before Easter Triduum

Isaiah 50:4-9; Ps 69 Lord in your great Love answer me; Mt 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 him over to you?"

How much is it worth to you? Here is a question that has been pressed upon our lips a many time. How can I squeeze this for my benefit.


HOw can I turn a profit?


"They gave him 30 pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over."

We must remember that though the Jews and scribes and pharisees sought to arrest Jesus several times and they sought to stone him and kill him, it wasn't into their hands Jesus surrendered, but rather to the hands of a former disciple that Jesus is forsaken.

Into the hands of a former disciple! Who could have anticipated this reality? One who spent time with Jesus daily and nightly. One who ate with him, listened to him, traveled around next to him. One who seen the miracles, witness the joy this Jesus brought to the world. One who once held a promising future as a messenger, an apostle, one who was going to spread the good news. In fact, Judas was one of the twelve who was sent out to heal the sick and cast our demons.

A disciple. This is who betrayed JEsus.

Jesus was forsaken for a chance to turn a profit by a follower.

Stop and think today how often in our society the same temptation comes to us.
YOu can not serve both God and mammon. YOu will love the one and hate the other.

Here are a few words of insight by Pope Benedict XVI
"In the case of Judas, we encountered the perennial danger that even those "who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Spirit: can perish spiritually through a series of seemingly small infidelities, ultimately passing from the light into the night, where they are no longer capable of conversion."

We must be on our toes and attentive to the motivation of our hearts. The Easter Triduum is meant to purify our hearts and prepare us to follow more closely choosing to forsake the world never forsaking Christ.


Though Judas sells out, Mary does not. She remains with him all the way to the end. This mystical embrace encourages us in our journey.

One thing to remember as we follow Christ to the cross is that most of his disciples flee and abandon him. But the women stay behind. They remain with him. Something about a woman's heart that is strong and faithful and true.

Mary remains.
Here to we begin to see the heart of the Church, the one who is faithful and true to the bridegroom Christ even though her members may stray and flee and abandon Christ.
Mary is a type of the Church.

But like Mary we too must be steadfast in adversity.
So too must we remain. We look to her for guidance and strengthen and push onward.