The Betrayal

From the gospel of Matthew 26: 14-25

One of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priest and said, " What are you willing to give me if I hand Jesus 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."

Reflections:

Judas betrays the Lord by selling him for thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave! But others, and we very likely, have also exchanged the Lord in our lives perhaps for a paltry sum of money, or a moment of pleasure, or dishonest profit in business, or a chance to get ahead of the competition in the office. The Lord has been sold countless times and in countless ways by those who claimed to be his followers. How many among us today are guilty for these. How many times in our life today that we exchange Sunday Mass for personal matters and perhaps enjoyment and works. How many among us today is next to Judas Iscariot?

We must cleanse our memories and our lives of our many acts of betrayal by expressing sorrow for our sins and making reparation for our offenses. Remember, it's not only Judas who betrayed Jesus, even in our recent times we have betrayed him several times. 

Lord Jesus, have mercy on us for betraying you.