Meditation for Wednesday
Jesus is Betrayed by Judas with a Kiss
“As He yet spoke, behold Judas, one of the twelve, came and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the ancients of the people. And he that betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying: ‘Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is He, hold Him fast.’ And forthwith coming to Jesus, he said: ‘Hail Rabbi.’ And he kissed Him. And Jesus said to him: ‘Friend, whereto art thou come?’ Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus, and held Him.” (Matt. 26, 47-50).
First Prelude: In spirit enter the Garden; behold Jesus advancing to meet His traitor, and hear His loving words.
Second Prelude: Ask the grace to be preserved from grave faults by a conscientious fidelity in little things.
First Point
The Meekness and Compassion of Jesus with the Traitor
The treason of Judas must have constituted one of the keenest sufferings of the Sacred Heart of Jesus! When our Divine Saviour called Judas to the apostolate, He foresaw his future betrayal, and still He took him into His confidence, instructed and trained him for the preaching of the gospel. Jesus had manifested towards Judas a special confidence by giving the alms into his custody. He had often and impressively warned and admonished him lovingly. At the Last Supper, when in his blindness Judas asked our Divine Saviour with the rest of the Apostles, whether it was he that would betray Him, Jesus told him plainly that it was he. Judas could no longer doubt that Jesus knew of his wicked design and that He desired to stay the horrible crime and save him. When a few hours later the traitor, approaching the Saviour in company with the ruffians, said “Hail Rabboni!” and kissed Him, the Lord did not disdain to receive the treacherous kiss, but with indescribable mildness and sweetness said: “Friend, whereto art thou come?”
What an insult, what a horrible torture for the Saviour’s heart was this kiss of the traitor! A disciple abuses the token of friendship to deliver His Master into the hands of His enemies! With the Psalmist the Lord laments: “For if my enemy had reviled Me!” (Psalm 54, 13). But the disciple delivers his Master, the friend faithlessly betrays his Friend, Who took him into His confidence, man delivers up his God. Once more the Saviour invites Judas to His friendship by calling him “Friend,” but how must the abuse of graces have hardened the traitor’s heart!
The love of Jesus for His faithless disciple is a figure of His love for the greatest sinners. He calls them to repentance and loves them, despite their sinfulness and malice, and if His grace finds a receptive heart, it transforms the greatest sinner into a holy penitent. We, too, will place unbounded confidence in the tender mercies of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to whom but one thing is impossible, namely, not to compassionate the misery of those who are of good will. Does grace always find my heart receptive? What hindrances must I remove?
Second Point
What does the appalling example of Judas teach us?
It seems incomprehensible that Judas could develop into so vile a monster of ingratitude and wickedness, as to perpetrate so black a deed, and accomplish his plan with such detestable hypocrisy—“Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is He; hold Him fast!” Thus, in his delusion, he had cautioned the soldiers. How deep a fall for an Apostle, for one called to be a pillar of the Church! Must this example not inspire us with a wholesome fear, and induce us to be on our guard? Judas began by being unfaithful in trifles, for the way that led him to his terrible fall is the ordinary way to perdition, namely, lack of fidelity in small matters.
He was, as the evangelist tells us, a thief. His predominant passion, therefore, was love of money and greed of temporal gain. Had Judas entered into himself after his first fall, had he acknowledged his guilt to his Master, he should certainly not have fallen so low. But Judas more and more abused the grace offered him. He heard the sublime discourses of Jesus; heard His awful woe upon those attached to the things of this world; heard Him promise His Apostles, that having left all things they should one day sit on twelve thrones to judge the tribes of Israel. But all this made no impression on him and effected no amendment of his life. The evil spirit gained more and more power over him, and persuaded him finally to betray his Master.
Oh, how many have fallen in consequence of a single unrestrained evil inclination! How many have forfeited the friendship and love of Jesus for a paltry price, thus wounding the Heart of the Saviour the more keenly, the more graces He had lavished upon them! Oh, that we would guard most carefully against the slightest fault! That we would treasure above all else the love of Jesus, and sacrifice all, relinquish all, to obtain it, and to preserve this priceless treasure.
Affections: O Heart of my Jesus, Abyss of Mercy and Love! I, too, am among those ungrateful souls that have requited Thy love with insults. My heart is filled with confusion and sorrow, when I consider Thy infinite goodness to me, despite my ingratitude. O God of Love, tear me away from earthly inclinations, which would sever me from my highest Good. Reign Thou, alone, in my heart and possess it wholly. Give me Thy grace and Thy love, O my God, for with it I am rich enough and desire no more.
Resolution: In every trial and affliction, I will seek encouragement in the thought that at such a price I can purchase the love of Jesus.
Spiritual Bouquet: “Friend, whereto art thou come?”
Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .
Jesus is Betrayed by Judas with a Kiss
“As He yet spoke, behold Judas, one of the twelve, came and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the ancients of the people. And he that betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying: ‘Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is He, hold Him fast.’ And forthwith coming to Jesus, he said: ‘Hail Rabbi.’ And he kissed Him. And Jesus said to him: ‘Friend, whereto art thou come?’ Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus, and held Him.” (Matt. 26, 47-50).
First Prelude: In spirit enter the Garden; behold Jesus advancing to meet His traitor, and hear His loving words.
Second Prelude: Ask the grace to be preserved from grave faults by a conscientious fidelity in little things.
First Point
The Meekness and Compassion of Jesus with the Traitor
The treason of Judas must have constituted one of the keenest sufferings of the Sacred Heart of Jesus! When our Divine Saviour called Judas to the apostolate, He foresaw his future betrayal, and still He took him into His confidence, instructed and trained him for the preaching of the gospel. Jesus had manifested towards Judas a special confidence by giving the alms into his custody. He had often and impressively warned and admonished him lovingly. At the Last Supper, when in his blindness Judas asked our Divine Saviour with the rest of the Apostles, whether it was he that would betray Him, Jesus told him plainly that it was he. Judas could no longer doubt that Jesus knew of his wicked design and that He desired to stay the horrible crime and save him. When a few hours later the traitor, approaching the Saviour in company with the ruffians, said “Hail Rabboni!” and kissed Him, the Lord did not disdain to receive the treacherous kiss, but with indescribable mildness and sweetness said: “Friend, whereto art thou come?”
What an insult, what a horrible torture for the Saviour’s heart was this kiss of the traitor! A disciple abuses the token of friendship to deliver His Master into the hands of His enemies! With the Psalmist the Lord laments: “For if my enemy had reviled Me!” (Psalm 54, 13). But the disciple delivers his Master, the friend faithlessly betrays his Friend, Who took him into His confidence, man delivers up his God. Once more the Saviour invites Judas to His friendship by calling him “Friend,” but how must the abuse of graces have hardened the traitor’s heart!
The love of Jesus for His faithless disciple is a figure of His love for the greatest sinners. He calls them to repentance and loves them, despite their sinfulness and malice, and if His grace finds a receptive heart, it transforms the greatest sinner into a holy penitent. We, too, will place unbounded confidence in the tender mercies of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to whom but one thing is impossible, namely, not to compassionate the misery of those who are of good will. Does grace always find my heart receptive? What hindrances must I remove?
Second Point
What does the appalling example of Judas teach us?
It seems incomprehensible that Judas could develop into so vile a monster of ingratitude and wickedness, as to perpetrate so black a deed, and accomplish his plan with such detestable hypocrisy—“Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is He; hold Him fast!” Thus, in his delusion, he had cautioned the soldiers. How deep a fall for an Apostle, for one called to be a pillar of the Church! Must this example not inspire us with a wholesome fear, and induce us to be on our guard? Judas began by being unfaithful in trifles, for the way that led him to his terrible fall is the ordinary way to perdition, namely, lack of fidelity in small matters.
He was, as the evangelist tells us, a thief. His predominant passion, therefore, was love of money and greed of temporal gain. Had Judas entered into himself after his first fall, had he acknowledged his guilt to his Master, he should certainly not have fallen so low. But Judas more and more abused the grace offered him. He heard the sublime discourses of Jesus; heard His awful woe upon those attached to the things of this world; heard Him promise His Apostles, that having left all things they should one day sit on twelve thrones to judge the tribes of Israel. But all this made no impression on him and effected no amendment of his life. The evil spirit gained more and more power over him, and persuaded him finally to betray his Master.
Oh, how many have fallen in consequence of a single unrestrained evil inclination! How many have forfeited the friendship and love of Jesus for a paltry price, thus wounding the Heart of the Saviour the more keenly, the more graces He had lavished upon them! Oh, that we would guard most carefully against the slightest fault! That we would treasure above all else the love of Jesus, and sacrifice all, relinquish all, to obtain it, and to preserve this priceless treasure.
Affections: O Heart of my Jesus, Abyss of Mercy and Love! I, too, am among those ungrateful souls that have requited Thy love with insults. My heart is filled with confusion and sorrow, when I consider Thy infinite goodness to me, despite my ingratitude. O God of Love, tear me away from earthly inclinations, which would sever me from my highest Good. Reign Thou, alone, in my heart and possess it wholly. Give me Thy grace and Thy love, O my God, for with it I am rich enough and desire no more.
Resolution: In every trial and affliction, I will seek encouragement in the thought that at such a price I can purchase the love of Jesus.
Spiritual Bouquet: “Friend, whereto art thou come?”
Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .
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