WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK Gospel Mt 26:14-25 - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
- NHA CHUA CHA
- Mar 28, 2024
- 4 min read
READING OF THE DAY
A reading from the Book of Isaiah
Is 50:4-9a
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?
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Matthew
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.”
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
God's words in today's Gospel say: when Judas, a close disciple of Jesus, came to the chief priests and said: "If I hand Jesus over to you, how much will you give me?" The chief priests decided to give Judas 30 pieces of silver. Judas sold his teacher for 30 pieces of silver. Let's ask: Who is Jesus that was sold at that price? Jesus is the Supreme Being, the King of Kings, the Savior. He voluntarily sacrificed and gave His life to redeem humanity from the power of darkness and death. Yet the trusted disciple sold his Teacher for thirty silver coins. It is heartbreaking for God because of His love for His disciples and for the humanity He has created!
Through the image of Judas selling Jesus, it shows that because of his love of money and power, the darkness of death has invaded. This darkness covers Judas' soul and body, obscuring his conscience from his teacher. He was unable to distinguish between the path of love and the path of darkness. Before Judas' betrayal, Jesus said: "'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.'"
This saying also warns all those who have a guilty conscience like Judas: Be alert and determined to give up the path of love for money, position, power, and honor so as not to fall into the situation of selling God like Judas. The image of Judas selling Jesus in the past still continues to happen to some people today: because of greed for profit, status, honor, and power, they deny God, do not believe, and do not acknowledge the existence of an eternal God present with them. God also wanted to tell them: "'It would be better for that man if he had never been born.'"
The era of today is the era of the Holy Spirit at work. After Jesus returned to heaven, He continued to send the Holy Spirit to live with humans to enlighten, guide, and teach people how to live in darkness and how to live according to the light. When people follow God, believe in God, confess God's holy name and live according to God's teachings, that is following the path of light. And when people reject God, do not accept the truth that comes from God, and do not accept God's death and resurrection, they are walking on the path of darkness.
Preparing to enter the Paschal Triduum, God invites all of His children:
- To spend time with Him to calm our minds, to contemplate the image of Jesus, the King of love, suffering, crucifixion, and death on the Cross.
-We must be humble, repent, and acknowledge our own sins that nailed God to the Cross.
Thanks be to God. Amen
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