A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (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.”
REFLECTION: Dear brothers and sisters, as I mentioned in the opening, this day of Holy Week, is also known as “Spy Wednesday”. It is the day Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests, and temple guards, acting as a spy among the twelve disciples, and negotiated the betrayal of Jesus, for thirty pieces of silver.
Some traditions consider “Spy Wednesday” a day of preparation, and I can see why. In the case of Judas, there was some time of detail preparation and planning, for the moment when he would betray Jesus. As for us, in this day and time, when we already know the outcome of this day, in human history, lets focus and make today, a day of detailed planning and preparation, of our hearts, for the Passion.
There is also a central challenge, of “Spy Wednesday”, for the “small Judas” within each of us. Pope Francis warned us of this**—when we choose our own interest, our greed, or our comfort, over our loyalty to Christ, we too, sit at the table of the Eucharist, yet sometimes, through our sins, we “sell” Jesus out, for our own “thirty pieces of silver”—be it power, money, or reputation.
Therefore, lets pause and prepare our hearts, by stepping away from whatever tempts our hearts, and enter into the stillness of prayer, as I invite you to pray along with me, by repeating each phrase after me, on the following prayer.
Heavenly Father, in this sacred time of Holy Week,
we implore Your divine guidance and wisdom.
We meditate on the profound mysteries of our faith,
especially the paschal mystery of Christ’s
passion, death, and resurrection.
Grant us clarity to articulate the beauty
of these truths to those seeking answers.
Strengthen our resolve to defend our beliefs
with charity and conviction.
May the grace of this season,
transform hearts and minds,
leading souls closer to your truth and salvation.
We humbly ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son, who lives and reigns with you
forever and ever. Amen.
https://www.catholic.com/tract/holy-week-catholic-answers-guide-to-holy-week
ACTION FOR THE DAY: As we enter the end of our Lenten season, our spiritual pilgrimage, to the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, I invite you today, to walk along with Jesus and his disciples, witnessing the unfolding drama, of salvation history. Make this Holy Wednesday, a time of deep reflection, transformative worship, and a renewed commitment, to the merciful love and sacrifice, of Jesus Christ.
** Homily of Pope Francis “Judas, where are you?” April 8, 2020.
AUDIO REFLECTION:
