Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 13, 2022
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, as 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.”
Judas was “one of the twelve,” and he was “called Judas Iscariot.” These introductory words are quickly overshadowed by the grave discussion that follows—setting a price for Jesus—but let’s rewind.
Judas was chosen. At some point prior, Jesus called him by name, and Judas answered the call. “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
There’s more. Before the solemn events to come, Jesus was celebrating. The scene is a gathering of his closest friends. It is a Passover commemorating the Israelites’ freedom from bondage. And Judas was there. Despite his plotting and Jesus’ awareness of it, Judas was still invited.
If we read on in Matthew’s Gospel, we also know that Jesus later blesses the bread and the wine saying, “Take… drink… all of you.” (Mt 26:26-27). All of you meaning Judas too.
Before he is betrayed, Jesus chooses his betrayer to participate in this first Eucharist. Again, Judas is chosen—chosen to receive, chosen to be redeemed by Jesus’ body and blood.
The spotlight is understandably on Judas in today’s reading, but Jesus goes on to say, “This night, all of you will have your faith in me shaken.” (Mt 26:31) Simon Peter denies him. Peter, James, and John can’t seem to stay awake with him. They all flee, afraid, forgetting they all once answered the call to follow.
Today let us remember that Jesus never stops choosing and calling us by name. He knows we will sometimes falter, give into fear, flee, forget, even betray. Still, there is a seat at the table, a Eucharistic meal, redemption, and resurrection awaiting those who seek. As Fr. James Martin, S.J. once said, “The greatest tragedy for Judas is that he never stuck around for Easter Sunday.”
Prayer
Father in heaven, while Judas looked for an opportunity to betray him, your Son anticipated his betrayal with steadfast faithfulness to your will. With the days when we commemorate his life-giving death and resurrection nearly upon us, help us to enter into the Triduum with prayerful attentiveness to these stories of our salvation. May our participation in these upcoming liturgies help us to mirror his faithfulness, who lives and reigns with you and the Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
In the four years during which he was pope, St. Martin I created powerful enemies with his stout-hearted defense of truth.
After he was elected pope in 649, one of his first acts was to convene a Church council to confront a heresy that distorted the way in which we understand Jesus. Monothelitism declared that though Jesus has both a human and divine nature (as is orthodox), he has only one will, which is divine.
In the controversy over this heresy, the emperor refused to support one side or the other, and commanded that the matter was not to be discussed.
Under Martin’s leadership, the council denounced Monothelitism, and proclaimed that Jesus has both a divine will and a human will to correspond to his two natures. Moreover, the council condemned the emperor’s edict, in essence saying that it was throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
The emperor was furious and sent soldiers from Constantinople to arrest Martin; he was imprisoned for months in a cold and dirty cell. He was fed little food, was not allowed to wash, and suffered from dysentery. When he was brought to trial, he was not allowed to speak and was convicted of treason.
He was eventually exiled to Crimea, where conditions did not improve. In fact, people there were under a famine, which made his situation worse. He died after two years, and is honored as a martyr for the faith.
Pope St. Martin I, you faithfully proclaimed the truth and died in prison for it—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Pope St. Martin I is available for use under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Last accessed February 21, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
