Reflection for Wednesday of Holy Week.

By

Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Director, Social Action Movement, Don Bosco Bidar 

 Gospel Passage for today 

 Matthew 26:14-25  


'The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will'

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 that moment he looked 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?’ ‘Go to so-and-so in the city’ he replied ‘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 disciples. And while they were eating he said ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me.’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not I, 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 I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words’ answered Jesus.

 Reflection on the reading 

As a species that is endowed with intellect and will, it is understood that whatever we do, there is a reason behind it.

It does not make any sense to say that we do something without a reason, even though we may casually or jokingly say so.

And there may be more than one reason for doing something.

When Judas went to the chief priests, he wanted to know how much they were willing to pay him for betraying Jesus to them.

They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from that moment Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

But it was not stated why Judas wanted to betray Jesus.

And even the amount is not such a considerable sum.

But did Judas knew what he was really doing?

Even at the Last Supper when Jesus said that one of His disciples was going to betray Him, Judas can even ask unflinchingly, “Not I, Rabbi, surely?”

Whatever the real reason or reasons, and whether Judas really knew what He was doing, therein lies a lesson for us.

As much as we have reasons for doing something, we may not be aware of other hidden motives or vested interests.

Let us ask Jesus to clean our minds and hearts so that we will really know what we are doing and why we are doing it.

May we not betray Jesus, and may all we do be for the will of God. 


   GOD BLESS YOU

Good morning. Have a nice day.

Let's pray for the forthcoming state elections to be free, fair and credible. Let's pray to vote for the right candidate who can uphold human dignity, human rights and who is tolerant towards religion.