THE BETRAYAL OF JUDAS

John 13:21-33, 36-38

            We have started the Holy week since Sunday and this is not a week like any other, it recalls the journey of the Lord to Jerusalem to perform his great work of salvation. And the liturgy of this week calls us to participate in this work of salvation. This is a symbolic week in the sense that we, by participating in the liturgy, are not observers, but are uniting ourselves with Christ in his great work. Let us look at the gospel of today.

            I was trying to look at the character of Judas and I found that, in two ways, Jesus tried to dissuade Judas from betraying Him. First, Jesus and the Twelve took their places at table. In ancient times, and it is still today, to sit together at table expresses friendship, trust, love and fellowship. Therefore, sitting together with Jesus only meant one thing, they were His closest friends and that also meant, Judas. Sitting with Jesus at table was a reminder to them including Judas that they are friends; the trusted ones.

Second, our Lord’s gesture of offering Judas a morsel of food was, in the Jewish society, an act done by one who considered the other a genuine friend. Very sadly, Judas rejected these acts of our Lord’s reaching in love and compassion to him.   Judas betrayed the common bond signified by the meal.

Applying to us, most of time we act like Judas; we sometimes reject God’s opportunity in our life. How do we participate in Jesus' work of salvation? How often have we ourselves rejected God’s invitation to conversion, like Judas? On this Holy Tuesday, indeed during these days of Holy Week, this reaching out of God to us is most vividly portrayed. Like Peter who wept after realizing the gravity of his denial, may we also let our own tears fill our eyes. This Holy Week, let us look deep into our lives and find those occasions where our relationships with God and with one another have been victim of our own selfish ways. Let us amend ourselves and grab this blessed opportunity to follow Christ. Let us repeat the words we said when we began this season of Lent on Ash Wednesday “Repent and believe the gospel” at this time when they sound more loudly.