April 15, 2025
Tuesday of Holy Week
Lectionary: 258
Reading 1
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm
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.
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.
Gospel
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."
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041525.cfm
Commentary on
Isaiah 49:1-6
Today we read the second Song of the Servant of
Yahweh. The prophet again speaks in words that apply very suitably to
Jesus. Jesus has been called from all eternity to do this work of salvation. He
is a “sharp sword” and a “polished arrow”.
God says,
You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
But Jesus must surely be tempted to say, with Isaiah:
I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity…
Surely it must have looked like that as Jesus hung dying on
the cross, his mission a shambles, his enemies victorious and his disciples in
total flight. On the cross, Jesus cried out with these heart-rending words:
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matt
27:46)
Yet he had been chosen as a servant so that “Jacob”, i.e.
Israel, might be brought back to him:
You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
His God is his strength, and his moments of darkness become
the moment of glory:
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
As indeed has happened. But who, standing at the foot of the
cross on that first Good Friday, could have seen the outcome of this ‘failure’?
Yet, that is what we celebrate during this week.
The Servant says:
Listen to me, O coastlands;
pay attention, you peoples from far away!
These are the people of the lands along the Mediterranean
and beyond the seas whom we saw mentioned yesterday. The message of the Servant
is for them—and hence for all of us—for me.
The Lord called me before I was born;
while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.
The language is similar to that of the call of the prophet
Jeremiah (Jer 1:5) and of Paul (Gal 1:15). And, as Christians, we believe this
is true of all of us, that:
…he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world
to be holy and blameless before him in love. (Eph 1:4)
Again the Servant speaks:
He made my mouth like a sharp sword…
he made me a polished arrow…
Later, the Letter to the Hebrews will compare the Word of
God to a two-edged sword, which penetrates into the deepest recesses of our
hearts, bringing both consolation and wisdom, and discomfort for our
wrongdoings.
And he said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
“Israel” here is generally understood to be descriptive of,
not of the nation, but of an individual, representing the best that Israel
should be. Perhaps we, too, should be less arrogant when we apply the term
‘Christian’ to ourselves, knowing how far we are from what Jesus is calling us
to be.
I said, I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity…
As he hung on the cross, his mission apparently a failure
and mocked by those bent on destroying him, these words would seem to fit Jesus
so well. It will be in the third and fourth songs that we will begin to see the
place of all the pain and suffering in the mission of Jesus:
…yet surely my cause is with the Lord
and my reward with my God.
In spite of apparent failure, the cause of Jesus will be
vindicated and his mission a success.
And now the Lord…
who formed me in the womb to be his servant…
And the Servant carried out that call to the very end, and
with wondrous results. We, too, have been in the mind of God from eternity and
been given a special call. How do I see that call at this time?
…to bring Jacob back to him…
that Israel might be gathered to him…
This verse is a reference to the release from captivity in
Babylon and the return to Jerusalem. But there is the wider connotation of
bringing God’s people back to union with him. And it will not be just
Israel, because a little further on the passage says:
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
The Servant’s mission is the conversion of the whole world
to his Way. Along with Genesis 12:1-3 and Exodus 19:5-6, this verse is
sometimes called the “great commission of the Old Testament” and is quoted in
part by Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13:47. Christ is the light of the world (Luke
2:30-32; John 8:12, 9:5) and Christians reflect his light:
You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the
world.
(Matt 5:14)
Is that the way I see myself? Let me hear Jesus say these
words to me as I watch him on the Cross during these days.
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Commentary on
John 13:21-33,36-38
Today’s Gospel is a sad moment of a double betrayal. First,
that of Judas. Judas is no outsider, but one of the inner circle of the Twelve.
Jesus announces solemnly:
Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.
The statement comes like a bombshell. For all their
weaknesses, they cannot imagine any one of them planning such a thing. Peter
asks the Beloved Disciple, who is closest to Jesus (in every sense of the
word), to find out who it is and Jesus responds:
It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I
have dipped it in the dish.
Jesus hands over the morsel, a symbol of sharing. It is
probably part of the bitter herb, dipped in salt water, which was a feature of
the Passover meal. Jesus hands it over to the one who will hand him over to
those who wish to be rid of him. This is an act of friendship which makes the
coming betrayal doubly treacherous. The bitterness of the morsel is also
significant.
In that very moment Judas knows he has made his fateful
decision as Jesus tells him,
Do quickly what you are going to do.
None of the other disciples realised the significance of
these words.
As soon as he has left, it is no wonder that the evangelist
comments: “And it was night.” Yes indeed. It was a moment of utter darkness.
This is a Gospel which constantly contrasts light and darkness. Yet at that
very moment which sets the whole passion experience in motion, Jesus speaks of
his being glorified and of God also being glorified.
To do this, Jesus is going to leave his disciples. He will
leave them in death but he will also leave them to return to the glory of his
Father.
Peter, well-meaning but weak, swears that he will go all the
way with Jesus, even to death. It is the second betrayal. Worse in some ways.
At least Judas made no wild promises. What will save Peter will be the depth of
his repentance and later conversion.
We too have betrayed Jesus and those around us so many
times. We have broken bread with Jesus in the Eucharist, and then turned our
back on him by the way we treat those around us. We have promised at
Confession, with his help never to sin again, and then gone and done what we
have just confessed.
Let us pray that we, like Peter, may weep bitterly for all
the wrongs we have done and all the good left undone.
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https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/l1063g/
Tuesday,
April 15, 2025
Holy Week
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.
Gospel Reading - John 13: 21-33, 36-38
Having said this, Jesus was
deeply disturbed and declared, 'In all truth I tell you, one of you is going to
betray me.' The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he meant. The
disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus; Simon Peter signed to him and
said, 'Ask who it is he means,' so leaning back close to Jesus' chest he said,
'Who is it, Lord?' Jesus answered, 'It is the one to whom I give the piece of
bread that I dip in the dish.' And when he had dipped the piece of bread he
gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. At that instant, after Judas had taken
the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, 'What you are going to do, do
quickly.'
None of the others at table
understood why he said this. Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of
them thought Jesus was telling him, 'Buy what we need for the festival,' or
telling him to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the piece
of bread he went out. It was night. When he had gone, Jesus said: Now has the
Son of man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified. If God has been
glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him
very soon. Little children, I shall 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.
Simon Peter said, 'Lord,
where are you going?' Jesus replied, 'Now you cannot follow me where I am
going, but later you shall follow me.' Peter said to him, 'Why can I not follow
you now? I will lay down my life for you.' 'Lay down your life for me?'
answered Jesus. 'In all truth I tell you, before the cock crows you will have
disowned me three times.'
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 possible for the authority to arrest Jesus and contributed enormously
to increase 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!” Everything which will
happen from now on will be in the regressive way. The decisions had already
been taken by Jesus (Jn 12: 2728) 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.
Personal Questions
•
Judas, the friend, becomes the traitor. Peter,
the friend, denies Jesus. And I?
•
I place myself in Jesus’ situation and I think:
how does he face the denial and the betrayal, the contempt and the exclusion?
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)
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