Wednesday of Holy Week
Lectionary: 259
Lectionary: 259
The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
And I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
My face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let him confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
And I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
My face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let him confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
Responsorial Psalm PS 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 AND 33-34
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,
I looked for sympathy, but there was none;
for consolers, not one could I find.
Rather they put gall in my food,
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving:
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,
I looked for sympathy, but there was none;
for consolers, not one could I find.
Rather they put gall in my food,
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving:
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Gospel MT
26:14-25
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.”
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.”
Meditation: The tragedy of the betrayal
Why did Judas betray his Master? Was his treachery motivated by
greed, bitter disappointment with Jesus, or hatred because of disillusionment?
It may be that Judas never intended for his Master to die. Maybe he thought
Jesus was proceeding too slowly and not acting aggressively enough in setting
up his messianic kingdom. Perhaps Judas wanted to force Jesus' hand by
compelling him to act. Nonetheless, his tragedy was his refusal to accept Jesus
as he was.
Origen (185-254 AD), a bible scholar and early church father,
comments on Judas' betrayal:
"Let us consider what Judas said to the Jewish priests: What
will you give me if I hand him over to you? He was willing to take
money in exchange for handing over the Word of God. They do the same thing who
accept sensual or worldly goods in exchange for handing over and casting out
from their souls the Savior and Word of truth who came to dwell with them.
Indeed, it would be fitting to apply Judas's example to all who show contempt
for the Word of God and betray him, as it were, by committing sin for the sake
of money or for any selfish motive. People who behave in this way appear openly
to be calling out to the powers of the enemy who offer worldly gain in return
for the sin of betraying God's Word, saying, What will you give me if I
hand him over to you? And they gave him thirty pieces of silver.
The number of coins they gave Judas was equivalent to the number
of years the Savior had sojourned in this world. For at the age of thirty, he
was baptized and began to preach the gospel, like Joseph was thirty years old
when he began to gather grain for his brothers (Genesis 41:46). Just as at that
time the grain was prepared by God for the sons of Israel but given also to the
Egyptians, so also the gospel was prepared for the saints but preached also to
the unfaithful and wicked." (Commentary on Matthew 78.)
Jesus knew beforehand what would befall him. As Jesus ate the
passover meal with his twelve apostles he put them under trial and suspicion (one
of you will betray me) to teach them to examine themselves rightly, lest
they be highminded and think themselves more strong than they were. We, also
must examine ourselves in the light of God's truth and grace and ask him to
strengthen us in faith, hope, and love that we may not fail him or forsake him
when we are tempted. Do you pray with confidence in the words Jesus gave us to
pray: Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matthew
6:13)?
"God our Father, we are exceedingly frail and indisposed to
every virtuous and gallant undertaking. Strengthen our weakness, we beseech
you, that we may do valiantly in this spiritual war; help us against our own
negligence and cowardice, and defend us from the treachery of our unfaithful
hearts; for Jesus Christ's sake." (Prayer of Thomas a Kempis)
 Unmasking the Betrayer |
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Wednesday of Holy Week
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Father James Swanson, LC
Matthew 26:14-25
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."
Introductory Prayer: Lord
Jesus, I wish to accompany you closely on the road to Calvary. If I
were to contemplate you more often as you hang scourged and bloody upon the
cross, I’m certain I would be able to rest in your love and base my actions
on that one truth. I know that you have loved me with an eternal love: you
have proven it there on the wood of the cross. So I long to respond with
gratitude, peace and the firm determination to spread your love to everyone.
Petition: Lord
Jesus, help me to stay strong in my faith.
1. One of the Twelve a Traitor? We often
think that Judas must have been different, obviously worse than the other
disciples. If that were true, everyone would have suspected him when Jesus
said, “One of you will betray me.” They would have thought: “It must be
Judas. He’s always been bad. He’s capable of betraying Jesus. I don’t know
why Jesus picked him.” Instead, Judas did not stand out as any worse than
they were. If he did, they would have immediately suspected him. Each one of
us, as well, could become a Judas little by little, first by giving up our
principles on smaller matters and then later on more important matters. In
the Christian life there always needs to be a healthy tension of straining
forward and of watchfulness. The one who is trustworthy in small matters is
trustworthy in greater matters.
2. Is It I? The
apostles are all asking, “Is it I?” Why? Was there some widespread desire to
betray him of which they were barely keeping control? No, but they were in a
very dangerous situation. The Pharisees had decided to kill Jesus. The
apostles know it. That’s why the whole group had gone to stay in Jericho for
a while. Jerusalem was too dangerous. They can imagine themselves following
Jesus to the Temple the next day, being singled out in the crush of the crowd
and then having their life threatened to provide information about where
Jesus can be found at night. They wonder what they would say. With my life on
the line would I betray Jesus? This is why they ask, “Is it I?” When push
comes to shove, what comes first in my life? Would I ever consider selling
out on Jesus for something or someone else?
