John 13:21: The announcement of the betrayal. After having washed the feet of the disciples (Jn 13:2-11) and having spoken about the obligation that we have of washing each other’s feet (Jn 13:12-16), Jesus is profoundly touched. And it is no wonder. He was fulfilling that gesture of service and total gift of self, while at His side one of the disciples was planning how to betray Him that same night. Jesus expresses His emotion saying: “In all truth I tell you one of you is going to betray Me!” He does not say: “Judas will betray Me”, but “one of you”. It is one of His group who will betray Him.
• John 13:22-25: The reaction of the disciples. The disciples are frightened. They did not expect that declaration, that is, that one of them would be the traitor. Peter makes a sign to John to ask Jesus which of the twelve would be the traitor. This is a sign that they did not know one another well, they could not succeed in understanding who could be the traitor. A sign, that is, that the friendship among them had not as yet reached the same transparency that Jesus had with them (cf. Jn 15:15). John reclined near Jesus and asked Him: “Who is it?”
• John 13:26-30: Jesus indicates Judas. Jesus says: “It is the one to whom I give the piece of bread that I dip in the dish.” He took a piece of bread, dips it in the cup and hands it over to Judas. This was a common and normal gesture which the participants at a supper used to do among themselves. And Jesus tells Judas: “What you are going to do, do quickly!” Judas had charge of the common fund. He was in charge of buying things and of giving the alms to the poor. This is why no one perceived anything special in the gesture and in the words of Jesus. In this description of the announcement of the betrayal is evoked the Psalm in which the psalmist complains about the friend who betrays Him: “Even My trusted friend on whom I relied, who shared My table takes advantage of Me” (Ps 41:10; cf. Ps 55:13-15). Judas becomes aware that Jesus knew everything (cf. Jn 13:18). But even knowing it, he does not change his mind but keeps the decision to betray Jesus. This is the moment in which the separation between Judas and Jesus takes place. John says at this moment Satan entered him. Judas rises and leaves. He places himself at the side of the enemy (Satan). John comments: “”It was night”. It was dark.
• John 13:31-33: The glorification of Jesus begins. It is as if history had waited for this moment of separation between light and darkness. Satan (the enemy) and darkness entered into Judas when he decides to carry out what he was planning. In that moment the light was made in Jesus who declares: “Now the son of man has been glorified, and in Him God has been glorified also. 32 If God has been glorified in Him, God will in turn glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him very soon!” The decisions had already been taken by Jesus (Jn 12:27-28) and now by Judas. The facts follow one another hastily. And, Jesus announces it: “Little children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for Me, and, as I told the Jews, where I am going you cannot come”. There is little time left before the Passover.
• John 13:34-35: The new commandment. Today’s Gospel omits these two verses on the new commandment of love, and begins to speak about the announcement of the denial of Peter.
• John 13:36-38: Announcement of the denial of Peter. Together with the betrayal of Judas, the Gospel also speaks of the denial of Peter. These are the two facts which contribute the most to Jesus’ suffering and pain. Peter says that he is ready to give his life for Jesus. Jesus recalls and reminds him of reality: “You are ready to lay down your life for Me? In all truth I tell you, before the cock crows you will have disowned Me three times”. Mark had written: “Before the cock crows twice, you will have disowned Me three times” (Mk 14:30). Everybody knows that the cock crows rapidly. When in the morning the first cock begins to sing, almost at the same time all the cocks crow together. Peter is more rapid in his denial than the cock in crowing.
• John 13:21: The announcement of the betrayal. After having washed the feet of the disciples (Jn 13:2-11) and having spoken about the obligation that we have of washing each other’s feet (Jn 13:12-16), Jesus is profoundly touched. And it is no wonder. He was fulfilling that gesture of service and total gift of self, while at His side one of the disciples was planning how to betray Him that same night. Jesus expresses His emotion saying: “In all truth I tell you one of you is going to betray Me!” He does not say: “Judas will betray Me”, but “one of you”. It is one of His group who will betray Him.
• John 13:22-25: The reaction of the disciples. The disciples are frightened. They did not expect that declaration, that is, that one of them would be the traitor. Peter makes a sign to John to ask Jesus which of the twelve would be the traitor. This is a sign that they did not know one another well, they could not succeed in understanding who could be the traitor. A sign, that is, that the friendship among them had not as yet reached the same transparency that Jesus had with them (cf. Jn 15:15). John reclined near Jesus and asked Him: “Who is it?”
• John 13:26-30: Jesus indicates Judas. Jesus says: “It is the one to whom I give the piece of bread that I dip in the dish.” He took a piece of bread, dips it in the cup and hands it over to Judas. This was a common and normal gesture which the participants at a supper used to do among themselves. And Jesus tells Judas: “What you are going to do, do quickly!” Judas had charge of the common fund. He was in charge of buying things and of giving the alms to the poor. This is why no one perceived anything special in the gesture and in the words of Jesus. In this description of the announcement of the betrayal is evoked the Psalm in which the psalmist complains about the friend who betrays Him: “Even My trusted friend on whom I relied, who shared My table takes advantage of Me” (Ps 41:10; cf. Ps 55:13-15). Judas becomes aware that Jesus knew everything (cf. Jn 13:18). But even knowing it, he does not change his mind but keeps the decision to betray Jesus. This is the moment in which the separation between Judas and Jesus takes place. John says at this moment Satan entered him. Judas rises and leaves. He places himself at the side of the enemy (Satan). John comments: “”It was night”. It was dark.
• John 13:31-33: The glorification of Jesus begins. It is as if history had waited for this moment of separation between light and darkness. Satan (the enemy) and darkness entered into Judas when he decides to carry out what he was planning. In that moment the light was made in Jesus who declares: “Now the son of man has been glorified, and in Him God has been glorified also. 32 If God has been glorified in Him, God will in turn glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him very soon!” The decisions had already been taken by Jesus (Jn 12:27-28) and now by Judas. The facts follow one another hastily. And, Jesus announces it: “Little children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for Me, and, as I told the Jews, where I am going you cannot come”. There is little time left before the Passover.
• John 13:34-35: The new commandment. Today’s Gospel omits these two verses on the new commandment of love, and begins to speak about the announcement of the denial of Peter.
• John 13:36-38: Announcement of the denial of Peter. Together with the betrayal of Judas, the Gospel also speaks of the denial of Peter. These are the two facts which contribute the most to Jesus’ suffering and pain. Peter says that he is ready to give his life for Jesus. Jesus recalls and reminds him of reality: “You are ready to lay down your life for Me? In all truth I tell you, before the cock crows you will have disowned Me three times”. Mark had written: “Before the cock crows twice, you will have disowned Me three times” (Mk 14:30). Everybody knows that the cock crows rapidly. When in the morning the first cock begins to sing, almost at the same time all the cocks crow together. Peter is more rapid in his denial than the cock in crowing.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Do I love so much as to protect
someone who betrays me too?
• Satan prowls like a lion looking to devour souls. It happened to Judas. What do I do to prevent Satan from entering me?
• Satan prowls like a lion looking to devour souls. It happened to Judas. What do I do to prevent Satan from entering me?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
You are my hope, Lord,
my trust, Yahweh, since boyhood.
On You I have relied since my birth,
since my mother's womb You have been my portion,
the constant theme of my praise. (Ps 71:5-6)
my trust, Yahweh, since boyhood.
On You I have relied since my birth,
since my mother's womb You have been my portion,
the constant theme of my praise. (Ps 71:5-6)
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