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| Judas Iscariot by Giotto |
I wonder what Judas was thinking. We know he was a thief, stealing the money the disciples collected for the poor. But when did he stop loving our Lord? Why did Judas continue to stay with this little band of people who followed Jesus? I ask these questions because I wonder about myself too. How I betray Jesus, and for what? Michael and I have been reading St. Thomas Aquinas' Lenten Meditations daily and they give so much insight into both the nature of Christ's sacrifice and our own human condition.
As we enter the Sacred Triduum, I pause and ponder my faith and pray that I may never ever be separated from our dear Lord Jesus. Why the Incarnation? Why the Crucifixion? Why the Eucharist? One drop of His Precious Blood at His Circumcision could've saved us all. Instead every last drop of His Precious Blood is drained from His Body. He gives us His all. And He continues to give Himself in the Holy Eucharist. It is impossible for my poor heart to imagine a love so deep. And so I pray and praise and petition my Lord Jesus to let me grow in His Love. To be more like Mary of Bethany and less like Judas Iscariot. All these ponderings at the beautiful full moon last night at Breach Inlet after Maundy Thursday Liturgy with the commandment to imitate Him. Perhaps the next book we read together will be Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis.
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| Mary Anointing Jesus by Daniel Gerhartz |
3 comments:
I suspect it is a part of the human condition to have a Judas in every assembly. It seems a built-in feature of us. Otherwise, this would not be this world, but another...
In faith formation, we try to leave the students with the reality that God doesn't leave us, we leave him. This is in the hope that when they need God later in life, they will turn to him no matter what.
Judas was a necessary part of the Paschal Mystery. Someone had to betray Jesus for our salvation to occur. Wouldn't it be wonderful, though, if we didn't really know the end of Judas' story? Maybe with his dying breath he realized his errors. Maybe he did turn back to God and receive His mercy.
May God show all of us His mercy when that say comes.
Mirka, it's true that Judas is in each one of us and we are works-in-progress. We shall be perfected before we enter heaven. Heaven! It has to be our goal. May we never reject the mercy that Christ extends to us.
Carol, such a beautiful way to teach that it's never too late to turn toward Jesus. True, we do not actually know that Judas is in hell but I assume it since Jesus says it's better for that man not to have been born at all. I have read stories of people repenting at their deathbed. So powerful. This is why I love the Hail Mary so much--talk about a perfect petition: pray for us, now and at the hour of our death. She will come to our aid. And I'm already thinking of Divine Mercy.
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