3. Vigilance of the Heart: Judas
had everything he needed to be a great apostle. He had a magnanimous heart,
which is why Jesus picked him. God never destines anyone for failure. So what
happened to him? At some point he stopped working on his friendship with
Jesus. Some would point to the moment of the discourse on the Bread of Life
recorded in John 6. Judas couldn’t accept that he needed to eat Jesus’ body
and drink his blood. Jesus must be wrong, and therefore he is a false
Messiah. John 6:64 tells us that Jesus knew who his betrayer would be. Jesus
gives Judas a chance to leave the group and remain an honest man in John
6:67. Instead, he stays, becoming a hypocrite – a “devil” in Jesus’ words –
and begins the path that will lead to betrayal. Knowing that my faith is the
most precious gift I have received from God, do I watch over and nourish my
faith so that it grows and is strong?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I
have betrayed you so many times, even when I do such a simple thing as not
saying grace in a restaurant out of fear that others will realize I am a
Catholic. May the experience of your Passion and death help me to have the
courage to live by my convictions at all times.
Resolution: Today I
will live all the demands of my faith, especially in the moments when they
point me out as a follower of Christ. Today I will not betray him, even in
the smallest way.
WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK, APRIL 16, MATTHEW
26:14-25
(Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 69)  KEY VERSE: "Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me" (v 21). READING: The prophet Zechariah prefigured Christ in that his service was rejected even though he was a good shepherd to his flock. Like Zechariah, Jesus attempted to lead his people with a prophetic and pastoral ministry, but he ended up suffering at the hands of his enemies. Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve Apostles, plotted with the chief priests to betray Jesus for "thirty pieces of silver," the price of an injured slave (Ex 21:32; Zec 11:12). Matthew suggested that Judas' motive was greed. But perhaps it was that Judas never truly understand who Jesus was. The other disciples called Jesus "Lord" while Judas addressed him as "rabbi" or "teacher." Although God used Judas' treacherous act to fulfill the divine plan, the disciple was not absolved from personal responsibility for his grievous sin. REFLECTING: Have I participated in the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the ways I have denied the Lord through my words or deeds? PRAYING: Lord Jesus, give me the grace to be faithful to you as I take up my cross and follow you.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Make Room For God
In humility, a woman ultimately forgets herself; forgets both
her shortcomings and accomplishments equally and strives to remain empty of
self to make room for Jesus, just as Mary did
Lord, in your great love, answer me
I offered no resistance, neither did I turn away.Dear Lord, help us to journey with you in spirit through the last few days of your life. You came on Earth to show us the way we should live, what things are important, and how to look at things from God’s point of view. As you fell foul of the powers that be, you showed us how to follow you to Jerusalem to your death. Help us to draw close to you, to reflect on how you showed us to live, and with your grace we will succeed in following your Way, not in morbid sorrow but in praise and love for you, our redeemer. With the psalmist we will say, ‘I will praise God’s name.’
April
16
St. Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879) 
Bernadette Soubirous was born in 1844, the first child of an
extremely poor miller in the town of Lourdes in southern France. The family
was living in the basement of a dilapidated building when on February
11,1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette in a cave above the
banks of the Gave River near Lourdes. Bernadette, 14 years old, was known as
a virtuous girl though a dull student who had not even made her first Holy
Communion. In poor health, she had suffered from asthma from an early age.
There
were 18 appearances in all, the final one occurring on the feast of Our Lady
of Mt. Carmel, July 16. Although Bernadette's initial reports provoked
skepticism, her daily visions of "the Lady" brought great crowds of
the curious. The Lady, Bernadette explained, had instructed her to have a
chapel built on the spot of the visions. There the people were to come to
wash in and drink of the water of the spring that had welled up from the very
spot where Bernadette had been instructed to dig.
According
to Bernadette, the Lady of her visions was a girl of 16 or 17 who wore a
white robe with a blue sash. Yellow roses covered her feet, a large rosary
was on her right arm. In the vision on March 25 she told Bernadette, "I
am the Immaculate Conception." It was only when the words were explained
to her that Bernadette came to realize who the Lady was.
Few
visions have ever undergone the scrutiny that these appearances of the
Immaculate Virgin were subject to. Lourdes became one of the most popular
Marian shrines in the world, attracting millions of visitors. Miracles were
reported at the shrine and in the waters of the spring. After thorough
investigation Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the
apparitions in 1862.
During
her life Bernadette suffered much. She was hounded by the public as well as
by civic officials until at last she was protected in a convent of nuns. Five
years later she petitioned to enter the Sisters of Notre Dame. After a period
of illness she was able to make the journey from Lourdes and enter the
novitiate. But within four months of her arrival she was given the last rites
of the Church and allowed to profess her vows. She recovered enough to become
infirmarian and then sacristan, but chronic health problems persisted. She
died on April 16, 1879, at the age of 35.
She was
canonized in 1933.
Comment:
Millions of people have come to the spring Bernadette uncovered for healing of body and spirit, but she found no relief from ill health there. Bernadette moved through life, guided only by blind faith in things she did not understand—as we all must do from time to time.
LECTIO
DIVINA: MATTHEW 26,14-25
Lectio:
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Lent Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
when the hour of your Son Jesus had come to accept suffering and death out of love of you and his saving love for us, he did not refuse that suffering and deep pain. In the hour of trial that we may have to pass through, do not let us become rebellious but keep us trusting in you, for you save us through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 26, 14-25
One of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the
chief priests and said, 'What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over
to you?' They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from then onwards he began
to look for an opportunity to betray him.
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, 'Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?' He said, 'Go to a certain man in the city and say to him, "The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples." ' The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover. When evening came he was at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating he said, 'In truth I tell you, one of you is about to betray me.' They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, 'Not me, Lord, surely?' He answered, 'Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me will betray me. The Son of man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!' Judas, who was to betray him, asked in his turn, 'Not me, Rabbi, surely?' Jesus answered, 'It is you who say it.'
3) Reflection
• Yesterday the Gospel spoke of the betrayal of Judas and of
the denial of Peter. Today, it speaks once again of the betrayal of Judas. In
the description of the Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, the failure
of the disciples is strongly stressed. In spite of having lived three years
together with Jesus, not one of them defends Jesus. Judas betrays him, Peter
denies him, and the others flee. Matthew narrates everything, not to
criticize or to condemn, neither to discourage the readers, but in order to
underline that acceptance and the love of Jesus exceed the defeat and the
failure of the disciples! This way of describing the attitude of Jesus was a
help for the Communities at the time of Matthew. Because of the frequent
persecutions, many were discouraged and had abandoned the community and asked
themselves: “Will it be possible to return? Will God accept and forgive us?”
Matthew responds by suggesting that we can break the relationship with Jesus,
but Jesus never breaks it with us. His love is greater than our infidelity.
This is a very important message which we get from the Gospel during Holy
Week.
• Matthew 26, 14-16: The Decision of Judas to betray Jesus. Judas took the decision after Jesus did not accept the criticism of the disciples concerning the woman who wastes a very expensive perfume only to anoint Jesus (Mt 26, 6-13). He went to the chief priest and asked: “What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?” They agreed on the sum of thirty silver pieces. Matthew recalls the words of the Prophet Zechariah to describe the price agreed upon (Zc 11, 12). At the same time, the betrayal of Jesus for thirty silver coins recalls the sale of Joseph by his brothers, decided by the buyers for twenty coins (Gn 37, 28). It also reminds the price of thirty coins to be paid for the wounding of a slave (Ex 21, 32). • Matthew 26, 17-19: The preparation for the Passover. Jesus was coming from Galilee. He did not have a house in Jerusalem. He spent the night in the Garden of Olives (cf. Jn 8, 1). In the days of the feast of the Passover the people of Jerusalem increased three times in number because of the enormous number of pilgrims who went there from all parts. For Jesus it was not easy to find a big room where to celebrate the Passover together with the pilgrims coming from Galilee, as himself. He ordered his disciples to find a person in whose house he had decided to celebrate the Passover. The Gospel does not offer any other information and allows the imagination to complete what is missing in the information. Was this a person known by Jesus? A relative? A disciple? Throughout the centuries the imagination of the Apocrypha has known how to complete this information, but with little credibility. • Matthew 26, 20-25: The announcement of the betrayal of Judas. Jesus knew that he will be betrayed. In spite of the fact that Judas did things secretly. Jesus knew. But in spite of that, he wants to act fraternally with the group of friends to which Judas belongs. When all were together for the last time, Jesus announces who is the traitor “Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me will betray me”. This way of announcing the betrayal renders even clearer the contrast. For the Jews, the communion around the table, to dip the hand together in the same dish, was the maximum expression of intimacy and trust. In this way, Matthew suggests that in spite of the betrayal made by someone who was a friend, the love of Jesus is greater than the betrayal! • What strikes in the way in which Matthew describes these facts? Between the denial and the betrayal there is the institution of the Eucharist (Mt 26, 26-29): the betrayal of Judas first (Mt 26, 20-25); the denial of Peter and the flight of the disciples, afterwards (Mt 25, 30-35). Thus, he stressed for us the incredible gratuitousness of the love of Jesus, which exceeds the betrayal, the denial and the flight of the friends. His love does not depend on what others do for him.
4) Personal questions
• Am I capable of being like Judas and to deny and betray God,
Jesus, the friends?
• In Holy Week it is important to reserve some moments to become aware of the unbelievable gratuity of God’s love for me.
5) Concluding Prayer
Sing to God, play music to his name,
build a road for the Rider of the Clouds, rejoice in Yahweh, dance before him. Father of orphans, defender of widows, such is God in his holy dwelling. (Ps 68,4-5) |
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